Posted by Olly earlier (thanks Olly)."URL:...

Posted by Olly earlier (thanks Olly).

"URL: http://eng.24.kg/business/2012/01/17/22461.html

Inhabitants of Talas province should decide whether need minerals industry to Kyrgyzstan or not – Kuban Ashyrkulov
17/01-2012 14:54 , Bishkek , 24.kg news agency , by Julia KOSTENKO
“Inhabitants of Talas province should decide whether need minerals industry to Kyrgyzstan or not,” said Andash Mining Company CJSC director general Kuban Ashyrkulov on today’s Government meeting.
According him all mines in Talas province has stop working. “The local population is against that international company produces Kyrgyz resources. People’s meeting must be held in the province in order to let the locals express their point of view. If they don’t need minerals industry then the investors won’t participate in the mining and just leave the country,” explained Kuban Ashyrkulov.

He added that the gold mining could increase wealth of TJalas province and the republic in whole."

When I first read this it sounded like the locals were opposed to Andash. That would have contradicted recent information from the company, but after re-reading it seems to me he was referring to the wider population and more likely past events like the horsemen vandalising another companies exploration site office. The fact that he was pushing for "People’s meeting must be held in the province in order to let the locals express their point of view" suggests he knows those people are supporting the project.