Protest Of The Rising Fuel Prices, 8 People Killed, Kazakh President Asks Russian-Led Alliance For Help

Illustration of a demonstration against the increase in fuel prices in Kazakhstan. (Wikimedia Commons/Esetok)

JAKARTA - The president of Kazakhstan, the former Soviet Union, asked the Russian-led security bloc for help Thursday, after failing to quell days of protests that have seen state buildings set on fire and eight security personnel reported dead.

Initially angered by rising fuel prices, protesters stormed buildings and shouted at President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev. He retains broad power despite quitting in 2019 after nearly three decades in power.

The reputation of the Central Asian nation's stability under Nazarbayev helped attract hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign investment in its oil and metals industry. However, the younger generation demands the liberalization seen in other former Soviet Union satellite states.

Around Kazakhstan, which is five times the size of France with a population of 19 million, protests killed eight police and national guard troops on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Sputnik News Agency quoted the Kazakh Interior Ministry as saying.

Seemingly trying to assuage public anger, Tokayev sacked Nazarbayev as head of the national Security Council on Wednesday and appointed himself. He also appointed a new head of the State Security Committee, the successor to the Soviet-era KGB, removing Nazarbayev's nephew from the No. 2 on the committee.

However, protests have continued with demonstrators taking over the airport in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, as quoted January 6. Flight cancelled.

Illustration of a demonstration against the increase in fuel prices in Kazakhstan. (Wikimedia Commons/Esetok)

One witness said he could see protesters moving benches along Almaty's main Astana square to build barricades. Earlier, riot police used tear gas and flash grenades against protesters but were later seen leaving several streets in Almaty.

In his second televised address in hours, President Tokayev said in the early hours of Thursday he had asked the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the military alliance of Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

He said gangs of foreign-trained "terrorists" were seizing buildings, infrastructure, and weapons, and had taken five planes, including foreign ones, at Almaty airport.

"This is a destruction of the integrity of the country and most importantly this is an attack on our citizens who asked me to help them immediately," Tokayev said.

"Almaty is attacked, destroyed, vandalized, the inhabitants of Almaty are victims of terrorist attacks, bandits, therefore it is our duty, to take all possible measures to protect our country," he said.

A state of emergency was declared in Nur-Sultan, Almaty, and western Mangistau province. Internet is turned off. After accepting the Cabinet resignation, President Tokayev ordered ministerial officials to reverse the increase in fuel prices, which doubled the cost of liquefied petroleum gas from the beginning of the year. This gas is widely used to power vehicles in Kazakhstan where official prices make it much cheaper than gasoline.

The riots, which saw the price of the Kazakh dollar bond plunge nearly 6 cents, are the worst in Kazakhstan since 2011, when at least 14 protesters were killed by police during a strike by oil workers.

Separately, the Kremlin said Russia expected Kazakhstan, a close ally, to quickly resolve its internal problems, warning other countries not to interfere.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia's accusations that the United States had sparked unrest in Kazakhstan were false.

To note, Nazarbayev, the 81-year-old former president, has been widely seen as the main political force in Nur-Sultan, the purpose-built capital that bears his name. His family is believed to control most of the economy, the largest in Central Asia. Nazarbayev has not been seen or heard of since the protests began.

Kazakhstan has been grappling with rising price pressures. Inflation approached 9 percent year-on-year late last year, the highest in more than five years, causing the central bank to raise interest rates to 9.75 percent.