The Health Ministry officials of Kazakhstan today that in the past week violent demonstration around 164 people have been killed. Meanwhile, the authorities informed about the killing of 16 police or national guard officers.
The protest started over the hiking prices of the LPG fuel turned so aggressive, forcing the Russia-led military alliance to send its troops to the country. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev office authorities informed that the police authorities detained around 5,800 individuals following the previous weeks’ protest.
Furthermore, the presidents’ office noted the buildings, which the protesters previously occupied, are now under the authorities, highlighting that some of them had already been burnt down during the protest by demonstrators.
In view of the President, the terrorists kindled the protesters. The statement issued by his office asserts that “a sizable number of foreign nationals” are among the arrests, but no specific information or names has been mentioned.
The protest commenced on January 2, 2022. On Friday, the President issued orders to the security forces to start an open fire without any prior warning if more disturbances were being constructed.
On Fridays’ televised address, President Tokayev cites, “Terrorists continue to damage property and use weapons against civilians. I have given the order to law enforcement to shoot to kill without warning”.
In the meantime, last week Hugh Williamson, director of Human Rights Watch’s Europe & Central Asia Division, in a conversation with a media house, stated, “A shoot-to-kill-order is the worst thing that could happen at this time. Troops and police should try to deescalate the situation rather than to fuel more escalation”.
It’s certainly likely to inflame the situation. It’s going to be taken seriously. All last night there was fighting taking place across Almaty; gunshots could be heard across the city until the morning, so that speech shows that the government is digging in deep, and they do not have qualms about using force against people who are on the streets”.
