D.he dispatch of foreign soldiers to Kazakhstan by a Russian-led military alliance is fueling fears of a further escalation of the situation in the former Soviet republic. It was said that the soldiers of the Alliance should be deployed for a limited period of time “to stabilize and normalize the situation in the country”. However, the Kazakh government sought this help after its own troops used gun violence against demonstrators critical of the government. The US and EU called for moderation on all sides and called for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
The Moscow-led military alliance had previously announced that it would send “peacekeeping troops” to unrest-ridden Kazakhstan. The deployment of troops “for a limited time” was decided to “stabilize and normalize” the situation in Kazakhstan, the current chairman of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, said on Facebook on Thursday.
Kazakhstan’s head of state Kassym-Shomart Tokayev had previously requested help from the alliance. The alliance includes six former Soviet states, including Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, during his televised address
Source: dpa / Uncredited
The riots that broke out over the weekend are “not a threat, but an undermining of the integrity of the state,” he said. In a televised address he announced “maximum hardship” against “lawbreakers”. He extended a state of emergency already existing for Almaty and the capital Nur-Sultan because of the mass protests to the whole country.
According to the Kazakh authorities, at least eight police officers and soldiers have already been killed. Several Kazakh Telegram channels published videos on Thursday night that are said to show military action against demonstrators in the urban area of the economic metropolis of Almaty. Shot noises can be heard on the recordings and people screaming.
The Kazakh television station Khabar 24 announced in the morning that the security forces would continue to crack down on demonstrators. “The anti-terrorism operation to restore order will continue in Almaty,” it said. The Russian state agency Ria Novosti reported that military vehicles had collected bodies in the city. Banks have also stopped working for the time being.
Internet turned off again
The information situation is made more difficult by repeated blockages of the Internet in Kazakhstan. The network was shut down for hours on Wednesday – presumably to make new meetings more difficult. Several television stations stopped operating. On the night of Thursday, the websites of authorities, police and airports were again inaccessible, as the Russian state agency Tass reported. Internet sites such as the state news agency Kazinform and other media were also not available from Germany.
According to Tass, there was a complete internet failure in the megacity of Almaty, which paralyzed social networks as a central coordination tool for demonstrators. The mobile network in the economic metropolis was also dead.
In Reporters Without Borders’ press freedom list, the former Soviet republic ranks 155th out of 180 countries. “In the past few years, the government of Kazakhstan has silenced almost all opposition media with claims for damages and targeted attacks on journalists,” said the organization’s website. “There are no longer any critical TV channels, there are hardly any informational programs on the radio, but mainly music and state-required news. Defamation is a criminal offense and is punished if the government is criticized. Many journalists censor themselves. “
“We hope for a quick normalization of the situation”
The chairman of the Russian State Duma committee responsible for affairs of former Soviet republics, Leonid Kalashnikov, had already signaled his support. Russia was obliged to help, for which the alliance was founded, he told the Russian news agency Interfax. The alliance includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Protests in Almaty
Source: dpa / Vladimir Tretyakov
The Russian Foreign Ministry called for a peaceful solution on Wednesday. Problems had to be solved “within the framework of constitutional and legal provisions and through dialogue and not through riots in the streets”. “We hope for a quick normalization of the situation,” it said.
Riot police block a street to stop protesters
Source: dpa / Vladimir Tretyakov
Experts took Tokayev’s call for help as a sign that he could no longer rely on his army. As a consequence of the protests, he had already dismissed the government on Wednesday and threatened to crack down on demonstrators.
The unprecedented protests in Kazakhstan broke out out of displeasure at the significantly higher prices for liquefied gas at filling stations. Many Kazakhs use this gas because it is cheaper than gasoline. Many demonstrators also directed their displeasure against the government and blamed them for their poor living conditions, because everyday life was becoming more expensive due to high inflation.
The police resisted the demonstrators
Source: dpa / Vladimir Tretyakov
The country with more than 18 million inhabitants borders among others with Russia and China. It is rich in oil and gas reserves. The republic is also one of the largest uranium producers in the world. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan is struggling with mismanagement and poverty.
USA urges a peaceful settlement of the protests
Several countries, including the US and the EU, called for a peaceful solution. “We ask all Kazakhs to respect and defend the constitutional institutions, human rights and freedom of the press, including restoring Internet access,” said US State Department spokesman Ned Price.
The US urged all parties to find a peaceful solution to the state of emergency, Price said. US government spokeswoman Jen Psaki had previously denied allegations from Russia that the US played a role in the protests in Kazakhstan. Such claims are “absolutely false and clearly part of the Russian script for disinformation,” she said. Like the EU and the federal government, the USA called on all parties to “restrain”.
The EU’s External Action Service also expressed concern about the serious unrest in Kazakhstan and called on the government to comply with international obligations and the fundamental right to peaceful protest.