Solidarity with the workers and popular masses in Kazakhstan!

At the beginning of 2022, mass protests against those in power spread in several cities of Kazakhstan, triggered by the doubling of prices for liquefied gas. Industrial workers, especially oil, gas and steel workers, went on strike, blocking roads and organizing rallies. The struggles began in the west of the country and spread explosively throughout the country, including in the capital Nur-Sultan and in the economic metropolis of Almaty.

Kazakhstan was ruled for decades by the fascist potentate Nursultan Nazarbayev. Also under President Kassym-Shomart Tokayev, who replaced him in 2019, the Nazarbayev family retained influence and means of enrichment. The protests have the character of an uprising and are directed against the corrupt government and its abuse of power.

Police and military cracked down on the protests with uncompromising fascist brutality. Police and military received shoot-to-kill orders and shot at least 225 demonstrators. The protesters resolutely attacked the hated buildings of the government, mayors and the domestic intelligence agency. All imperialist forces are trying to secure their influence and some are trying to exploit this justified uprising of the masses for themselves. On 5 January 2022 President Tokayev dismissed the government, rescinded the gas price increase and filled influential Nazarbayev posts with his own people. This failed to appease the masses. On January 6, troops of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), led by Russian soldiers, arrived in Kazakhstan at the "invitation" of Tokayev with the support of China. Russian imperialism has thus gained an advantage over its imperialist rivals and is unequivocally staking its claim to power over this geostrategically, economically and militarily important country. This will not let the Western imperialists rest and is also intensifying the danger of war at this focal point.

After 30 years, the people in various former Soviet republics have had enough of the rulers who imposed themselves after the disintegration of the Soviet Union and enriched themselves immeasurably through the most brutal exploitation of the workers and raw materials. Arbitrariness and brutality of the state power prevail, democratic rights and freedoms do not exist in fact. Along with the Russian imperialists and China, the NATO and EU imperialists now want to secure their grip on these riches and influence.

Stop the fascist methods of oppression

Especially in Almaty, a metropolis of millions, tens of thousands of demonstrators are on the streets. There have been more than 3,000 arrests according to reports from the state broadcaster Khabar. President Tokayev orders "anti-terrorist operations" that are to last until the "complete extermination of the militants." In the meantime, the justified mass protests are no longer directed solely against the drastic energy price increases. Back in 2011, security forces in Zhanaozen fired on striking oil workers, killing 16 of them. Time and again, the fascist government takes action against independent trade unions.

The statements spread in Western bourgeois media calling for non-violence completely fail to recognize who are the oppressors and who are the oppressed.

ICOR declares its full solidarity with the protesting workers, women, youth. It is a typical method to brand people who take to the streets for their justified demands as "terrorists" the motive being to quell their protest by the most brutal means.

Freedom for all anti-fascist and democratic political prisoners!

For the right to strikes and mass demonstrations!

For democracy, freedom, peace - socialism!

Signatories (as of 21 January 2022, further signatories possible):

1. PCPCI Parti Communiste Proletarien de Côte d'Ivoire (Proletarian Communist Party of Ivory Coast)

2. UPC-Manidem Union des Populations du Cameroun - Manifeste National pour l’Instauration de la Démocratie (Union of Populations of Cameroon - National Manifesto for the Establishment of Democracy)

3. MMLPL Moroccan Marxist-Leninist Proletarian Line

4. CPSA (ML) Communist Party of South Africa (Marxist-Leninist)

5. PCT Parti Comuniste du Togo (Communist Party of Togo)

6. PPDS Parti Patriotique Démocratique Socialiste (Patriotic Democratic Socialist Party), Tunisia

7. CPB Communist Party of Bangladesh

8. SPB Socialist Party of Bangladesh

9. CPI (ML) Red Star Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Red Star

10. NCP (Mashal) Nepal Communist Party (Mashal)

11. PPRF Patriotic Peoples Republican Front of Nepal

12. CPA/ML Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)

13. БКП Българска Комунистическа Партия (Bulgarian Communist Party)

14. PR-ByH Partija Rada - ByH (Party of Labor - Bosnia and Herzegovina)

15. MLPD Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands (Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany)

16. UC Unité Communiste (Communist United ), France

17. UPML Union Prolétarienne Marxiste-Léniniste (Marxist-Leninist Proletarian Union), France

18. BP (NK-T) Bolşevik Parti (Kuzey Kürdistan-Türkiye) (Bolshevik Party (North Kurdistan-Turkey))

19. KOL Kommunistische Organisation Luxemburg (Communist Organization of Luxemburg)

20. RM Rode Morgen (Red Dawn), Netherlands

21. UMLP União Marxista-Leninista Portuguesa (Portuguese Marxist-Leninist Union)

22. MLGS Marxistisch-Leninistische Gruppe Schweiz (Marxist-Leninist Group of Switzerland)

23. TKP-ML Türkiye Komünist Partisi – Marksist-Leninist (Communist Party of Turkey – Marxist-Leninist)

24. MLKP Marksist Leninist Komünist Parti Türkiye / Kürdistan (Marxist Leninist Communist Party Turkey / Kurdistan)

25. KSRD Koordinazionnyj Sowjet Rabotschewo Dvizhenija (Coordination Council of the Workers Class Movement), Ukraine

26. PCC-M Partido Comunista de Colombia – Maoista (Communist Party of Colombia - Maoist)

27. OAPCM Organización Apoyante del Partido Comunista de México (Supporting Organization of the Communist Party of Mexico)

28. PCP (independiente) Partido Comunista Paraguayo (independiente) (Paraguayan Communist Party (independent))

29. PC (ML) Partido Comunista (Marxista Leninista) (Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist)), Dominican Republic

30. PCR-U Partido Comunista Revolucionario del Uruguay (Revolutionary Communist Party of Uruguay)

31. ROL Revolutionary Organization of Labor, USA

32. MLP Marksistsko-Leninskaja Platforma (Marxist-Leninist Platform), Russia (Link to the comment)

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