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Kazakh opposition groups protest land lease to China
 Kazakh opposition parties demonstrate in Almaty January 30, 2010, against a proposal to lease farmland to China. [Timur Batyrshin] |
ALMATY – The Kazakh opposition parties All-National Social Democratic Azat Party (ANSDAP) and Alga, along with the Talmas civic movement, protested in Almaty January 30 against any transfer of Kazakh land to foreign investors, especially to China. Some 2,000 demonstrators gathered in the square next to the Sari-Aka theatre for the hour-long rally as police looked on.
In 2009 Kazakhstan received a US$10 billion loan from China. Shortly thereafter, the Chinese National Petroleum Company received a 50 percent stake in Mangistaumunaigas, which controls a third of Kazakhstan’s retail petroleum product market, Kommersant.ru reported.
China’s increasing presence in Kazakhstan, already a matter of public concern, gained more attention last December when Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev stated that Chinese agricultural producers might be able to lease land.
“Good neighbourly relations with China are important to us but not at the expense of our interests”, Kommersant.ru quoted opposition leader Zharmahan Tuyakbai as saying during the protest. “Already almost 40 percent of our oil belongs to them. Now there’s a creeping expansion to occupy the land. With time, this will strongly affect our independence”.
Opposition leaders at the demonstration called for changes to property laws and voiced opposition to privatisation of land. They also demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Karim Masimov’s government.
“Fifteen billion dollars of Chinese credits hangs over Kazakhstan”, proclaimed ANSDAP leader Bulat Abilov. “It’s time to put an end to the career of Masimov”.
Reader Comments
what have we come to!
A fish starts to rot from the head. Corrupt mercenaries are at the head.
I also oppose it. If they "almost" decided to sell it, they will sell it. This proves that the president and all leaders are irrelevant. Selling land makes just about as much sense as suicide. Do not wake up the BEAST while it is sleeping, a saying goes. It may end up in trouble.
It is necessary to conduct a national poll in connection with the government's anti-national policy. I am sure that many people will change their opinion as support for the president in his strange habit to pander to the demands of both big neighbors, Russia and China. The next presidential election may be held early in Kazakhstan (there have been many examples in the CIS to follow) and are likely to surprise the incumbent president of Kazakhstan.
As a patriot of my country, I am earnestly outraged by the lease of land, especially to the Chinese. Chinese will be employed to service every hectare of the land. Consequently, in five years they will outnumber the Kazakhstanis in Kazakhstan. Therefore, I support the authors of this article and wish them good results.
Is N. A. N. ignoring the issue??? After the release of Aliev's book I do not believe anyone.
Both Masimov and Nazarbayev should resign.
Both Masimov and Nazarbayev should resign.
I am not a politician but I can see with the naked eye how opposition oligarchs "are earning" "cheap credentials." Many of them worked for the government, when it gave 40 percent of oil to the Chinese. Now they are left without official posts, here's the result. There is a law banning the sale of land. Will we be clever enough to break the "cheap pride" stereotype to accept the Chinese's offer (this must be an offer from the Chinese) to send specialists to China to see how they grow soybeans, study technical specifications of cultivation and start producing soy products? Or again, officials (as well as opposition leaders) will send their children and relatives there, promote "the need" to grow soybeans, theoretically and scientifically substantiate economic benefits and take everything in their hands. While people will remain their slaves.