In the global arena, modern Kazakhstan positions itself as a state that harmoniously supports interethnic and interreligious relations and social stability. However, the authorities deny ethnic conflicts and clashes. And what’s most important – they don’t learn from past mistakes, experts say.
On October 27, a conflict of schoolchildren took place in the village of Pidzhim, Panfilov district, Almaty region, which turned into a fight with one teenager injured.
First, the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (ANK) denied any interethnic clashes and said it was just a domestic quarrel. One week later, the law-enforcement bodies admitted that the reason was interethnic tension.
The southern regions of Kazakhstan are subjected to interethnic riots most of all. According to sociologist and president of the Centre for Social and Political Studies “Strategy” Gulmira Ileuova, this is due to a small territory for growing agricultural crops and the increasing number of ethnic groups.
“Ethnic groups are growing in number, as well. And in the south of Kazakhstan, there is not so much food. Another reason is that certain ethnic-economic areas, niches are occupied by certain ethnic groups. […] There are problems with water access. Those who move from south to north encounter land problems and fight for hayfields and pastures,” Ileuova said.
Another reason of conflicts in the south, according to Serik Beisembayev, sociologist and chief of PaperLab research group, is the socioeconomic situation.
“The economic situation causes many problems. Not only conflicts, but also crime rate, alcoholism, drug addiction. In short, everything that is affected by the social background. People become less satisfied, more aggressive,” the expert said.
Much noise, no work done
Following the clashes in the village of Masanchi, Kordai district, Zhambyl region, in February 2020, the authorities of Kazakhstan spoke about reforming the national policy regarding interethnic relations, while the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan said it reset its activity.
As a result, in May 2020, a Committee for Interethnic Relations Development was established with the Ministry of Information and Public Development. Its task is to pursue national policy in the field of interethnic relations, including researches and outreach work.
It looks good both on paper and in words, but in fact there are no changes, experts say. According to Gulmira Ileuova, no state authority has held a conference, or studies on interethnic relations during this period. And the Committee and the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan do not hold any studies, or carry out studies that are unavailable to the public.
“I am insisting on demonstrating the researches. They should show the tools, approaches, methods. They may not show the results as they belong to them. But I, as a specialist, but be sure that their approaches, tools, questionnaires are properly adjusted to the situation. They should not use the questionnaire, which is, say, 20 years old, which no one knows how to apply,” she said.
At one of the discussions held by the PaperLab research group in March 2020, the head of the Committee for Interethnic Relations Development, Galym Shoikin, said that they were working on mapping risks and troubled regions, and also monitoring the problems available on site. But the mapping system is not available for the public.
“Neither ANK and the Committee carry out researches, or carry out few, I think. The Committee for Interethnic Relations has the Institute for Ethnic Political Studies, but it doesn’t show their studies. Maybe they think that they should not stir up the society again,” said Serik Beisembayev, sociologist and chief of PaperLab research group.
However, both agencies have other tasks to perform but researches. The Committee for Interethnic Relations Development must monitor interethnic situation, give recommendations to state bodies on problem solving, and in case of conflicts advise and assist local governments and the police.
One of the important areas of activity of the Assembly of the People is the development of the ethnic mediation institution (republican and regional mediation boards of ANK). It should assist state bodies in identifying, preventing and solving conflicts between different ethnicities.
Public consent boards of ANK play an important role in this work. They work in all regions as advisory and deliberative bodies. Their goal is to consolidate efforts of civil institutions, public, political and other associations in strengthening public consent, all-national unity, formation and development of Kazakhstan identity.
However, independent political analyst Maksim Kaznacheyev said that the above agencies have failed to fulfil their task.
“I doubt that ANK and the Committee for Interethnic Relations Development have any distinct methodology to prevent interethnic conflicts. In general, the problem is that the government agency of Kazakhstan has no entities in ethnic groups to interact with,” Kaznacheyev said.
He explains it by the fact that ANK members are not elected political figures, but are appointed out of self-declared activists of any ethnic groups. Therefore, they have low public’s trust.
“Since this body is appointed by the president’s Administration, it represents the Administration, not the ethnic groups it allegedly acts for. Therefore, the work of the Assembly is a mere propaganda. Of course, ordinary citizens do not pay attention to the statements made by ANK representatives,” Kaznacheyev said.
Serik Beisembayev said that the Assembly’s restricted capacities contribute to the situation.
“For example, ANK cannot influence the policy of the office for domestic policy at local levels. They can hold joint meetings, but they cannot do the preventive work because, as far as I know, they have no resources for that,” he said.
What can be done now?
Non-governmental organisations can help solve interethnic conflicts, Serik Beisembayev said. According to him, they are not always restricted in resources and their approach will be less bureaucratic.
“I would highly recommend delegating more powers to NGOs when it comes to interethnic issues. But they should be fostered, assisted in their professional development and in interacting with international organisations that have accumulated broad experience in this area,” the expert said.
It’s nonetheless important to strengthen councils of elders in ANK in towns and villages, Gulmira Ileuova said.
“The council of elders works in various regions differently and with different levels of intensity. They are respected in the south, and almost non-functioning in the west. Although there is a stereotype that we have a traditional society in the west, we can see that the council of elders rarely becomes an important segment in the society. There are no such centres in the north and in the centre because of high rates of migration,” the speaker said.
However, independent political analyst Maksim Kaznacheyev feels certain that the state needs interethnic conflicts in the country and they will continue. This is related to the fact that in case of growing social tension, all aggression of people would be turned on ethnic groups living in the country, not on the people in power.
“The authorities try to hide the fact of interethnic conflicts, and the fact that ethnic majorities are coordinated directly by organisational structures available on social media, Telegram channels, which go unpunished,” the expert said.