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What’s Behind the Unrest in Kazakhstan

The Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan is experiencing the worst street protests since gaining independence some 30 years ago.

Police said they had killed several rioters in the main city of Almaty and arrested 2,000 people. State television reported that 13 members of the security forces had also died in the violence. Reuters reported that both the presidential home and the mayor's office in Almaty were on fire.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev first sought to calm the crowds by dismissing the entire government early Wednesday. By the end of the day, he changed his strategy.

Tokayev then claimed the protestors were foreign-trained terrorists. Then he appealed to a Russian-led military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), for help in stopping the unrest.

Overnight, Russia sent troops into the former Soviet¹ Union republic to help control the protests. By Thursday afternoon, the Kazakhstan military regained² control of the city's airport which had been taken earlier by protestors.

The unrest is causing concern in Kazakhstan's two powerful neighbors: Russia and China. Kazakhstan is an important Russian ally. And the country sells most of its oil exports to China.

Why are people angry?

Kazakhstan declared independence in 1991 after the breakup of the former Soviet Union. The country has a large natural supply of oil, natural gas, uranium, and other metals.

Its wealth gave rise to a solid middle class, but poverty is still widespread. The average national monthly salary is just under $600. The banking³ system is failing and corruption⁴ is commonplace.

The protests started after a sudden rise in the price of car fuel in the western oil town of Zhanaozen. Many people there feel that the area's energy wealth has not been spread fairly among the population. In 2011, police killed at least 15 people in the city who were protesting in support of oil workers dismissed after a strike.

When gas prices doubled overnight Saturday, anger exploded. People in nearby cities quickly joined in and within days large protests had spread to the rest of the country. The tens of thousands of protestors are now aiming to overthrow⁵ the government.

Who is leading the protests?

Kazakhstan had seen major demonstrations⁶ in 2016 and 2019. But critics of the government are usually suppressed. So, while the current protests are unusually large, no leaders have arisen.

Much of the anger displayed on the streets was directed at former President Nursultan Nazarbayev. In 2019, Nazarbayev stepped down and named Tokayev as the next president. Nazarbayev, however, continues to hold power as head of the security council that oversees⁷ the military and security services.

Tokayev announced Wednesday that he was taking over from Nazarbayev as security council head. He also said the government would seek reforms and possible political liberalization. But Tokayev's actions suggested he would continue to suppress the protestors.

Words in This Story

mayor — n. an official who is elected to be the head of the government of a city or town

strategy — n. a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal usually over a long period of time

salary — n. an amount of money that an employee is paid each year

1 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

2 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

3 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

6 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

7 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网