102 Global News Post 1

This is the original article from GlobalVoices by Filip Noubel (January 5, 2022)

Kazakhstan is a country most in the West don’t consider to have much influence in Asia. But, in reality, there are over 19 million Kazakhs who reside in the 9th largest country on Earth (WorldoMeter, 2021). Their nation is generally seen as one of the more stable in the region, but in early January 2022, protestors took to the streets. Kazakhstan is a large contributor to global petroleum supply, so when prices rose, their citizens were unhappy. Some crucial facets of Kazakhstan’s infrastructure were taken over by the people (ex. The airport in the capital) as a protest and there were many scuffles with police. In response to the violence, the government has tried to restrict information coming out of the country relating to the protests.

But demonstrations quickly changed from oil/gas prices to shining a light on the, “rampant corruption and the lack of a multiparty system and free and fair elections” (Noubel, 2022) in the country. Once a beacon of stability, neighbors now see Kazakhstan with shock. At the time of writing (late January 2022), the country’s unrest has not yet destabilized it, but China is wary of the economic investment they have in the country for trade. Russia, meanwhile, will need to take into account any changes in Kazakh leadership with the conflict in Ukraine.

Noubel used social media and outlined its importance in civil unrest to show how the government reacted poorly to the protests. He also uses wider context to discuss potential ramifications destabilization may have for Russia or China, showing his breadth of perspective on the matter. And, as with many GlobalVoices articles, Noubel takes a mostly objective perspective on the issue. He makes sure to discuss the impetus of violence, while also not ignoring the government’s role in making the situation worse.

References:

Tretyakov , V.(2022). Riot police gather to block demonstrators during a protest in Almaty, Kazakhstan [Photograph]. AP. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2303666-kazakhstan-unrest-takes-down-a-fifth-of-global-bitcoin-mining-network/

WorldoMeter. (2021). Kazakhstan population (LIVE). Retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/kazakhstan-population/

WorldoMeter. (2021). Largest countries in the world (by area). Retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/geography/largest-countries-in-the-world/