Massacre feared in Kazakhstan
December 16, 2011 5:05 AM Subscribe
Seventy feared dead and five hundred wounded by riot police in Zhanaozen, west Kazakhstan. Workers in the oil town have been on strike since May; protests (YT) during independence day celebrations escalated into clashes with security forces. Latest reports suggest protesters are gathering again and 1,500 marines are moving in.
Read he pulled out some months ago, k8t, because of the repression of these striking workers.
posted by Abiezer at 5:53 AM on December 16, 2011
posted by Abiezer at 5:53 AM on December 16, 2011
Fortunately, and I think all of us will breathe a sigh of relief at this, the troubles is Kazakhstan haven't stopped Tony Blair from pimping himself out:
Ah, Tony Blair — you can’t keep a good hustler down. One minute he’s singing the praises of formaldehyde at the opening of a methanol power plant in Azerbaijan (£90,000 for a 20-minute talk), the next he’s accepting a gig ‘consulting’ in Kazakhstan. For his advice on ‘issues connected with policy and the economy’, he could reportedly make as much as £8 million a year.
posted by veedubya at 6:21 AM on December 16, 2011
Ah, Tony Blair — you can’t keep a good hustler down. One minute he’s singing the praises of formaldehyde at the opening of a methanol power plant in Azerbaijan (£90,000 for a 20-minute talk), the next he’s accepting a gig ‘consulting’ in Kazakhstan. For his advice on ‘issues connected with policy and the economy’, he could reportedly make as much as £8 million a year.
posted by veedubya at 6:21 AM on December 16, 2011
Here's a good new article:
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/12/no-great-game-the-story-of-post-cold-war-powers-in-central-asia/250010/
posted by k8t at 6:30 AM on December 16, 2011
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/12/no-great-game-the-story-of-post-cold-war-powers-in-central-asia/250010/
posted by k8t at 6:30 AM on December 16, 2011
I'm at a bit of a loss as to why this isn't being reported more. For both the Guardian and Telegraph sites, not only is it not on the front page, it's not even on the World News pages.
posted by veedubya at 6:38 AM on December 16, 2011
posted by veedubya at 6:38 AM on December 16, 2011
AFAICT news is still coming out mainly in Russian-language media and blogs and via activist networks (I heard about it via a mail list), so may be some time until Western journalists start following up.
posted by Abiezer at 6:43 AM on December 16, 2011
posted by Abiezer at 6:43 AM on December 16, 2011
Maybe, but it seems a strange, when the funeral of a newspaper chief in Dagestan makes the front page of the Guardian site, but not what seems to be a mass killing in the same region.
posted by veedubya at 6:49 AM on December 16, 2011
posted by veedubya at 6:49 AM on December 16, 2011
Abiezer, I'm not well informed on this subject so apologies for that, but what's your feeling on how the numbers compare from the different sources?
I'm a life-long socialist but, for some reason, am more likely to favour the Beebs numbers than a website called 'socialistworld.net'. Is that sort of prejudice justified?
posted by veedubya at 7:28 AM on December 16, 2011
I'm a life-long socialist but, for some reason, am more likely to favour the Beebs numbers than a website called 'socialistworld.net'. Is that sort of prejudice justified?
posted by veedubya at 7:28 AM on December 16, 2011
That site's run by a Trotskyist organisation (CWI) who I don't have a massive amount in common with politically but do have a good network of activists on the ground in Russia and Kazakhstan, and I heard it via CWI members I know personally who aren't bullshitters in my opinion.
My first thought on reading the BBC report was that if authorities (who are the quoted source) are admitting ten dead in the first instance, the death toll will almost certainly be higher.
posted by Abiezer at 7:42 AM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
My first thought on reading the BBC report was that if authorities (who are the quoted source) are admitting ten dead in the first instance, the death toll will almost certainly be higher.
posted by Abiezer at 7:42 AM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Campaign KZ says 70 dead, 100s injured.
http://campaignkazakhstan.org/?cat=5
posted by k8t at 8:12 AM on December 16, 2011
http://campaignkazakhstan.org/?cat=5
posted by k8t at 8:12 AM on December 16, 2011
http://rus.azattyq.org/content/unrest_in_zhanaozen/24423776.html
Summary: Oil workers protesting Independence Day celebrations in western Kazakhstan clash with police (and, according to some reports, special forces). Depending on which information you trust, anywhere from 10-80 workers killed. Withholding judgment until more and more reliable information is available, but potentially a very serious deal.
(Radio Free Europe KZ)
posted by k8t at 8:22 AM on December 16, 2011
Summary: Oil workers protesting Independence Day celebrations in western Kazakhstan clash with police (and, according to some reports, special forces). Depending on which information you trust, anywhere from 10-80 workers killed. Withholding judgment until more and more reliable information is available, but potentially a very serious deal.
(Radio Free Europe KZ)
posted by k8t at 8:22 AM on December 16, 2011
Twitter hashtag #жанаозен
posted by k8t at 8:40 AM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by k8t at 8:40 AM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm at a bit of a loss as to why this isn't being reported more.
because only crazed terrorists live in places called "-istan"
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:39 AM on December 16, 2011
because only crazed terrorists live in places called "-istan"
posted by quonsar II: smock fishpants and the temple of foon at 9:39 AM on December 16, 2011
But everyone loves the President there! Inconcievable!
posted by Meatbomb at 10:02 AM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Meatbomb at 10:02 AM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
Human Rights Watch statement, solidarity protests in Aktau.
posted by Abiezer at 7:07 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Abiezer at 7:07 PM on December 16, 2011 [1 favorite]
The strike was reported on BBC America. They burned various things in the huge square, including a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree in a country where most inhabitants are non-Christian? I guess it was for the few actual Russians, and the few actual tourists left.
Not paying large, strong people their wages will bite you in the ass sooner or later.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 7:04 PM on December 17, 2011
Not paying large, strong people their wages will bite you in the ass sooner or later.
posted by Katjusa Roquette at 7:04 PM on December 17, 2011
Kazakhstan Disables the Internet , Telecomix Restores
posted by homunculus at 7:36 PM on December 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 7:36 PM on December 17, 2011 [1 favorite]
Twenty-day state of emergency declared; further solidarity protests in Aktau. "...young workers from the “OzenMunaiGaz” company who have been arrested in Zhenaozen are being thrown into the open yard at the remand prison and are having water thrown over them. The temperature is currently MINUS 17 CELSIUS."
posted by Abiezer at 2:08 AM on December 19, 2011
posted by Abiezer at 2:08 AM on December 19, 2011
Video shows police shooting at unarmed demonstrators.
posted by Abiezer at 8:49 AM on December 21, 2011
posted by Abiezer at 8:49 AM on December 21, 2011
"State of emergency" in Zhanaozen extended; residents of town won't be able to vote in parliamentary elections.
posted by Abiezer at 8:51 AM on January 8, 2012
posted by Abiezer at 8:51 AM on January 8, 2012
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posted by k8t at 5:45 AM on December 16, 2011