Intervention by Russia and Neighboring Countries in Kazakhstan Protests... "Temporary Deployment of Peacekeeping Forces"

Former Soviet Security Alliance CSTO Announces Troop Deployment
Protesters Attack Government Offices in Succession... Nationwide State of Emergency

On the 5th (local time), smoke rose as a fire broke out due to protesters storming the city hall in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city. The Kazakh government announced a price increase for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), a major heating fuel, at the beginning of the year, triggering large-scale protests that led to attacks on key government offices nationwide. On the same day, the Kazakh cabinet resigned en masse, and a state of emergency was declared across the country. Almaty, Kazakhstan = AFP·Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] In response to the large-scale protests in Kazakhstan, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a security alliance of former Soviet states including Russia, announced it will dispatch troops. In Kazakhstan, protests against soaring prices have led to attacks on government offices nationwide, prompting the declaration of a state of emergency across the country.

On the 5th (local time), Nikol Pashinyan, the CSTO chairman and Prime Minister of Armenia, stated on Facebook, "At Kazakhstan's request, CSTO peacekeeping forces will be temporarily deployed to Kazakhstan." However, he did not disclose the size of the forces or the exact date of their arrival.

The CSTO is a military security cooperation organization formed in 2002 by six countries that were part of the former Soviet Union: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Armenia currently holds the chairmanship.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Kazakhstan has been experiencing intensified political instability since the government announced price increases on energy products such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and essential daily goods at the beginning of the new year. In the largest city, Almaty, thousands of protesters have occupied major arterial roads and are conducting street marches, while key government offices have reportedly been attacked.

In response, the Kazakh cabinet resigned en masse, and a state of emergency was declared nationwide. Clashes between police and protesters have resulted in the deaths of eight security personnel and numerous injuries. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev imposed a nighttime curfew and deployed armored vehicles and military forces to suppress the protests. After these efforts failed, he reportedly requested troop deployment from Russia and the CSTO to quell the unrest.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.