Kazakhstan Prez calls protesters 'Terrorist Gangs', seeks Russia's help to end disturbance

As violent clashes persisted following fuel price hikes which sparked huge demonstrations in Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has referred to the individuals who are involved in the Almaty civil disturbance as "terrorist gangs" in a meeting which was broadcast on state television, according to Sputnik. Tokayev claimed that the "gangs" have taken control of huge things, which even included planes.  

The President also described the country's demonstrations as an act of aggression and a threat to residents' safety. President Tokayev also stated that he had reached out to the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member nations, Russia-led security bloc, requesting cooperation in combating terrorist attacks in the nation. 

Kazakh President stated, “Terrorist gangs are international, they have undergone extensive training abroad and their attack on Kazakhstan can and should be viewed as an act of aggression. ... In this regard and relying on the Collective Security Treaty, today I reached out to the heads of the CSTO member-states to assist Kazakhstan in overcoming this terrorist threat," Sputnik reported.  

"Peacekeeping forces" would be deployed to assist Tokayev

In addition to this, upon the appeal of help by the Kazakh President Tokayev to the CSTO nations, on Wednesday night, it was reported that "peacekeeping forces" from a Russia-led military alliance would be dispatched to Kazakhstan to assist Tokayev in regaining power. CSTO, which includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, as well as Tajikistan, would deploy soldiers to "stabilise" the Central Asian country, according to the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, The Guardian reported.  

Kazakhstan protest

Things escalated as thousands of protesters swamped the streets of Kazakhstan for the fourth day in a row on Wednesday to oppose the rising price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), causing the Central Asian country's government to resign, according to media reports. The administration had declared an emergency in response to the widespread unrest, but demonstrators became violent, storming government buildings as well as capturing police cars. 

Moreover, demonstrators in Kazakhstan have pulled down and demolished the statue of the nation's first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, amid widespread unrest, citing Al Jazeera's report, ANI reported. According to The New York Times, the administration tried to meet their demands by removing the cabinet and announcing the possibility of dissolving Parliament, which would result in new elections.  

Furthermore, Kazakhstan is now experiencing a total internet blackout after Kazakhtelecom, the nation's largest telecommunication firm, turned down internet connectivity on Wednesday afternoon. Kazakhs were enraged by the large price increase since their country exports oil and natural gas. 

(Image: AP)