Work to reveal all the circumstances of the large-scale riots that took place in Kazakhstan must be continued, the country’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, AzVision.az reports on Jan. 22 referring to the president’s press service.
Tokayev made this statement during a meeting with the heads of a number of state bodies.
The president stressed that law enforcement agencies and authorized bodies in the field of information should coordinate efforts and promptly respond to the demands of society.
Regarding the issue of the death of citizens [during the riots], he instructed the Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to conduct a thorough investigation into each case.
"We cannot allow the society to form its opinion about the events on the basis of speculation and insinuations. Citizens must see that the authorities provide transparency and legality," Tokayev said.
Kazakhstan's government announced late Jan. 4 that it was restoring some price caps on liquefied petroleum gas, after the rare protests reached Almaty following a sharp rise in the price of the fuel at the start of the year.
Many Kazakhs have converted their cars to run on LPG, which is far cheaper than gasoline as a vehicle fuel in Kazakhstan because of price caps. But the government argued that the low price was unsustainable and lifted the caps on Jan. 1.
After the price of the fuel spiked, big demonstrations erupted on Jan. 2 in certain parts of the country. Public protests are illegal in the country unless their organizers file a notice in advance.
Following the development of the situation, the government declared a state of emergency all over the country. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said the government initiated anti-terrorist operations to deal with the ongoing riots.
Also, the divisions of the united peacekeeping contingent of CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) arrived in Kazakhstan to assist in restoring order and help protect strategic objects of the country.
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