Kazakhstan entered the New Year with a series of riots, the largest in the country's history. The riots were sparked by a hike in gas prices. More importanlty however they stem from the leadership of probably the most famous Kazakh man, Borat. Just kidding Nursultan Nazarbayev.
This episode covers the history of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh people, as well as the life of Nursultan Nazarbayev and what led to the Kazakh riots.
I finally learned how to spell Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan entered the New Year with a series of riots, the largest in the country's history. The riots were sparked by a hike in gas prices. More importanlty however they stem from the leadership of probably the most famous Kazakh man, Borat. Just kidding Nursultan Nazarbayev.
This episode covers the history of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh people, as well as the life of Nursultan Nazarbayev and what led to the Kazakh riots.
I finally learned how to spell Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan
INTO BORAT (borat music?)
Kazakhstan is the worlds largest landlocked country, best known for Borat.
However this sparsely populated country has a dark legacy of authoritarian rule and oppression by the politically established elites.
Starting on January 2nd triggered by a hike in oil prices and anger at the authoritarian ruling elite, chaos and riots broke out all over the country
Insert Riots
Largely sparked by trade distributions, a weak global demand for energy and commodities caused by the impact of Covid.
Kazakhstan is not alone in its disruption from Covid but this marks by far the largest protests in Kazak history, These riots, on such a high level, are an unprecedented move in Kazak History
Internet and Telephone blackouts all throughout Kazakhstan made it difficult to understand what was going on and the level of fatalities
The protestors demanded political reform and an end to the extreme gap between rich and poor. Something that has plagued the post-soviet countries since the end of the cold war.
History of Ancient Kazakstan
The Kazak people are traditionally a Turkic nomadic people who lived a life similar to the Mongols, on horseback
Being Kazakh is kind of a difficult term to understand. The Turkic peoples didn’t write down their history and came from a region referred to by Dan Carlin as a “Womb of Nations” meaning an area where due to lack of proper recorded history, many cultures and tribes came from.
Reportedly they are the first people to have domesticated the horse
They are the descendants of the fearless Scythians. Their bravery and skill of warfare led the ancient Greeks to create the myths of the Amazon warrior women and the Centaurs, half horse and half man archers.
The Greek father of history Herodotus wrote about this tribe of women, who on his account were skilled on horseback with a bow and arrow and skilled with a spear. Ignorant of traditional women’s work.
They were from Scythia (Ukraine, southern Russia and western Kazakhstan), a region sufficiently distant to an ancient Greek to symbolize a frightening, exotic and unknowable land populated by wild and threatening people. Herodotus also claimed that the Amazons had a marriage custom that forbade a young woman to marry until she had killed a man in battle.
These Scythians left a large mark on history considering they didn’t write their own. Cyrus the great, the first great empire builder was said to have been killed by Tomyris, a fierce Scythian amazon queen.
By the 570s ancient Turkish peoples had migrated to the land of modern day Kazakhstan. Obviously in an attempt to get in on that Kazakh oil boom
In the 8th century Arab Muslims brought Islam to the region but it wasn’t until the Mongol Golden Horde Khanate (a Mongol offshoot after the death of Ghengis Khan) Eventually it transformed into a Turkic-Islamic society in the 14th century.
The Golden Horde was devastated by the Invasions of another Mongol offshoot, Timur the lame and his Timurid Empire and it fractured into many smaller khanates one of which was called the Uzbek Khanate. In the 15th century 2 brothers broke off and migrated to modern day Kazakstan where they became known as Kazaks. An old Turkish word meaning, Wanderer, Free or Independent.
The Kazaks had a series of wars with the Uzbeks, eventually leading to their independence… and …
INSERT ASSHOLE UZBEKS. BORAT or Borat national anthem song
With Rising European dominance the Kazaks fell under the Russian empire in the 1800s. Vast numbers of Russians, with their sedentary lifestyle migrated to the land which threatened the traditional Kazakh way of life
when the Russian empire fell to the communists in the Bolshevik revolution, Kazakhstan like many of the states in the former Russian empire established a country, the Alash Autonomy
Named for the mythical Alash, from whom the three Kazakh tribal confederations claimed to descend
But the state only lasted about 3 years and was, like all other Russian breakaway states, absorbed back into the newly formed Soviet Union.
