Asia-Pacific

Chinese merchant takes hard knock after Kyrgyz riot

By Zhang Haizhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-09 07:38

BEIJING - He Chengyu is an unlucky man. He is one Chinese businessman who has suffered extensive losses in Kyrgyzstan's two major riots - the "Tulip Revolution" in March 2005 and the recent uprising that started Wednesday.

Although no Chinese died or were injured in the recent unrest, 42-year-old He's five-story Guoying Trade Center, the country's oldest Chinese mall with shops, restaurants, a karaoke bar, and hotel, was looted and burnt to cinder during both unrests.

"The loss was more than $5.2 million in 2005. And this time it may reach $4 million," He told China Daily over the telephone. "I really don't know if I should renovate it again this time. Who knows if there would be a third time?"

He arrived in Bishkek, the Kyrgystan capital, 18 years ago as a research student of the country's academy of science. Graduating in 1998, the Jiangxi-native started building the Guoying mall located at the heart of the capital city in the year 2000.

Nearly 30,000 Chinese now live in Kyrgyzstan, making it the biggest foreign community in the country with a roughly 5.3 million population.

Twenty-six Chinese businesses now operate in the mall, selling mainly groceries, clothes, tools, and furniture. As the boss, He said he was able to earn up to $500,000 per year.

But Wednesday's disaster turned everything to ashes.

It was at around 1:30 am in the morning when furious protesters rushed into the building.

"In the beginning, there were about 300, and later the total number reached about 500 (rioters)," He recalled. "They didn't stop looting and smashing, even though I tried to offer them some money instead."

At about 5:30 am, protesters set fire to the building. "The fire spread through the building quickly as there was a lot of trash paper all over the building," he recalled.

The fire was put down two hours later, as no fire engine could arrive soon enough, He said. "The fire station itself was smashed, and the engine was later jammed on the road in this chaotic city."

A day after the disaster, He said most Chinese businessmen who had shops in the mall, and himself included, were undecided whether to leave the city or start from scratch.

"I got no compensation after the Tulip Revolution in 2005, so I had to invest $2 million more to get re-started in 2006. But this time I really don't know if I'll re-invest," he said, hoping the Chinese government could compensate them.