News Desk :
Dozens of people, including citizens and police officers, have been killed as protests continue to rage in Kazakhstan, the worst street unrest since the country gained independence 30 years ago.
Thousands have reportedly been arrested in Almaty and of the hundreds injured, at least 60 are in intensive care.
The protests began over the weekend, triggered by rising fuel prices, but have since morphed into anti-government riots, feeding off resentment of more than three decades of rule by ex-President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In response, Nazarbayev’s handpicked successor, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has sacked the country’s government and declared a nationwide two-week state of emergency.
He also invited troops from a Russian-headed military alliance of former Soviet states into Kazakhstan to restore order, reports Al Jazeera and news agencies.
The United States is closely monitoring reports that peacekeeping forces of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization have been deployed to Kazakhstan, State Department spokesman Ned Price has said.
“The United States and, frankly, the world will be watching for any violation of human rights,” Price told reporters.
“We will also be watching for any actions that may lay the predicate for the seizure of Kazakh institutions.”
The peacekeeping forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) sent to Kazakhstan will total about 2,500 personnel, the RIA news agency has reported citing the secretariat of the Russia-led security bloc.
These peacekeeping forces will stay in Kazakhstan for several days or weeks, RIA reported, citing the secretariat.
The peacekeepers have the right to use weapons in Kazakhstan in case they are attacked by “armed gangs”, it added.
Reuters adds: Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Friday he had given shoot-to-kill orders to deal with further disturbances from those he called bandits and terrorists, adding that those who failed to surrender would be “destroyed.”
Up to 20,000 “bandits” had attacked the biggest city Almaty and had been destroying state property, Tokayev said in a televised address after a week when protests over fuel prices exploded into a countrywide wave of unrest.
He said as part of the “counter-terrorist” operation, he had ordered law enforcement agencies and the army “to shoot to kill without warning.”
“The militants have not laid down their arms, they continue to commit crimes or are preparing for them. The fight against them must be pursued to the end. Whoever does not surrender will be destroyed,” Tokayev said on state television.
He dismissed calls to hold talks with protesters.
