Page 30 - bon-dia-aruba-20220107

A30 world news
Diabierna 7 Januari 2022

Dozens of protesters, 12 police dead in Kazakhstan protests

ventionist policy.
“What is happening in Ka-
zakhstan is the country’s in-
ternal affair (and) we believe
that the Kazakh authorities
can solve the issue properly,”
he said.

Tokayev has imposed a two-
week state of emergency for
the whole country, including
an overnight curfew and a ban
on religious services. That is a
blow to Kazakhstan’s sizable
Orthodox Christian popula-
tion who observe Christmas
on Friday.

Of the five Central Asian re-
publics that gained indepen-
dence following the dissolu-
tion of the Soviet Union, Ka-
zakhstan is by far the largest
and the wealthiest, spanning
a territory the size of Western
Europe and sitting atop co-
lossal reserves of oil, natural
gas, uranium and precious
metals. In addition to its long
(AP) — Security forces uidated,” police spokeswom- the unrest, which he blamed said that the troops would border with Russia, it also
killed dozens of protest- an Saltanat Azirbek told state on “terrorist bands.” not take actions involving shares one with China, and
ers and 12 police died dur- news channel Khabar-24, demonstrators. its oil and mineral wealth
ing extraordinarily violent using a term common to de- Worries that a broader crack- make it strategically and eco-
demonstrations in Ka- scribe the killing of people down could be on the hori- It was not immediately clear nomically important.
zakhstan that saw govern- thought to be extremists by zon grew after he called on if any of the Russian forces
ment buildings stormed law enforcement. Twelve po- a Russia-led military alliance had arrived in Kazakhstan. But despite Kazakhstan’s nat-
and set ablaze, authorities lice officers were killed and for help. Severe interrup- The unrest was also caus- ural riches and a solid middle
said Thursday. One po- 353 injured, according to city tions to internet service and ing worry elsewhere. U.S. class, financial hardship is
lice officer was found be- officials cited by the channel. cellphone service also raised Secretary of State Antony widespread, and discontent
headed in escalating un- The Interior Ministry said concern and made it difficult Blinken spoke by telephone over poor living conditions
rest that poses a growing 2,000 people have been ar- — sometimes impossible — with his Kazakh counterpart, is strong in some parts of the
challenge to authoritarian rested. for news of what was hap- Mukhtar Tileuberdi, and “re- country. Many Kazakhs also
rule in the Central Asian pening inside Kazakhstan to iterated the United States’ chafe at the dominance of
nation. Tens of thousands of peo- get out. full support for Kazakhstan’s the ruling party, which holds
ple, some reportedly carry- constitutional institutions more than 80% of the seats in
Despite the severe response ing clubs and shields, have The airports in Almaty and and media freedom and ad- parliament.
by authorities, protesters taken to the streets in recent one other city have also been vocated for a peaceful, rights-
took the streets again in the days in the worst protests the shut. respecting resolution to the The protests appear to have
country’s largest city, Almaty, country has seen since gain- crisis,” said State Department no identifiable leader or de-
a day after breaking into the ing independence from the The military alliance, the spokesman Ned Price. mands. Much of the anger
presidential residence and Soviet Union three decades Collective Security Treaty displayed in recent days was
the mayor’s office there. Po- ago. Although the demon- Organization, said early France condemned the vio- directed not at Tokayev, but
lice were also out in force, in- strations began over a near- Thursday that it would send lence and called for “de-es- at Nursultan Nazarbayev, the
cluding in the capital of Nur- doubling of prices for a type peacekeeper troops to Ka- calation and responsibility” country’s first president who
Sultan, which was reportedly of vehicle fuel, their size and zakhstan at Tokayev’s re- from all parties involved, in- continued to wield enor-
quiet, and Russian troops rapid spread suggest they re- quest. cluding the CSTO. mous influence after his 2019
were on their way. flect wider discontent in the resignation. Protesters shout-
country that has been under Russia and Kazakhstan share China is also likely to be con- ed “Shal ket!” (“Old man
Video from the Russian news the rule of the same party close relations and a 7600-ki- cerned. Kazakhstan shares a go”), an apparent reference to
agency Tass showed police since independence. lometer (4700-mile) bor- 1,800 kilometer (1,000 mile)- Nazarbayev, who dominated
firing intensely on a street der, much of it along open long border with China’s Kazakhstan’s politics and
near Republic Square, where The government on Thurs- steppes. Russia’s manned Xinjiang region, where Bei- whose rule was marked by a
demonstrators had gath- day announced a 180-day space-launch facility, the Bai- jing has launched an all-out moderate cult of personality.
ered, though they could not price cap on vehicle fuel and konur Cosmodrome, is in campaign to quash separatist
be seen in the footage. Late a moratorium on raising util- Kazakhstan. sentiment among Muslim At the start of the year, pric-
Thursday, Tass said protest- ity rates — an attempt to ad- minority groups who share es for the fuel called lique-
ers had been swept from the dress the economic issues The size and duties of the cultural, religious and lin- fied petroleum gas roughly
square but that sporadic gun- that catalyzed the protests, force have not been speci- guistic links with the peoples doubled as the government
fire in the area continued. though it was unclear what, if fied. Russia has already be- of Central Asia. moved away from price con-
any, effect the moves would gun sending forces, accord- trols as part of efforts to move
Earlier, Russia’s Sputnik have. ing to the CSTO, which also However, at a daily briefing to a market economy.
news service reported that includes Kazakhstan, Arme- Thursday, Chinese Foreign
shots were fired as police sur- The president has vacillated nia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Ministry spokesperson Wang The price cap for LPG an-
rounded one group of about between attempts at mollify- Tajikistan. But Kyrgyzstan’s Wenbin appeared to dismiss nounced by the government
200 protesters in the city. ing the protesters, including presidential spokesman, Er- any possibility of China be- Thursday is 75 tenge (17
accepting the resignation of bol Sutanbaev, said his coun- coming involved in the cur- cents) per liter; at the start of
In the unrest on Wednesday, his government, and promis- try’s contingent must be ap- rent crisis, in line with Bei- the year, the average price was
“dozens of attackers were liq- ing harsh measures to quell proved by parliament and jing strict official non-inter- about 120 tenge (27 cents).