The government has announced that it has detained some 2,000 demonstrators in the largest city of Almaty in response to a large-scale protest in Kazakhstan in Central Asia.
Russia-led military alliance units have been dispatched to restore security, and the administration is stepping up its stance to curb protests.
In Kazakhstan, protests against the government have spread all over the country in the wake of a sharp rise in fuel prices, and according to Russian media, hundreds of people gathered in the central square on the 6th in the largest city of Almaty. There was a clash between some of them and the security authorities.
Police officials said the demonstrators had died, saying they had "excluded dozens of people," and the Home Office has since announced that it has detained about 2,000 people so far.
It also means that more than 1000 people were injured all over the country.
On the other hand, in response to a request for support from the Kazakhstan government, a unit of the CSTO = Collective Security Treaty Organization, which is led by Russia and consists of six former Soviet countries, was dispatched from Russia and other countries to Kazakhstan on the 6th.
In addition, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 6th that it was an attempt to undermine national security by using armed groups trained from the outside, saying that it was a terrorist act, and Kazakhstan. He emphasized the attitude of working with the government.
The dispatched troops are supposed to be on duty in Kazakhstan for a limited time until security is restored, and the administration is strengthening its stance to suppress protests with the backing of Russia and others.
Former President seizes power for a long time
Kazakhstan is a country located in the northern part of Central Asia, which borders Russia on the north side and China on the east side.
It is seven times as large as Japan, the ninth largest in the world and the largest in Central Asia, and is home to about 19 million people.
It was one of the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union, but became independent in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Former President Nursultan Nazarbayev (81) has led Kazakhstan for nearly 30 years since 1990 during the Soviet era.
Mr. Nazarbayev will make Kazakhstan Central Asia by attracting investment from Western countries and China by utilizing abundant natural resources such as oil and natural gas while maintaining traditional friendly relations with Russia. It has pushed it to become the most economically rich country among the five countries.
For this reason, in Kazakhstan, he was called the Father of the Nation, and gained overwhelming support, but there were criticisms that wealth and power had been virtually monopolized by the Nazarbayev family and aides.
In 2019, Nazarbayev suddenly resigned as president in the middle of his term and appointed his aide, Tokaev, as his successor, but he remained a key position, such as the chairman of the National Security Council and the leader of the ruling party.
The Tokaev administration showed loyalty by changing the name of the capital of Kazakhstan from "Astana" to "Nursultan", which is the same as Mr. Nazarbayev's first name, and Mr. Nazarbayev continued to take control of politics.
In the midst of a large-scale protest triggered by the rise in fuel prices, some participants criticized Mr. Nazarbayev, who has been in power for a long time, and appealed for his complete retirement from the political world.
President Tokaev announced on the 5th that he had dismissed Mr. Nazarbayev from the chairman of the National Security Council, but the situation is not expected to converge, and Mr. Nazarbayev's future trends are also being watched.
Expert "Accumulation of dissatisfaction with the former president"
Regarding the large-scale protests taking place in Kazakhstan, Professor Tomohiko Uyama of the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center of Hokkaido University, who is familiar with the situation in Central Asia, said, "It is certain that the people are dissatisfied, but it will be a violent development so far. I was surprised, "he said, saying that the current situation in Kazakhstan, where many casualties are occurring, is unusual.
The reason why the protests spread on a large scale was "The most shouted slogan is" Old man, leave ", and although there is a great deal of financial dissatisfaction, it is this Nazarbayev that is shared by a very wide range of people. I think it was a voice calling for a complete retirement, "he said, and the public has been dissatisfied with the fact that former President Nazarbayev, who has led the long-term administration for nearly 30 years, still maintains its influence. I pointed out that this is the form shown this time.
Professor Uyama also said that Russia, a neighboring country, is most concerned about the situation in Kazakhstan. It is more likely that it will spill over. The Putin administration should be very worried. " He expressed the view that he might have been dispatched.
Regarding future developments, he said, "The protesters are not very organized, and the government is trying to suppress it by putting in a large amount of troops. I think the possibility of overthrowing the government is considerably reduced." "It may take some time to subvert, and it will be very difficult for the current government to regain public confidence," he said, pointing out that it would be necessary to watch for further instability.