Kazakhstan mulls special forces to ensure order at rallies

Kazakhstan General Prosecutor’s office is suggesting to create special divisions in the interior authorities that would be tasked with ensuring order during mass events, Interfax-Kazakhstan reports.

“The issue is high on the agenda to create special divisions in the interior authorities aimed exclusively at ensuring order during public mass events of political and cultural nature, organized rallies and strikes” the draft state program of further modernization of Kazakhstan’s law-enforcement system states. The text of the program is published on the website of Kazakhstan General Prosecutor’s office.

The document states that similar practice has already been implemented in other countries that now have the divisions specially trained for prevention of clashes and maintaining the order and security in extreme situations.

“Looking back to recent rallies and strikes in Kazakhstan (Shanyrak, Zhanaozen), we can see the unpreparedness of the law-enforcement authorities to ensure people’s safety, including that of the employees of the law-enforcement authorities,” the document states.

“The activities of our law-enforcement authorities in tackling those events was shifted from prevention of violence to its suppression,” the project writes.

The clashes happened in Zhanaozen and Shetpe village in December 2011. 15 people were killed and another 100 people wounded.

tengrinews.kz