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* [[Police brutality]]
* [[Police brutality]]
| goals = * Decreased fuel prices
| goals = * Decreased fuel prices
* Cessation of mandatory [[COVID-19 vaccine|vaccinations again COVID-19]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://t.me/CIG_telegram/14866|title = /CIG/ Telegram &#124; Counter Intelligence Global}}</ref>
* Cessation of mandatory [[COVID-19 vaccine|vaccinations against COVID-19]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://t.me/CIG_telegram/14866|title = /CIG/ Telegram &#124; Counter Intelligence Global}}</ref>
* Resignation of President [[Kassym-Jomart Tokayev]] and the [[Government of Kazakhstan|government]]
* Resignation of President [[Kassym-Jomart Tokayev]] and the [[Government of Kazakhstan|government]]
* Removal of immunity and resignation of [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]] from the chairmanship of the [[Security Council of Kazakhstan|Security Council]]
* Removal of immunity and resignation of [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]] from the chairmanship of the [[Security Council of Kazakhstan|Security Council]]

Revision as of 19:34, 5 January 2022

2022 Kazakh protests
Part of the Kazakh democracy movement
Protesters in Aktobe, January 4, 2022.
Date2 January 2022 (2022-01-02) – present
Location
Kazakhstan, predominantly Mangystau Region
Caused by
Goals
Methods
StatusOngoing
  • Government declares nationwide state of emergency
  • Internet taken down for much of January 5, but restored late in the evening of that day
Concessions
  • Resignation of Prime Minister Askar Mamin
  • Resignation of cabinet ministers in Mamin Cabinet
  • Resignation of Nursultan Nazarbayev as chairman of Security Council
Parties

Kazakhstan Opposition:

Kazakhstan Protesters from among ordinary citizens
Lead figures

Decentralized leadership

Casualties and losses

Police and the National Guard:

  • 8 dead
  • 317 wounded (government figures)[5][6]

Protests broke out in Kazakhstan on 2 January 2022 after a sudden sharp increase in gas prices in which according to the Kazakh government was due to high demand and price-fixing. The protests began in the oil town of Zhanaozen but have quickly spread to other cities in the country,[7][8] including the largest city, Almaty. In response, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared a state of emergency in the Mangystau Region and Almaty, effective from 5 January. The same day the Mamin Cabinet resigned.[9][10]

Background

Kazakhstan has one of the strongest performing economies in Central Asia, with oil production representing a large percentage of its economic growth until oil prices decreased in the mid-2010s.[11] In 2012, the World Economic Forum listed corruption as the biggest problem in doing business in the country,[12] while the World Bank listed Kazakhstan as a corruption hotspot, on a par with Angola, Bolivia, Kenya, Libya.[13] In 2013, Aftenposten quoted the human-rights activist and lawyer Denis Jivaga as saying that there is an "oil fund in Kazakhstan, but nobody knows how the income is spent".[14]

Zhanaozen, an oil-producing city in Mangystau Region experienced a series of labour strikes and demonstrations. In 2011, a riot broke out in the city amidst the 20th anniversary of Independence Day that led to 16 deaths and 100 injuries according to official numbers. Kazakh security forces opened fire on protestors who demanded better working conditions. During that time, the price for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a fuel that is mainly used to refill vehicles in Zhanaozen, was around 30–35 tenge and has repeatedly risen since then in which according to Eurasianet, the spike was caused by the Kazakh government's phased transition policy to electronic market trading of LPG that began in January 2019 to gradually end-state gas subsidies and allow for the market instead to determine prices.[15] In January 2020, a protest was held in Zhanaozen where city residents demanded a reduction in the price of gas that had risen from 55 to 65 tenge.[16]

Since 1 January 2022, according to Zhanaozen protesters, the price of LPG rose almost twice to 120 tenge (US$0.28) per litre.[17]

Protests

2 January

On the morning of 2 January 2022, residents in the city of Zhanaozen blocked roads in protest against an increase in gas prices.[18] From there, the demonstrators called on akim of Mangystau Nurlan Nogaev and city akim Maksat Ibagarov to take measures in stabilising prices and preventing fuel shortages.[18] The residents were met with acting Zhanaozen akim Galym Baijanov who advised the crowd to write a complaint letter to the city administration in which the protestors recalled that their complaints were supposedly ignored by the city officials.[18]

