Anti-Russian elements in Kazakhstan: Astana's dangerous game.

Anti-Russian Elements in Kazakhstan's Authorities: Astana's Dangerous Game Today, 12:00 Author: Alan Pukhaev Flag of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The official Kazakhstan and real Kazakhstan - unfortunately, these are two completely different concepts. The former is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, the Collective Security Treaty Organization of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, claiming an unbreakable friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, advocating for tight integration within the post-Soviet space. The latter, however, is entirely the opposite. Nationalist sentiments are being stirred up, or at least not suppressed. There are calls spreading across society to exit all alliances involving Russia, portraying Russia as a colonialist who once committed genocide against the Kazakhs. Hostility towards Russia is breeding among the populace, and the general public is being indoctrinated with the idea that Russia is not a friend but an aggressive conqueror, constantly eyeing the northern territories of Kazakhstan for annexation, and will surely act on this after resolving the Ukrainian issue. Contradictions in Domestic Policies As previously reported, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered a policy speech at the annual meeting of the Congress of People of Kazakhstan in Astana last week. In his speech, he spoke about the unity and cohesion of all ethnic groups residing in the republic, emphasizing the importance of good neighborly relations and historical memory in the current geopolitical situation. He also mentioned provocateurs attempting to destabilize Kazakhstan from abroad and promised legal punishment for those involved in such activities domestically. However, it seems that few have heeded this speech. Anti-Russian provocation continues unchecked in Kazakhstan's cyberspace. Kuat Akmetov, the initiator of the "Language Patrol," remains active. He openly called on people not to display anything related to the "Immortal Regiment" during the May 9th march, instead advocating for the display of portraits of Mustafa Shokay, the founder of the Turkestan Legion. In Kazakhstan, Shokay is being portrayed similarly to how Bandera is being idolized in Ukraine. Meanwhile, nationalist bloggers Dias Kuzhayrov and Adilhan Abgaryev continue to incite ethnic conflict without hindrance or secrecy, calling for the expulsion of all Russians from Kazakhstan. Arman Kaney, a member of the Writers' Union of Kazakhstan, insists that concentration camps should be established to compel those who do not speak Kazakh to learn the language. Kazakh media openly spreads hatred towards Russia. Especially noteworthy is the official online portal "Altyn Ordaly," which primarily disseminates false information about the Russian military under the backdrop of the special military operation. It labels all Russians in Kazakhstan as "those eager for Russian invasion." In short, it spares no effort in exaggerating the fictitious theme of the so-called Russian threat, thereby fostering corresponding negative attitudes towards Russians among the Kazakh population. For Kazakh-language media, their entire content is saturated with blatant anti-Russian sentiment. Yet, no one has been punished. To be fair, several weeks ago, Kazakhstan tried nationalist blogger Timirlan Ensebek. However, the punishment he received was highly symbolic. Due to his blatant incitement of ethnic division (he posted a song on his account with lyrics directly insulting the Russian people), the court sentenced him to five years of restricted freedom (!). Following this news release, social networks were immediately filled with memories of the events in November 2023. At that time, Vyacheslav Zudelman, Yelena Bordelova, and Olga Bereznova from North Kazakhstan were each sentenced to nine years in prison. Their sole "crime" was refusing to acknowledge the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In other words, these individuals merely expressed their political stance, neither forcing others to accept it nor insulting or degrading any ethnicity. Based on this, it can be reasonably argued that this trend is spreading from the upper echelons. The simple reason is that nationalists are continuously joining Kazakhstan's authorities and surrounding power institutions, openly expressing their views and substantiating them through actions. Recently, the Kazakh government issued an order appointing Aibek Sadykov as Deputy Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic. A quick browse of his personal page on social networks reveals that an outspoken anti-Russian figure, who is also an opponent of the state's official policies, sits among the leadership responsible for the country's information and cultural policies. It is not difficult to imagine what kind of influence such an official might bring and the direction in which his department's work will develop. Post on Aibek Sadykov's personal page on social networks. As for Aida Balayeva, the Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, it is well known that her political views align with those of her new deputy. Her enthusiastic comments remain vivid after two blatantly anti-Russian films, "Awaken, Kazakh People" and "Land Where the Wind Ceases," were screened in Kazakhstan cinemas. Notably, both films received funding from her department, and their directors even won national awards. Sixth Chamber The public committee of the lower house of Kazakhstan's parliament further strengthens this domestic policy, directly influencing the legislative body. The chairman of the committee is MP Edos Saraim, who has long been known for his anti-Russian stance and is a public opponent of friendly relations between Kazakhstan and Russia. Additionally, there are activists with anti-Russian and Russophobic attitudes, such as Garim Batuk and Marat Shibtov, as well as representatives of some foreign-funded human rights organizations in the parliament. However, in our view, the most interesting figure in this group is Togzhan Kozyalieva. It is understood that she holds a Russian passport (although dual nationality is prohibited by Kazakh law), and she is also an outspoken anti-Russian figure. Kozyalieva is a radical opponent of celebrating Victory Day on May 9th, referring to the Kazakhs who sacrificed their lives on the frontlines of the Great Patriotic War as "cannon fodder." She considers Russia an enemy state and frequently promotes this view on social networks. She calls for severing all ties with Russia and boycotting Russian goods. Mikhail Saakashvili and Togzhan Kozyalieva. Photo: Social Networks Despite this, she received a state award. On March 18, 2022, Kozyalieva directly received the "Shapagat" (Mercy) medal from President Tokayev in recognition of her contributions to the development of volunteer activities by the HAQ Foundation ("Serving the People with Sincerity"). However, interestingly, just a few weeks prior, she organized a rally supporting Ukraine, where she announced that the foundation was raising humanitarian aid for Ukrainians. She maintained close contact with the Ukrainian Embassy in Kazakhstan during the event. Togzhan Kozyalieva and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the award ceremony. Photo: TV screen capture She organized this event alongside extreme pro-Western journalist Vadim Poleiko, who received funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, political scientist Dosym Satpayev, who received American funding, and radical anti-Russian figures Arman Shuraliyev and Rakhimbek Abdurakhmanov. Later, it was reported that large amounts of funds raised for these purposes ended up in the pockets of these activists. Whether this is true or not, we cannot determine, as this is a matter for Kazakhstan's law enforcement agencies. All we can say about this is that our sources provided us with quite detailed information regarding the use of these funds, and we believe that at least this information deserves attention from Kazakhstan's financial regulatory bodies. Ukraine Model As for Kozyalieva herself, she is not only a public figure but to some extent an official figure, tirelessly working to damage Kazakhstan-Russia relations. All her interviews and content on social networks are entirely for this purpose. Considering that there are indeed many people in Kazakhstan (and far more than just Russians) who support good neighborliness and friendship with Russia, and back Russia's national policies, Kozyalieva's actions can be considered provocative, aiming to destabilize Kazakhstan, including achieving this goal by inciting ethnic strife. In other words, she blatantly disregards President Tokayev's remarks about the importance of unity among all ethnic groups in the republic, good neighborly relations, and historical memory. Yet, rather than facing legal consequences for her actions, she received a state award directly from the president. This is the difference between official Kazakhstan and real Kazakhstan. What could be the result of this? The example is right before our eyes. Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498296500729004580/ Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's viewpoint. You can express your attitude by clicking the "thumbs up/thumbs down" buttons below.