Kazakh envoy to Singapore blames foreign militants for ‘chaos’ as questions persist over deadly unrest
- Arken Arystanov made the comments at a press briefing organised by Kazakhstan’s mission to Singapore
- An internet blackout in the capital Almaty has made it difficult to establish facts on the ground after the country’s worst violence in 30 years
Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Singapore on Tuesday doubled down on claims that foreign militants had escalated initially-peaceful protests over fuel price hikes earlier this month, accusing them of wanting to “form a zone of controlled chaos” to seize power.
The comments by Arken Arystanov, who has been the central Asian country’s envoy in Singapore since 2019, came as questions persist over the Kazakh government’s narrative around the unrest that left at least 225 people dead.
Arystanov, whose embassy organised a briefing for media representatives in Singapore, said armed militants from central Asian countries and the Middle East were responsible for the “well-coordinated and organised” unrest. He is simultaneously Kazakhstan’s envoy to Australia and New Zealand.
“The idea was to create chaos in the region and maybe create an Islamic state again,” he told reporters. About 70 per cent of Kazakhstan’s 19 million population are Muslim but the country practises a secular form of government.
“The perpetrators’ key goal was disorganisation of government institutions, undermining of the constitutional order, and ultimately the seizure of power in Kazakhstan,” he said.
Arystanov added that police investigations were under way and more concrete evidence could be expected. Over 12,000 people have been detained, including journalists and rights activists.