Residents of the Uzbek town of Andijan say police are still threatening the relatives of people accused of taking part in anti-government protests. A BBC correspondent says the town is outwardly calm but people are living in a climate of fear, with few willing to discuss openly what happened. Human rights groups say hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed in May when troops opened fire on protesters Uzbek officials say Islamic militants tried to overthrow the government. There are now few outward signs of the bloody events which took place in Andijan, the BBC\'s Ian McWilliam said. The chief reminder is the work going on to repair the city hall which was badly damaged in fighting between armed men who had occupied the building and Uzbek troops trying to regain control of it. The armed group had entered the building after breaking into the regional jail to release 23 popular local businessmen who were on trial for alleged Islamic extremism. But while Andijan is outwardly calm and the bazaar is bustling, few people were prepared to discuss openly what happened, our correspondent says. Those who will talk in secret say the security police are continuing to harass and threaten the relatives of people they say were involved in the events. There are still reports of people fleeing Uzbekistan to nearby republics to escape repeated interrogations and possible imprisonment, our correspondent says. The trial of 15 of the alleged organisers of the unrest is due to start in a few days\' time. Our correspondent says many people in Andijan are unaware of this, despite a barrage of propaganda in the state media presenting the government\'s version of events. Many residents of Andijan were angered by the trial of the 23 businessmen who, they say, were simply good Muslims and successful entrepreneurs. Local people say that corrupt bureaucrats accuse anyone of extremism who presents a threat to their own power, often comparing the situation to the Stalinist terror of the 1930s. Their anger has been sharpened by economic stagnation in Uzbekistan which observers say is the result of corruption and Tashkent\'s isolationist policies. (BBC)