Kazakhstan: “Colour Revolution” Riots Explode

Above: The Mayor’s Office Building in Almaty was torched by rioters in early January. http://www.thetexaschronicle.com

08-01-2022: Never believe anything until it is officially denied, so goes the axiom. This cannot be more apt when viewing the current situation in the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan. When asked in a press briefing if the United States (US) government was behind the violence sweeping Kazakhstan in line with some Russian claims, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki brushed it aside. “There are some crazy Russian claims about the US being behind this…[this is] absolutely false, and clearly part of the standard Russian disinformation playbook”.[1] Given the US disinformation playbook, which claimed – without a shred of evidence[2] – that the Russian government had interfered in the 2016 US Presidential Election, Psaki’s claims stand on razor thin ground. Scratching even slightly beneath the surface, one can find the dirty fingerprints of the usual regime change suspects all over the violent riots disguised as protests tearing Kazakhstan apart. These include, but are not limited to, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED – the “legal” regime change arm of the CIA) and billionaire anti-socialist “colour revolution” puppet master George Soros and his Open Society Foundation (OSF).

Foreign funded “NGOs”

There is zero that is progressive, let alone revolutionary, about a “colour revolution”. The name designates ultra-reactionary regime change operations usually directed against the former Soviet Republics, but they have also been used in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Invariably, the US state department works in tandem with fake fronts posing as Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) or Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and the OSF is the premier partner of choice for the covert outsourcing of US Foreign Policy. The OSF has been operating in Kazakhstan since 1995 and has been funded to the tune of more than $100 million over 25 years. According to the Kazakh Minister of Social Development Darkhan Kaletaev, he is aware of 53 international organisations, 30 foreign government organisations, and 77 foreign NGOs operating in his country – with 70% of the funding for these bodies flowing in from the USA.[3] There are some estimates that today there are some 16 000 foreign funded NGOs operating throughout the country[4], with some placing the figure higher, at 22 000.

The Soros funded OSF is not the only one but is the most prominent. There are some reports that NEXTA, the Polish based NED funded front which was extremely active in regime change operations against Belarus,[5] is heavily involved. Plausible claims say that NEXTA is explicitly instigating violence in Kazakhstan, publishing material showing “protestors” how to use hand grenades and urging them to arm themselves heavily against the police. While the US White House claims “Who…us?” in relation to the New Year violence, Twitter posts show that the US Embassy was already warning about mass “protests” in Kazakhstan on December 16, 2021 – almost a month ago.[6] Talk about the US state department telegraphing its punches!

Riots disguised as “protests”

The notion that the rabid and frenzied force employed by several thousand misguided or wilfully misled armed combatants on the streets of various cities across Kazakhstan was a “protest” about “gas prices” or the “standard of living”, is absurd at face value. Even though the government appeared to acknowledge this as the rationale, and resigned, this was an attempt to stop further violence. The government then announced a 180-day moratorium on price rises for LPG, diesel, gasoline and utilities.[7] Yet this was in response to open attacks on police throughout the country. In Alma-Ata, the rioters ripped iron shields, batons and helmets from the hands of police. Some of them stole police cars and even ambulances,[8] where they did not overturn them and set them ablaze. Government buildings were stormed and assaulted in several cities, including the southern towns of Shymkent and Taraz, with over 100 police injured.[9] In a real revolution, a mass movement will obviously first clash with police. Yet when “protestors” violently attack police before much else gets underway, it is a dead giveaway that it is organised bloodthirsty chaos with political aims, i.e., terrorism.

Innocent civilians – who do not at all support violent regime change – were also targeted. Rioters beat up some 500 civilians and ransacked hundreds of businesses.[10] Kazakh President Kassem-Jomart Tokayev announced a two-week state of emergency and a night-time curfew in the capital Nur-Sultan, citing “a serious and direct security threat to citizens”.[11] While leftists do not politically back the Kazakh government, it is unarguable that the terrorist riots threaten the lives of Kazakhstanis. President Tokayev is also justified in appealing for assistance via the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) – a military alliance of Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – and is more than validated in blaming “foreign-trained terrorist gangs”[12] for the wave of violence. So far, Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan and Armenia have offered to send troops, but Kyrgyzstan is waiting. The foreign troops will not be involved with any “protests”, but will be used to guard strategic assets, military bases, mines and refineries.

While genuine revolutionists offer no political support to the governments of any of the former Soviet Republics, we condemn and oppose ultra-violent regime change operations which are squarely aimed at the Russian Federation. What is more, Kazakhstan today is another example that capitulation to the fake Covid “pandemic” does not at all appease, or ingratiate, one’s nation to imperialism. On the contrary, this only emboldens Wall Street to unleash yet more subversion. Global capitalism has reached such a depth of a crisis that it can only resort to extreme violence against the working masses in a vain attempt to save itself. The only real protection from imperialism is for socialism to once again return to the steppes of Kazakhstan, Russia, Eurasia and internationally. Key to this is the construction of internationally linked workers vanguard parties based on the Marxism of Lenin and Trotsky, and the supersession of capitalism via the assembly of nationalised and planned economies.

WORKERS LEAGUE

www.redfireonline.com

E: workersleague@redfireonline.com

[1] https://nypost.com/2022/01/05/jen-psaki-dismisses-russian-claims-that-us-is-behind-kazakhstan-unrest/ (08-01-2022)

[2] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/25/muellers-russia-report-special-counsel-indictments-charges/3266050002/ (08-01-2022)

[3] https://www.kp.ru/daily/27348.3/4528358/ (08-01-2022)

[4] https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-crisis-kazakhstan-creates-new-area-instability/5766366 (08-01-2022)

[5] https://larouchepub.com/other/2021/4824-roman_protasevich_tool_of_angl.html (08-01-2022)

[6] https://www.sott.net/article/462832-Steppe-on-Fire-Kazakhstans-Color-Revolution (08-01-2022)

[7] https://www.enca.com/business/kazakhstan-limits-fuel-price-after-protests-over-hikes (08-01-2022)

[8] https://www.kp.ru/daily/27348.3/4528283/ (08-01-2022)

[9] https://english.alarabiya.net/News/world/2022/01/05/Kazakhstan-declares-state-of-emergency-in-Almaty-province (08-01-2022)