Those who went rampaging through Kazakhstan unleashing violence and bloodshed nationwide may turn up in other countries in the future, primarily, in member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Prime Minister Akylbek Zhaparov of Kyrgyzstan stated on Monday.
"There is a risk that those who participated in the riots in Kazakhstan could move across the borders of other CSTO countries," he said.
According to the Prime Minister, in this regard, the fact that rioters had firearms causes concern. "There is information that a large number of weapons fell into the hands of crime rings, which may try to create an atmosphere of chaos," Zhaparov said.
At the same time, he called on the CSTO countries to take all necessary measures to prevent an "escalation of the situation" in the organization's area of responsibility, TASS reports.
Protests erupted in several Kazakh cities on January 2, escalating into mass riots with government buildings getting ransacked in several cities a few days later. The ensuing violence left scores of people injured, with fatalities also being reported. Subsequently, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev turned to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) requesting assistance from the Russia-led bloc. As a result, peacekeepers have already been deployed to Kazakhstan. Law and order, Kazakh authorities affirm, was restored to all of the country’s regions by the morning of January 7.
