KAZAKHSTAN RIOTS: ‘EU EXPERTS ARE WELCOME’
Thursday 22 December 2011By Colin Stevens
‘We are prepared to receive EU independent experts to carry out an investigation into the events in West Kazakhstan with maximum openness’ – said Kazakhstan Ambassador to the EU, Yerik Utembayev, at a press-conference in Brussels.
He confirmed his readiness to brief the journalist ‘every day, as much as required’. “Unarmed police came to secure the festivities at Zhanaozen main square,” he continued in an attempt to clarify the sequence of events surrounding the fatal shootings on the Kazakh independence anniversary day. “What would they do in Brussels if a crowd attacked the police?’
Mr.Utembayev vigorously rejected the accusations of disproportionate use of force by the police in Zhanaozen city and insisted that there are 14 dead as a result of the violence outbreak, less than originally reported”. He also denied accusations of torture put forward by Human Rights Watch, who insist on the immediate access by lawyers and doctors to all those arrested.
The Ambassador referred to several videos showing striking workers dressed in red, attacking the police and destroying a police van. As the result of the violent outbreak 46 buildings in the administrative and business area were set on fire with many destroyed, with considerable looting of public and private property.
An incident in the Aktau region where the railroad was dismantled by local population in support of striking workers and a train with 360 passengers stopped was reported to be resolved by ‘restoring order’; leaving one dead and 11 wounded in Shetpe. “Police had no choice,” - repeated Mr. Utembayev. He urged all parties to refrain from jumping to any conclusions before a full investigation is carried out.
“In any democratic country the government is obliged maintain public order. Now the situation is under control”. Diplomats admitted “a lack of the sensitivity on the part of local administration’, who ‘mechanically’ fulfilled their orders to organise the celebrations without taking into consideration the local situation”.
They also admitted that any loss of human life is tragic and beyond repair. However they did not want their achievements to be overlooked. “20 years ago, when the Soviet Union collapsed people stood for hours, waiting for public transport, shops were empty, qualified manpower was leaving.
We started from the scratch! Now we have a GDP of $11.000 US per capita a year. This is similar to Bulgaria, which is a member of the EU!’. On a concluding positive note Ambassador drew attention to the forthcoming parliamentary elections which will open the way to political pluralism.
‘These disturbances will not deviate Kazakhstan from its determination to develop democracy.” concluded the Ambassador. “The parliamentary elections planned for the 15 of January will open the way to a multi-party system with as a minimum two more political parties, maybe even more”.