Kazaks weren’t spared from the disastrous soviet economic programs, the soviet famine of 1932-33, killed approximately 1.5-2 million of them by starvation.
This might not sound like much, the same famine killed an estimated 4-7 million people, however 2 million Kazakhs was nearly half the population., the highest percentage of any ethnic group killed by the Soviet famine of 1932–1933.
This Devastated the Kazak population and created an interesting situation where the Kazak people became a minority in their own state.
The Kazak people had to abandon their traditional way of life due to this famine, Pastoral nomadic herding became impossible due to the extreme decrease in people and 80% of the remaining population settled in major cities.
The sedentarization was increased by Josef Stalin’s programs of forced relocation of minority groups and dissenters such as Germans and The Kulaks (wealthy Russian peasants who either by misfortune accumulated over 8 acres of land, or were disloyal to the Bolsheviks), many of which found themselves in the depopulated region of Kazakhstan.
Today Kazakhstan still has the effects of this, having a multicultural multiethnic society. It wasn’t until the 1990s and early 2000s that Kazaks became the majority people in their country again.
Despite the famines and mass deportations of large populations, The Soviets starting in 1953, under the new leadership of Nikita Khrushchev expanded the Kazakh economy with their Virgin Lands Campaign, and steered the country to a path of improved wealth during the soviet era.
the campaign marked a permanent shift in the North-Kazakhstani economy. Even at the 1998 nadir, wheat was sown on almost twice as many hectares as in 1953, and Kazakhstan is currently one of the world's largest producers of wheat.
Kazakhstan has seen massive industrialization and economic improvements since the soviet era. Based largely on their massive uranium and oil deposits. Under the leadership of probably the 2nd most famous Kazakh in all of Kazakh history, behind Borat.
-Borat VERY NICE-
The Despotic Nursultan Nazarbayev
NURSULTAN NAZABAYEV
Nursultan Nazarbayev came from a small village outside of Almaty
He Quickly learned Russian in school and rose through the ranks of the Kazakh SSR. as the Soviet Union fell apart Nazarbayev became leader of the Kazak SSR.
While the USSR was disintegrating, Nazarbayev called democratic elections to be held in the newly declared Kazakhstan.
The election had 2 options, Nursultan Nazarbayev, or against. Nazarbayev as the underdog… won a shocking victory, taking 98.8% of the votes.
INSERT VERY NICE
After winning his election in the 90s, a constitution was formed with an extremely strong executive branch.
He chose the title -Elbasy leader of the nation’
After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan faced mass unemployment and emigration.[107] Nazarbayev was viewed to have followed Russia's economic reforms starting with price liberalization.
This resulted in a rapid inflation of goods, and destabilization of the market…
Throughout the 1990s privatization and market reforms were established, always a difficult trick to master for former communist countries and especially difficult to master for the descendants of pastoral tribal nomads.
In March 1995, Nazarbayev signed a decree setting the National Bank as an independent entity that is accountable only for the head of state. Essentially, Nazarbayev could access the state’s finances anytime he wanted without having to declare.
Starting from the early 2000's, the Kazakh economy faced huge growth thanks to its development in the energy sector and high oil prices
Nazarbayev's legacy is generally that of a reformer whose reforms are acknowledged as the most successful in the post-Soviet era and CIS
However his legacy also has a darker side, that of a nepotistic, corrupt authoritarian leader
Critics say that the country's government has come to resemble a clan system. Mirroring the ancient pastoral nomadic way of doing things.
Kazakhgate.
Nazarbayev with his unlimited power was at one time under investigation in the US’ largest investigation of an overseas bribery case; Kazakhgate.
Kаzаkhgаtе refers to the scandal surrounding James Giffen, an American businessman and former advisor of Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev.
According to the federal bribery charges, Giffen was accused of creating Swiss bank accounts and transferring $20 million,[4] paying tuition at exclusive boarding schools for family members of Kazakh officials, and buying millions of dollars in jewelry. Giffen's lawyers asserted that Giffen was acting with the full knowledge and approval of the US government.
Subsequently, Nazarbayev successfully pushed for a parliamentary bill granting him legal immunity, as well as another designed to legalize money laundering, angering critics further.[100] When Kazakh opposition newspaper Respublika reported in 2002 that Nazarbayev had in the mid-1990s secretly stashed away $1,000,000,000 of state oil revenue in Swiss bank accounts, the decapitated carcass of a dog was left outside the newspaper's offices, with a warning reading "There won't be a next time"; the dog's head later turned up outside editor Irina Petrushova's apartment, with a warning reading "There will be no last time."
