Kazakhstan Anti-Government Protests Intensify... Casualties Mount Amid Bloodshed

Kazakhstan Anti-Government Protesters Clashing with Riot Police
(Aktobe, Reuters = Yonhap News) On the 5th (local time), anti-government protesters clashed with riot police in Aktobe, a city in northwestern Kazakhstan. In Kazakhstan, large-scale anti-government protests against soaring prices have intensified clashes between armed protesters and riot police, resulting in a sharp increase in casualties. [Provided by the Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs. Resale and DB prohibited]. 2022.1.7
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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Junhyung] The large-scale anti-government protests in Kazakhstan triggered by the sharp rise in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices have escalated into violent clashes, with the number of casualties related to the protests exceeding 40. Numerous casualties have also occurred among the military and police forces suppressing the protesters.

According to local media including Interfax on the 7th (local time), the Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that "so far, more than 3,000 protest participants have been arrested during the anti-terror operations, 26 have been killed, and 18 injured." This is the first time Kazakhstan authorities have disclosed the number of casualties among protesters. The Ministry of Internal Affairs added, "City government buildings in all cities have been retaken and are now under the control of judicial authorities."

Dozens of casualties have also been reported among Kazakhstan’s military and police forces. Earlier, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that "18 security personnel died and 748 police officers and soldiers from the National Guard were injured during the process of restoring order." The highest number of casualties among both military and protesters is reported in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city.

Kazakhstan’s security agency, the National Security Committee, held an anti-terror operation meeting the previous day and issued a nationwide highest-level alert called the 'Red Terror Threat,' declaring the implementation of an anti-terror operation system across all regions. When the Red Terror Threat is issued, security authorities are allowed to strengthen warrantless inspections and searches, impose movement restrictions, conduct searches of homes and facilities, and limit communications.

The military and police operation to forcibly suppress the protesters, which began early the previous day, is continuing. Kazakhstan authorities believe that extremist terrorist groups trained abroad are leading the protests. Accordingly, the authorities define the protesters as terrorists and refer to the suppression operation as an anti-terror operation. An Almaty city official told Interfax on the same day, "The anti-terror operation is ongoing," adding, "The terrorists are resisting fiercely."

Almaty City Hall and Vehicles Burned in Anti-Government Protests
(Almaty Reuters=Yonhap News) The city hall of Almaty, Kazakhstan's economic center, where a state of emergency was declared due to anti-government protests, was burned and blackened during the protests on the 6th (local time), with smoke still rising from some buildings. Burned vehicles are scattered in front of the city hall. The day before, a rally protesting the soaring prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other goods escalated into intense anti-government protests, resulting in the deaths of eight riot police officers. 2022.1.6
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Local media reported that internet access in Almaty has been cut off. Telephone communications are also disrupted, and international calls are reportedly virtually blocked.

The Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan announced that, at the request of the national government, a peacekeeping detachment from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a security alliance of former Soviet states, has been deployed to carry out its mission. According to the administration, unlike Kazakhstan’s special forces, the CSTO peacekeepers do not participate in anti-terrorist operations but only perform security duties at key national facilities. The CSTO peacekeepers dispatched to Kazakhstan include soldiers from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Russia, the leading country of the CSTO, is reported to have sent airborne troops.