Details added (first version posted on 11:05)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 6
Trend:
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has ordered to create a special investigation group to reveal the causes of the riots, find all those involved in these riots and bring them to the criminal and administrative responsibility, Trend reports with reference to Akorda official website of the President of Kazakhstan.
President Tokayev gave some urgent instructions for the government on Jan. 6:
1. It is necessary to create a special investigative group consisting of representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Interior Ministry, the National Security Committee and other competent structures to reveal the causes of the riots, find and bring all perpetrators to the criminal and administrative responsibility.
2. The Armed Forces, the National Security Committee, the Interior Ministry, the National Guard and other law enforcement structures must take measures to increase combat readiness, intensify the provision with military equipment, maintain the morale of servicemen.
3. Governors of the districts must provide the families of the killed police officers and servicemen with funds.
4. Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan together with the Interior Ministry must inform citizens about victims and missing people as a result of the riots of criminal gangs via 1414 call-center.
5. Necessary to create commissions to assess the amount of damage incurred as a result of the riots; to start restoring the administrative buildings, social facilities, residential buildings in Almaty and other districts after stabilization of the situation.
6. Governors must stabilize the work of facilities rendering utilities, the operation of public transport and social infrastructure facilities.
7. Necessary to take measures to render state support to the representatives of the small and medium-sized businesses in Almaty city and other districts, who suffered as a result of the criminal attacks.
8. National Bank and the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Regulation and Development of Financial Market must restore stable and uninterrupted activity of second-tier banks and other financial institutions after the situation stabilizes.
9. Necessary to take measures to protect diplomatic missions, as well as investors and business of foreign companies.
10. Kazakh foreign ministry must maintain the permanent ties with foreign countries, international organizations and other partners on all current issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Kazakhstan's government announced late Jan. 4 that it was restoring some price caps on liquefied petroleum gas, after the rare protests reached Almaty following a sharp rise in the price of the fuel at the start of the year.
Many Kazakhs have converted their cars to run on LPG, which is far cheaper than gasoline as a vehicle fuel in Kazakhstan because of price caps. But the government argued that the low price was unsustainable and lifted the caps on Jan. 1.
After the price of the fuel spiked, big demonstrations erupted on Jan. 2 in certain parts of the country. Public protests are illegal in the country unless their organizers file a notice in advance. Following the development of the situation, the government declared a state of emergency all over the country.