In December 2020, according to an investigative report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, it was identified at least $785 million in European and U.S. real estate purchases made by Nazarbaev's family members and their in-laws in six countries over a 20-year span. This figure includes a handful of properties that have since been sold, including multimillion-dollar apartments in the United States bought by Nazarbaev's brother, Bolat.
-INSERT VERY NICE!
Nazarbayev established a cult of personality that still exists to this day. as various institutions, streets, parks, monuments, public holidays, and most notably the capital of Nur-Sultan formerly named Astana, being dedicated and named after him, (the vote in parliament was made unanimously) while dissent was suppressed in the country and elections were deemed not free and fair.
Over the years, discontent grew over the authoritarian elitist leadership of Nazarbayev
In May 2007, the Parliament of Kazakhstan approved a constitutional amendment which would allow Nazarbayev to seek re-election as many times as he wishes. This amendment applies specifically and only to Nazarbayev, since it states that the first president will have no limits on how many times he can run for office, but subsequent presidents will be restricted to a five-year term.
With dissent growing, eventually announced reforms to encourage a multi-party system
however it was just a show as In 2015, Nazarbayev was re-elected for a fifth term with almost 98% of the vote while in the middle of an economic crisis. he ran virtually unopposed
This economic crisis started as a result of Kazakhstan’s massive dependency on oil exportation.
Starting in 2014- and pushing well into 2016, A surplus of oil began flooding the market, among governments beginning to restrict oil production as a means to prevent global warming this caused the price of oil to plummet. Between January 2012 the price of oil was at a high 125$ per barrel, dropping to a mere 30$ by 2016.
Unrest began as the Kazakh economy began to falter and inflation began taking effect.
From August to December 2015, the Kazakh tenge (The Kazakh version of Moneysss) depreciated from 188.38 to 349.12 tenge against the dollar almost double its value.
Protests sparked again in 2016 against a land reform bill that sold off Kazakh state land to foreigners, many believe the real reason behind these protests was the devaluation of the Tenge.
Kazakhstan’s human rights situation is uniformly described as poor by outside observers.
Human Rights Watch says that "Kazakhstan heavily restricts freedom of assembly, speech, and religion. In 2014, authorities closed newspapers, jailed or fined dozens of people after peaceful but unsanctioned protests, and fined or detained worshippers for practicing religion outside state controls. Government critics, including opposition leader Vladimir Kozlov, remained in detention after unfair trials. In mid-2014, Kazakhstan adopted new criminal, criminal executive, criminal procedural, and administrative codes, and a new law on trade unions, which contain articles restricting fundamental freedoms and are incompatible with international standards. Torture remains common in places of detention."[163]
Kazakhstan is ranked 161 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders.
In 2018 riots again broke out, the participants demanded the release and an end of torture of political prisoners.
On 4 February 2019, five sisters were killed by a house fire in Astana (later, Nur-Sultan) that broke out at night, while both their parents were working night shifts. The fire sparked a controversy on social media and led to some small-scale protests.[13] Paul Stronski of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace wrote:
The house fire, however, epitomizes many of the country’s social problems, as well as the widening gap between the government and the governed. Despite the frigid climate of northern Kazakhstan, this family lived in a new part of town that that had yet to have city gas pipes installed, leaving them no option but to turn on the stove to keep their children warm. But, like many things in the country, that stove apparently did not meet safety standards. Citizens now often blame the country’s pervasive culture of corruption and wasteful spending for such horrific deaths. This anger about lax oversight – of the country’s financial resources, of its rapid urbanization, and of its poor – exposes a lack of public confidence in state structures.[13]
By 15 February, the outrage had led to protests reported as numbering in the hundreds.
President Nazarbayev sacked the government led by Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev. It did not Quell the protesters…
Nazarbayev unexpectedly resigned the position of President on March 19th 2019. He was the last Soviet era leader to still have power. He cited “As the founder of the independent Kazakh state I see my task now in facilitating the rise of a new generation of leaders who will continue the reforms that are under way in the country.”
