CERD/C/KGZ/CO/5-7 and Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, on 6 December 2010. C. Concerns and recommendations Root causes of the ethnic conflicts 5. While noting the explanations provided by the State party, the Committee is deeply concerned at the repeated ethnic conflicts and clashes which occurred in the State party between the majority of the population and some ethnic groups, namely Uzbeks, Dungans, Kurds and Meskhetian Turks since 2007 and at their root causes of such conflicts. The Committee is particularly concerned at the June 2010 ethnic conflict which between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz populations in the Osh and Jalal-Abad regions and which resulted, inter alia, in a great number of killings, casualties and property destruction. The Committee is further concerned that the causes of such conflicts may continue to exist and may lead to other clashes. Moreover, the Committee is concerned that part of the weapons held by the population irrespective of their ethnic origins has not yet been collected. The Committee recommends that the State party, as a matter of urgency, take effective measures to address the fundamental problems and the root causes that constitute an obstacle to the peaceful coexistence between different ethnic groups living in its territory. For that purpose, the Committee recommends that the State party: (a) Pursue its initiatives and reforms aimed at building a democratic society in which all ethnic groups will be involved, respected and enjoy full rights; (b) Address socio-economic disparities between ethnic groups and between rural and urban areas; (c) Take urgent measures to increase the participation of minorities in political and public affairs; (d) Consider adopting a special law on the rights of persons belonging to minority groups and establishing an institution with a special mandate to address racial discrimination issues; (e) Redouble its efforts to collect weapons still held by the population, in particular in the Osh and Jalal Abad regions, bearing in mind the need to build trust between the majority and other ethnic groups. Human rights violations during the June 2010 ethnic conflict 6. The Committee notes with concern that, according to the State party’s report (CERD/C/KGZ/5-7, para. 12) and other reports, Uzbeks were the main victims of the June 2010 events but were also the most prosecuted and condemned. While noting that the State party itself has recognized this situation and is considering ways to correct it, the Committee remains deeply concerned about reports of biased attitudes based on ethnicity in investigations, prosecutions, condemnations and sanctions imposed on those charged and convicted in relation to the June 2010 events, who were mostly of Uzbek origin. The Committee is also concerned about information provided in the State party’s report relating to “evidence of coercion to confess to crimes that the persons did not commit, pressure on relatives by representatives of law enforcement agencies, denial of procedural rights (…), violations of court procedures, threats and insults to the accused and their counsel, attempts to attack the accused and his relatives” which according to the State party resulted in a 2