On January 6, 2022, Russian paratroopers and Belarusian special forces boarded planes for Almaty, which is one of the largest metropolises of Kazakhstan. The country has witnessed mass unrest in recent days, over government’s decision to do away with subsidies on liquefied petroleum gas.

What is the issue?

• The decision was taken three years back, but on January 1, 2022 the fuel prices became fully market-based.
• As a result, cost of LPG increased suddenly. It has doubles in some places from 60 tenge per litre in December 2021 to 120 tenge by January 2.
• Thus, protests broke out, immediately in Zhanaozen and spread across the Kazakhstan.
• When things became out of control, President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, called on the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) to curb the protests.

About Collective Security Treaty Organisation

Collective Security Treaty Organisation is a military alliance, comprising of six members namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan and Russia. Uzbekistan was also a member but it quit the organisation in 2012.