As questions linger over the role of the security forces in and around Kazakhstan’s riot-torn western town of Zhanaozen, where 17 protestors were shot dead last month, Kazakh police who took part in quashing the protest are being showered with gifts, TV Channel 31 reports.
Officers who were dispatched 1700 kilometers from Karaganda to Zhanaozen, where an industrial dispute in the oil sector turned violent on December 16, have been given certificates of merit, gifts and financial bonuses as rewards for their role in restoring order. The report said that over 600 officers would receive bonuses for their efforts, and 27 were given watches.
The rewarded officers were not in Zhanaozen when security forces opened fire on protestors, but questions also remain over police behavior in the aftermath of the shootings.
Astana has yet to address Human Rights Watch allegations of torture and abuse of detainees in custody, which the New York-based watchdog says caused one death.
A EurasiaNet.org reporter also found evidence of mistreatment of detainees during a visit to the town in the aftermath of the violence, as did a Novaya Gazeta correspondent. RFE/RL has reported allegations of sexual abuse of female detainees.
Zhanaozen retains a heavy police presence under a state of emergency in place until January 31. Opposition leader Bolat Abilov told a news conference in Almaty on January 16 that he was in possession of information indicating that store keepers in Zhanaozen are refusing to sell goods to police officers from outside the town, whom they view as “occupiers.”
With access to Zhanaozen restricted, information is impossible to verify independently. The authorities have said they are investigating allegations of police abuse and have opened cases against some officers.
As those investigations continue behind closed doors, it seems a strange time to be rewarding the police who took part in quashing the riots.
Joanna Lillis is a journalist based in Almaty and author of Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan.
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