In Kazakhstan, the ability of citizens to resist the rule of law has suffered a serious blow. On November 28, two important Kazakh Land activists, Max Bokayev and Talgat Ayanov, both had been sentenced to five years of prison for organizing uncontained protests and inciting social conflict.
Bokayev, as well as Ayanov, were detained following large-scale protests across the country during April and May. The usual practice of being extremely cautious, in this case, the government did not recognize the danger of online activism in time and thus let the protests continue to take place.
The detention of the two men is proof that the administration of President Nursultan Nazarbayev is well aware that it cannot undervalue the power of innovative methods of civic activism.
The rise of online activism
A Central Asian authoritarian state has refused to accept political protests for many years. It is known for its imprisonment of journalists, violates the freedoms of the citizens, and suppresses all other forms of democratic liberal democracy.
The Kazakh populace often sees the regime stifle this kind of behavior, partly due to the fact that they are content with the status that is and also because they are unable to change the course of politics.
On the other hand, an era of civic engagement has been emerging since 2010 and has come to its fullest expression during the land-related protests of April 2016.
The advancement of technology, growing accessibility to the internet, and the increasing acceptance of social media have provided Kazakh social groups with the tools needed to fight against a centralized and corrupt government.
The days when there was a small group of civic-minded citizens in the US, and there is no longer an under-represented group of people who utilize the internet solely for entertainment. Political apathy is quickly disappearing and is being replaced by the cynicism of politics.
Nowadays, you don’t need to be a member of any group or social movement in order to assert your right to information freedom as well as protection of the environment or access to health care for the public. A computer connected to the internet and an account on social media is sufficient for generating the public’s awareness, communicating the views of those who are important to you, and generating anger.
The public is increasingly aware of the government’s shortcomings and also their lack of rights. A recent study found that the majority of citizens in Kazakhstan think that the government’s combat for corruption is a failure. Another poll of youth found that over 60 percent of respondents do not feel they can influence the power of their government.
These developments have meant that increasing numbers of people are getting involved in the political process by signing online petitions and participating in protests. A pro-pension reform movement in 2013 included all of these kinds of political engagement and energized masses that were previously disengaged from politics.
Political memes have also exploded in Kazakhstan, which has made the political process more accessible to the average citizen. Pension reform protests resulted in a plethora of memes that showed that there was no justification to raise the pension age of women from the 58-63 period. The memes were popular, and pension reform was the most talked about issue on the agenda.
“Why does my grandmother must work until 63? That’s the reason,’ he said. …’
Land reformers set out on a path.
The impact of this innovative method of activism has never been as evident as in the wave of protests in cities and towns across Kazakhstan in May and April of 2016, which are now putting two organizers in prison.
Protesters were worried that changes in the law of the land could allow foreigners, especially Chinese companies, to lease agricultural land for 25 years. Many saw this as a threat to the sovereignty of the nation. Incredulous by the possibility that this situation would spiral out of control, as it did in the Zhanaozen oil workers protests, The president intervened and declared the suspension of reforming the land.
The government issued this message on May 1, informing the people that changes to the land code were put on hold.
Protests began on the internet and greatly benefited from WhatsApp. Mobile phones’ use to engage in civic activities grew the base of supporters for the movement by directly appealing to the individual users. It’s interesting to note that the government made its decision to change its land reform plan by sending citizens texts now.
The protests for land reform were unique in their scope and took place in a variety of cities simultaneously. This is an uncommon characteristic of protests in Kazakhstan.
In the end, civil society was able to celebrate the victory after authorities responded with a change in the policy. This is an uncommon event in Kazakh politics. Even activists who were arrested admit that the protest campaign succeeded in making the voices of people heard.