3 January

Hundreds of Zhanaozen residents gathered and camped in the city square overnight.[19] As other residents joined the crowd by the afternoon, an estimated 1,000 people were at the square, chanting and demanding direct elections of local leaders.[19] The police officers, while standing at the parameter of the square during the demonstration, did not intervene.[19] Mangystau akim Nurlan Nogaev and Zhanaozen akim Maqsat İbağarov as well as Kazakh Gas Processing Plant director Nakbergen Tulepov attempted to calm the protestors by arriving at the square and pledging for the gas prices to be reduced down to 85–90 tenge, which failed to please the demonstrators.[20] Nogaev as well as his accompanies were forced to flee the square by the angry crowd.[20]

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in his Twitter response regarding the situation had instructed the government to consider the situation in Mangystau Region by "taking into account economic feasibility in the legal field".[21] He also called on demonstrators to not disturb public order, reminding that Kazakh citizens have the right to publicly express their voice to local and central government by saying it should be so in "accordance with the law."[21] A government commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Eraly Togjanov was formed to consider the socio-economic situation in Mangystau.[22]

Reports of arrests were received from the cities of Nur-Sultan, Aktobe and Almaty where the Republic Square and Astana Square were closed off and security officers deployed.[23] Other cities witnessed an increased police presence in public areas.[23]

In Aktau, a group of protestors showed up at the Yntymaq Square in front of the city administration building, setting up tents and yurts for the encampment.[24] By evening, an estimated 6,000 demonstrators were at the square, demanding reductions in the cost of gas as well as the resignation of the government. They were joined by other groups of supporters reportedly from neighbouring regions and cities across Kazakhstan.[24] Mangystau akim Nurlan Nogaev visited the rally, reminding the crowd that the Kazakh government had reduced the price of gas and that the Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition had launched a probe against the gas station owners for suspected price collusion.[25] Nogaev urged the Aktau protestors to maintain public order and suggested for they hold a constructive dialogue with the authorities.[25]

Protestors setting up a yurt in Aktobe, 4 January 2022

4 January

On 4 January around 1,000 people gathered to protest in the centre of Almaty.[26] Police used stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the protesters.[26] Tokayev signed decrees to introduce a state of emergency in Mangystau District and Almaty from 5 January 01:30 local time to 19 January 00:00 local time.[27] According to Tokayev, all legitimate demands of protesters will be considered.[26] A special commission, after meeting with protesters, agreed to lower the LPG price to 50 tenges ($0.11) per litre.[17] Internet watchdog organization NetBlocks documented significant internet disruptions with "high impact to mobile services" that were likely to limit the public's ability to express political discontent.[28][29] People also started protesting in Taldykorgan.

5 January

On 5 January Tokayev accepted the government's resignation. On the same day, a Reuters correspondent reported thousands of protesters pressing ahead towards Almaty city centre after security forces failed to disperse them with tear gas and stun grenades.[9][30] Later on the same day, Tokayev announced that Nursultan Nazarbayev has resigned as the Chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan, and Tokayev has assumed this position himself.[31] Digital rights monitor NetBlocks reported that internet disruptions had intensified by 5 p.m. local time, leaving Kazakhstan in the "midst of a nation-scale internet blackout" after a day of mobile internet disruptions and partial restrictions.[28][32][33][34]

In Almaty, the offices of the city Mayor were stormed and set alight.[35] In addition, the offices of the ruling Nur Otan party were also set on fire[36]

In the late afternoon, President Tokayev announced a nationwide state of emergency until 19 January 2022. This would include a curfew from 23:00 to 07:00, temporary restrictions on movement, and a ban on mass gatherings.[37]

Reactions

International

The Communist Party of Greece expressed solidarity with the protesters, demanding the government to recognize "the legitimacy of the Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan and the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, which has been outlawed by the country's authorities."[38][39] The American government was reported by The Independent to be monitoring the unrest.[40]

