According to the OECD’s plenary session on fundamental freedoms, repression is taking on new forms in all five countries in the region, extending increasingly into the digital sphere and beyond national borders.
Vote set for 19 March, along with local government elections. Independent candidates denounce harassment by the authorities. To register as a candidate, 2,500 euros are needed: the average salary in the country is around 700. A broad victory for President Tokaev's party is expected.
The hardest on the Kremlin are the Kazakhs. Turkmenistan most aligned with Moscow's positions. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan the most guarded. All are on hold, not knowing whether to realign with the old masters, or join the new divisions.
They are economists, journalists, academics and activists. They demand the truth about the arrests after the January 2022 protests. The system favours parties directly and indirectly linked to the ruling elite. Electoral Commission controlled by the government.
Changes generated by the war on Ukraine. Kiev remains enemy number one, Belarus the country with the best relations. Kazakhstan fluctuates, increasingly viewed with suspicion by the Kremlin. Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are stable. The understanding with Georgia improves.
Today's headlines: Beijing announced a 'decisive victory' against the Covid; At least 69 Rohingya land on the beaches of Aceh some people on board died during the crossing; Tokyo launches digital yen programme; Delhi officials after three days concluded inspections at BBC offices; Armenia and Turkey press to 'fully regulate' relations.
Today's headlines: Chinese expert calls for birth incentives to boost the economy; calls for the release of Afghan women's rights activist Parisa Mubariz, arrested by the Taliban; Burmese military regime facilitates the issuing of gun permits to citizens 'loyal' to the state; Russian Orthodox magazine calls for the excommunication of 300 priests who called for an end to the war in Ukraine.
Today's news: The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria now exceeds 24,000; Air India signs a mega-order to buy up to 500 planes from Airbus and Boeing; food prices continue to rise steeply in Japan; many Armenians view Turkey’s earthquake as “divine punishment”; Asia is the continent with the most Internet restrictions in 2022.
Potentially problematic parties for the ruling caste are excluded from the vote. Thus Tokaev will not be able to get rid of the old guard linked to his predecessor Nazarbaiev. Without real reforms, riots similar to those of January 2022 could reoccur.
The request comes from Ak Žol, a party included in the governing majority. They call for free elections, an independent and fair judiciary, and parliamentary democracy. Kazakhstan and Europe already have an expanded partnership. The Union is Astana's first trading partner and its primary investor.
Accepted in universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan thanks to EU-funded scholarships. In Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed bans and restrictions on students. Once they have completed their studies abroad they can return to their country: however, many do not want to do so.
Kazakhstan wants to break the Islamic Republic's international isolation. It is President Tokaev's 'multipolar' policy: an insurance policy against Russia's aims towards his country. The Kazakh government determined on the road to internal reforms.
For several observers, the Russians could wage war against another former Soviet republic. Kazakhstan's north is home to a large Russian-speaking population. The western regions, rich in gas and oil, are more attractive. Putin would intervene to save Kazakhstan 'from Western globalist exploitation'.
Subscribe to the newsletter to receive verified news, analysis and insights from Asian countries every week.
Subscribeto the newsletter
