President of Kazakhstan said Friday that he has authorised law enforcement to open fire on “terrorists” and shoot to kill, following days of extremely violent protests in the former Soviet nation. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev blamed the unrest on “terrorists” and “militants” in a televised address to the nation, and said he had authorised the use of excessive force against them. The violent protests continue in the country despite the fact that the government has resigned and the price control on LPG, the main reason for the protests, has been restored.
He also slammed some countries’ calls for talks with protesters as nonsense. “What kind of bargaining can be done with criminals and murderers?” he said.
Kazakhstan is witnessing the worst street protests since the country’s independence three decades ago. According to police in Almaty, the country’s largest city, dozens of people have been killed in attacks on government buildings. At least eight police officers have been killed and hundreds injured.
Kazakhstan: The richest central Asian republic
Kazakhstan is by far the largest and wealthiest of the five Central Asian countries that attained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union. It covers an area the size of Western Europe and lies atop massive oil, natural gas, uranium, and precious metal reserves.
While Kazakhstan’s natural resources have helped it develop a strong middle class and a sizable group of ultra-wealthy tycoons, financial hardship is prevalent. The average monthly wage is just under $600. Non-performing loans have triggered major financial crises in the banking system. Petty corruption is common in this region, as it is in much of the rest of the world.
Countrywide protests sweeping Kazakhstan
The gathering that sparked the current crisis took place in Zhanaozen, a dusty western oil town. A notion that the region’s energy riches haven’t been equitably distributed among the local populace has long fuelled resentment in the area. At least 15 individuals were shot dead by police in the city in 2011 while protesting the dismissal of oil workers after a strike.
Patience was challenged when the price of Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), which most people in the area use to run their cars, increased overnight Saturday after the govt lifted price control on it. Residents in surrounding cities swiftly followed in, and huge protests erupted across the country within days. The entire regime is now in the crosshairs of tens of thousands of people who have taken to the streets in more than a dozen cities and towns.
In Kazakhstan, the silencing of critical voices has long been the standard. Any potential opponents of the regime have been repressed, marginalised, or co-opted. So yet, no protest movement leaders have emerged, despite the fact that these demonstrations have been exceptionally large, with some reaching more than 10,000 people, a large figure for Kazakhstan.
Former President Nursultan Nazarbayev wielded power for the majority of Kazakhstan’s recent history. That changed in 2019, when Nazarbayev, now 81, stepped down and named long-time ally Tokayev as his successor. Nazarbayev continued to wield considerable power in his capacity as head of the security council, which oversees the military and security services. Tokayev announced on Wednesday that he would succeed Nazarbayev as head of the Security Council.
Much of the rage on the streets in recent days has been directed at Nazarbayev, who is still widely regarded as the country’s ultimate ruler. “Shal ket!” (“Old man go”) has become the main slogan.
Administrative Response
Kazakhstan is venturing into unexplored territory. Major protests have occurred in the country before: After the passage of a contentious land law in 2016. And again in 2019, following the contentious election that cemented Tokayev’s hold on power. But never on this grandiose scale.
Tokayev pledged to pursue reforms and hinted at political liberalisation in one of his public appeals on Wednesday. His darker remarks toward the end of the day, on the other hand, suggested he would instead take a more repressive path. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is looking increasingly desperate. He first tried to appease the crowds by dismissing the entire government on Wednesday morning. But by the end of the day, he’d changed his mind. First, he referred to protesters as terrorists. Then he turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russian-led military alliance, for assistance in crushing the uprising.
Still, because the street protests are so disorganised, at least for the time being, it’s difficult to predict how they will end. Even if they fail to destabilise the government, they appear to have the potential to bring about profound change.
International concern
Kazakhstan’s two powerful neighbours, Russia and China, are concerned about the outbreak of instability. The country exports the majority of its oil to China and is a key strategic ally of Moscow. There’ some discussion about the situation in other countries also.
