DUSHANBE, July 24, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik law enforcement have instituted criminal proceedings to investigate into a mass fight that occurred between local youth and Chinese builders, involved n construction of the Dushanbe-Chanak highway, in Khujand Tuesday night, according to the Ministry of Interior (MoI). 

The source at a MoI said that the criminal proceedings had been instituted on the hooliganism charges (Article 237, Part 3, Point “B” of Tajikistan’s Penal Code).   

“According to information received, some 30-40 people were involved in the Khujand fight,” said the source.  “We have information that several of the Chinese nations, involved in the fight, have previous convictions and it is necessary to find out how they managed to get in Tajikistan.  For example, under the Tajik law, persons having convictions do not have the right to leave the country during five years after serving their sentence.”   

 As it had been reported earlier, the fight took place in the “Bahor” bar in Khujand’s microrayon 18 on July 22, at around 10:00 p.m., following quarrel between a group of local youth and Chinese builders constructing the Dushanbe-Chanak highway.    

According to eyewitnesses, few minutes later, a group of Chinese builders drove up to the scene of incident and began breaking windows of nearby shops and glasses of cars parked near the bar. 

Several minutes after, police patrols and special police unit officers were drawn up the scene of incident.  They separated those fighting and detained several alleged fight instigators from both sides.  No injured were reported.