Shoot-to-kill edict issued in brutal fight on protests
MOSCOW — Kazakhstan’s president authorized security forces on Friday to shoot to kill those participating in unrest, opening the door for a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on antigovernment protests that have turned violent.
The Central Asian nation this week experienced its worst street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union three decades ago, and dozens have been killed in the tumult. The demonstrations began over a neardoubling of prices for vehicle fuel but quickly spread across the country, reflecting broader discontent with authoritarian rule.
In a televised address to the nation, President KassymJomart Tokayev used harsh rhetoric, referring to those involved in the turmoil as “terrorists,” “bandits” and “militants.”
“I have given the order to law enforcement and the army to shoot to kill without warning,” Tokayev said. “Those who don’t surrender will be eliminated.”
Concerns grew in recent days that an even broader crackdown might be coming, as internet and cell phone service was sometimes totally blocked, and several airports closed — making it difficult to understand what was happening inside the country. Adding to those fears was Tokayev’s request for help from a Russialed military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, whose troops began arriving Thursday.
On Friday, Kazakhstan’s Interior Ministry reported that security forces have killed 26 protesters during the unrest, which escalated sharply on Wednesday. Another 26 were wounded and more than 3,800 people have been detained. A total of 18 law enforcement officers were reported killed, and over 700 injured.
The numbers could not be independently verified, and it was not clear if more people may have died in the melee as the protests turned fierce. More skirmishes in Almaty were reported on Friday. Russia’s state news agency Tass reported that the building occupied by the Kazakh branch of the Mir broadcaster, funded by several former Soviet states, was set on fire.
Hours before he authorized the use of lethal force, Tokayev indicated that some measure of calm had been restored, saying “local authorities are in control of the situation.”
Tokayev has vacillated between trying to mollify the protesters — including issuing a 180-day price cap on vehicle fuel and a moratorium on utility rate increases — and promising harsh measures to quell the unrest.
As he vowed a tougher response, he called on the CSTO alliance for help. Kazakh officials have insisted that troops from the alliance, which includes former Soviet republics, will not be fighting the demonstrators, and instead will guard government institutions.