There is always this idea that neighbouring countries are more unstable, that Islamism has developed there and has been imported into Kazakhstan
Marie Dumoulin on authorities trying to find an outside scapegoat for the protests in Kazakhstan
Media mentions – Russia
These developments will probably have an impact on upcoming U.S. Russian talks, with some Russian media outlets already portraying the protests as a “color revolution” manufactured by the West
These are the biggest protests in three decades, posing a real threat to those in power, who have completely lost the trust of their citizens
It’s a way to discredit protesters and deny that there are any dissatisfaction in the population
Marie Dumoulin on Russia’s rhetoric concerning Kazakhstan
The expression of this growing discontent, in a system that traditionally leaves little room for opposition forces, may have helped convince Nazarbayev that the time had come to hand over
It is true that the revolt started this time in the west of the country because of a change in the way the pump price of a certain type of fuel made from gas was calculated
The difference with the current situation is that the protests have now rapidly spread throughout Kazakhstan and have taken on a political dimension
The size and rapid spread of the unrest have raised broader security concerns for the strategic region