On 31 March,
four members of Socialist Resistance (the sister party of the Socialist
Party in the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States)] were arrested
for placing a picket on the Kazakhstan embassy in Moscow.
The activists were
protesting at the brutal repression of shanty town residents and socialists
in the city of Alma Ata at the hands of the Kazakhstan authorities who
have moved to evict hundreds of families from land on the outskirts
of the town.
Despite the picket being in line with the bureaucratic procedures for
holding protests (no political banners or papers and five days notice
to the police) around 30 uniformed police swooped on the peaceful protest
backed up by a dozen plain-clothes officers. The heavy response was
an attempt to silence any criticism of Kazakhstan president Nazabayev,
who arrived in Russia the following day. The four were soon released
and appeared in court the following Monday where they received considerable
fines.
The Alma Ata authorities want to clear the land to make way for an aqua
centre (!) and golf course for the wealthy of the city. On 10 March,
without any warning or a court order, the authorities, backed up by
riot police, moved in on the shanty towns of Shanyrak and Aigyerim and
bulldozed 18 homes, including the home of an 85 year old grandmother.
It was the spontaneous protest of 500 residents that forced the authorities
to end their eviction attempts.
After the attempted eviction by the authorities, an "action committee"
was elected (including Socialist Resistance members) which organised
a protest march on the city hall.
When the march reached the council offices, they were attacked by riot
police and 30 protesters were arrested. In the aftermath of the protest,
Socialist Resistance members were fined "15 times the minimum wage"
and the secret police are "actively searching" for more CWI
members. One of the residents, Moldir Mustafayeva, is facing a criminal
charge of "hooliganism."
The residents are determined to fight on and force the authorities back.
Socialist Resistance will continue to offer them support and to raise
their case throughout the CIS.
The CWI is calling on all workers and trade union activists to send
emails and letters of protest to mayor@almaty.kz
and letters of support to the residents at socialism-rk@mail.ru