However this may have been a calculated plot, as in early 2018 the Parliament approved a bill which granted Nazarbayev the life tenure as a Chairman of the Security Council of Kazakhstan.[15] This granted him the control of the country's policies without holding the presidential office.
while announcing his resignation, Nazarbayev stated that Senate Chair Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (who was from the same tribe as Nazarbayev) would take over as president for the remainder of his term.[20] However, on 9 April 2019, Tokayev announced that a snap election would be held on 9 June to avoid "political uncertainty."[
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev won a “surprising” majority of 71% of the vote,
Tokayev's victory was marked as the first peaceful transition of power in Kazakhstan's history,[2] despite challenges resulting from the political unrest that took place in the streets of Almaty and Nur-Sultan. According to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), "significant irregularities were observed on election day, including cases of ballot box stuffing, and a disregard of counting procedures meant that an honest count could not be guaranteed." "There were widespread detentions of peaceful protesters on election day in major cities",
The elections were widely denounced as a sham.
Tokayev in his inaugural address promised tolerance towards political dissenters and a new age of Kazak governance.
The presidency of Tokayev was seen as a sham, he was viewed by the Kazak people as a puppet to Nazarbayev and it did little to stop the protests that continued to rage on until the outbreak of Covid 19.
Although Tokayev declared a new more peaceful age of Kazakh leadership, little had changed from the days of Nazarbayev, who still was in power behind the scenes. Tokayev’s governance has remained authoritarian with human rights abuses.
On January 1st as a new years gift, the “Tokayev” cough – Nazarbayev – Cough government lifted a price cap on oil. This price cap was meant to keep the price of oil artificially low, in order to keep down dissent. Overnight prices nearly doubled and on January 2nd a series of massive protests began.
Tokayev has taken a note from many authoritarian said of the rioters “the terrorist mobs are essentially international, they underwent serious training abroad, and their attack of Kazakhstan can be and should be viewed as an act of aggression”.
Russian and Belorusian media also said the same, that the rioters were essentially and American-Ukranian plot attempting to destabilize the land of the horse.
-Borat on horses-
Tokayev ordered troops to use deadly force against protesters, authorizing instructions to "shoot to kill" without warning at anyone demonstrating, calling protesters "bandits and terrorists" and saying that the use of force would continue to "destroy the protests".
The protestors in response demanded that Kazakhstan leave all alliances with Russia and the immediate resignation of Tokayev and the Kazakh government.
The president’s home Almaty Hall, as well as the airport were taken over and set fire to by the protestors. As the situation reacheda fevor pitch, Tokayev announced martial law.
Protesters in one city pulled down a statue of Nursultan Nazarbayev. The chant “old man (Nazarbayev) Go Away!) could be heard.
Some police were reported to have been beheaded.
Tokayev, gave in to some of the protestors demands, perhaps using it to cement his own power. He completely turned on his former benefactor Nursultan Nazarbayev. He arrested one of Nazarbayev’s top officials and nephews for treason.
He also said that the vehicle gas prices caps of 50 tenge per litre had been restored for 6 months.
he sacked the entirety of the Kazakh cabinet
In Russia Putin worried as he feared potentially the riots could spread across boarders and he could be in a similar situation,
Tokayev knew of the close relationship of Nazarabayev and the Putin government. In an attempt to keep Putin from becoming his enemy, Tokayev invited CST O (the Russian NATO) to send troops into Kazakhstan to quell the protests.
With Russian troops in the region brining stability, the losers in the Kazakh riots are the NATO states, mostly the USA and Turkey. The USA because US corporations have invested heavily in Kazakh gas exploration, they are now at the mercy of Russia and President Tokayev who now holds complete power. Turkey because they have been attempting to make closer relations with their Organization of Turkic States. An organization attempting closer ties to the Turkic nations of the world. Origonally proposed by Nazarbayev. Turkish dictator Recepp Tayipp Erdogan has become more aggressive with his foreign policy in the last 10 years.
It was announced that the CSTO troops would begin withdrawing from the country on 13 January, and after peace was restored they were fully withdrawn by 19 January.
In a speech to the parliament, Tokayev promised reform and acknowledged public discontent over income inequality and criticized Nazarbayev and his associates due to their wealth.
Russia has re-established dominance in their former state, Kazakhstan. While Tokayev sits on a new throne.
227 people were killed and over 9,900 were arrested.