A rash of illegal land seizures has hit the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, with 3,000-5,000 people marking off plots of land in the city\'s outskirts to build homes, RFE/RL\'s Kyrgyz Service reported on 10 April. The squatters have ignored local authorities\' demands to give back the land, which city planners had intended for other uses. With many who are seizing plots hailing from Kyrgyzstan\'s south, and Bishkek residents\' ire rising, the standoff has raised fears of regional strife. On 9 April, the Bishkek City Council asked acting President Kurmanbek Bakiev to intervene in the situation, since local authorities have been unable to resolve the conflict. On 10 April, protestors held a demonstration in the center of Bishkek, accusing the central authorities of encouraging the land seizures through their inaction, RFE/RL reported. Acting President Bakiev addressed the demonstrators, promising to resolve the issue within days, although his promises failed to appease protestors. (RFE/RL)