See also

References

  1. ^ "/CIG/ Telegram | Counter Intelligence Global".
  2. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbVk9DzoA-k
  3. ^ https://sites.google.com/view/kazdvk/DVk_kontakty?authuser=0
  4. ^ https://t.me/s/dvkshtab
  5. ^ "Во время беспорядков в Казахстане погибли 8 полицейских и военных, 317 ранены. Новости. Первый канал".
  6. ^ "Онлайн-трансляция происходящего в Казахстане". www.kommersant.ru (in Russian). 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  7. ^ Lillis, Joanna (2022-01-03). "Kazakhstan: Gas price hike fuels Zhanaozen protests". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 2022-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Sharp Energy Price Hike Triggers Protests In Kazakhstan". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ a b "Kazakhstan government's resignation fails to quell protests". Reuters. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  10. ^ "Kazakhstan protests: government resigns amid rare outbreak of unrest". the Guardian. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  11. ^ "IMF Executive Board Article IV consultation1 with Kazakhstan". Imf.org. International Monetary Fund. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  12. ^ OECD Investment Policy Reviews, P112, OECD, 2012
  13. ^ Oil, Cash and Corruption, The New York Times, 5 November 2006
  14. ^ Observatører fra tidligere Sovjet jakter på valg-juks Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Aftenposten.no (10 September 2013). Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  15. ^ Kumenov, Almaz; Lillis, Joanna (2022-01-04). "Kazakhstan explainer: Why did fuel prices spike, bringing protesters out onto the streets?". eurasianet.org. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ ТОЙКЕН, Санияш (2020-01-10). "Жанаозенцы вновь пришли в акимат, требуя снижения цен на газ". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ a b "В аэропорту Актау в Казахстане задерживается часть рейсов" (in Russian). TASS. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  18. ^ a b c ТОЙКЕН, Санияш (2022-01-02). "Жители Жанаозена перекрыли дорогу, протестуя против повышения цен на газ". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ a b c ""Акимов должен выбирать народ!" Протест в Жанаозене: от призывов снизить цены до политических требований". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ a b ""Мы устали от сказок!" В Жанаозене протестующие прогнали с площади акима области Ногаева". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-01-04.
  21. ^ a b "Касым-Жомарт Токаев высказался по ситуации в Жанаозене". inbusiness.kz (in Russian). 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "А. Мамин: Мемлекет басшысы Қ. К. Тоқаевтың тапсырмасы бойынша Үкімет Жаңаөзен қаласындағы жағдайға қатысты шаралар қабылдайды". primeminister.kz (in Kazakh). 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ a b "В Казахстане второй день продолжаются протесты из-за повышения цен на газ, задержаны более 20 человек". Настоящее Время (in Russian). 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  24. ^ a b ТОЙКЕН, Санияш (2022-01-04). ""Правительство в отставку!" и "Шал, кет!". В Актау и Жанаозене продолжились митинги". Радио Азаттык (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. ^ a b "Нурлан Ногаев вышел к митингующим в Актау". Tengrinews.kz (in Russian). 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  26. ^ a b c "В Алма-Ате проходят задержания протестующих" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  27. ^ "Президент Казахстана ввел ЧП в Алма-Ате и Мангистауской области" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Internet disrupted in Kazakhstan amid energy price protests". NetBlocks. 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  29. ^ "NetBlocks: Казакстанда интернет чектелди". Азаттык Υналгысы (in Kyrgyz). 2022-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ Auyezov, Olzhas (2022-01-05). "Kazakh protesters torch public buildings; emergency declared, Cabinet resigns". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  31. ^ "Назарбаев перестал быть председателем Совбеза Казахстана". reform.by. 5 January 2022.
  32. ^ Hart, Robert (2022-01-05). "Kazakhstan Reportedly Hit By Internet Blackout As Oil-Rich Nation Breaks Out In Rare Anti-Government Protests". Forbes.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  33. ^ Agence France Presse, AFP (2022-01-05). "Kazakhstan Sees 'Nation-scale Internet Blackout' Amid Protests". www.barrons.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  34. ^ "Report: Kazakh president's home ablaze as protests escalate". Associated Press. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  35. ^ "Здание мэрии Алматы захвачено, из здания идет дым. Видео". centralasia.media. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  36. ^ "Office of ruling Nur Otan party set on fire in Almaty". akipress.com. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  37. ^ Satubaldina, Assel; January 2022, Zhanna Shayakhmetova in Nation on 5 (2022-01-05). "Kazakhstan Declares State of Emergency After Fuel Price Protests". The Astana Times. Retrieved 2022-01-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  38. ^ "KKE: We welcome the mobilizations in Kazakhstan ATHENS 9,84". ΑΘΗΝΑ 9,84. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  39. ^ "Communist Party of Greece - On the people's mobilizations in Kazakhstan". inter.kke.gr. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  40. ^ "Kazakhstan protesters seize airport amid anger over fuel price rise - follow live". The Independent. 2022-01-05. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
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