Tokayev addressed the nation and called what is happening now in the country an anti-terrorist operation.

Kazakhstan is undergoing an anti-terrorist operation

An anti-terrorist operation is underway in our country. The police, National Guard and army are all carrying out an extensive and coordinated work to establish law and order in accordance with the Constitution.

Yesterday, the situation in the cities of Almaty, Aktobe and the Almaty region stabilized. The introduction of the state of emergency regime is yielding results. Constitutional legality is being restored throughout the country.

But terrorists still damage state and private property and use weapons against citizens.

I have given orders to law enforcement agencies and the army to shoot to kill without warning.

There have been calls from abroad for the sides to negotiate for peaceful solutions. What nonsense! How can you negotiate with criminals and murderers?

We had to deal with armed and trained bandits, both local and foreign. It is with bandits and terrorists. So they have to be eliminated. And this will be done in the near future.

The forces of law and order are morally and technically prepared to carry out this task.

As you know, based on the main provisions of the CSTO charter documents, Kazakhstan has asked the heads of participating states to introduce a joint peacekeeping contingent to assist in the establishment of constitutional order.

This contingent arrived in our country for a short period of time to provide cover and support functions.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Prime Minister of Armenia, which chairs the CSTO, and to the Presidents of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

A special word of thanks to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He responded very quickly and, most importantly, in a comradely and warm manner to my appeal.

I also thank the President of the People’s Republic of China, the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Turkey, and the leaders of the United Nations and other international organizations for their words of support.

The tragic events in our country shine a new light on democracy and human rights.

Democracy is not permissiveness and, moreover, not incitement, including in the blogosphere, to unlawful actions.

In my speech on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Independence, I said that the law and order are the main guarantee of the well-being of our country.

And not only in Kazakhstan, but in all civilized countries.

This does not mean an attack on civil liberties and human rights. On the contrary, as shown by the tragedy of Almaty and other cities in Kazakhstan, it is the lack of respect for the law, permissiveness, and anarchy that lead to violations of human rights.

In Almaty, not only administrative buildings, but also the personal property of civilians suffered at the hands of terrorist bandits. Not to mention the health and lives of hundreds of civilians and military personnel.

I express my sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.

Let me remind you that at my suggestion, the Law on Peaceful Assemblies of Citizens was passed in May 2020.

This law is, in fact, a major step forward in the promotion of democracy in our country, because it provides for the not permissive, but notificatory nature of rallies and assemblies. Moreover, in central districts of all cities of the country.

But some so-called “human rights activists” and “activists” put themselves above the law and think that they have the right to gather wherever they want and say whatever they want.

Because of the irresponsible actions of these do-gooder activists, police officers are distracted from their basic law enforcement activities. They are often subjected to violence and abuse.

Because of these “activists,” the Internet is “bogged down,” with the result that the interests of millions of citizens and domestic businesses suffer. In other words, enormous damage is done to domestic economic, social, and political stability.

The so-called “free” mass media and “overseas” figures, who are far from the indigenous interests of our multinational people, play an abetting and, in fact, inciting role in the violations of law and order.

It would be no exaggeration to say that all these irresponsible demagogues have become accomplices in unleashing the tragedy in Kazakhstan. And we will respond strictly to all acts of legal vandalism.

There is no doubt that we will overcome this black hole in our history quickly enough. The main thing is to prevent such events from recurring in the future.

I have set up a special inter-agency group to search for and apprehend bandits and terrorists.

I promise our citizens that all of these individuals will be held criminally accountable to the highest standards.

I ask all the people of Kazakhstan to be careful and vigilant. Report any suspicious activities of suspicious persons to law enforcement agencies and hotlines.

There will be a “debriefing” in connection with the actions of law enforcement agencies and the army and their inter-agency coordination.

It also turned out that there is a shortage of special forces, special means and equipment. We will address these issues as a matter of urgency.

It is critical to understand why the state “slept through” the clandestine preparation of terrorist attacks by sleeper cells of militants. Twenty thousand bandits attacked Almaty alone.

Their actions showed the presence of a clear plan of attack on military, administrative and social objects practically in all oblasts, coordinated actions, high combat readiness and brutal cruelty.

In addition to the militants, there were specialists trained in ideological sabotage, adept at using disinformation or “fakes” and capable of manipulating people’s attitudes.

It seems that a single command center was in charge of their training and guidance. The KNB and the Prosecutor General’s Office have begun to deal with this.

Now for the good.

As the situation has stabilized, I have decided to switch on Internet communications in some regions of the country for certain time intervals. This decision, I am sure, will have a positive impact on the livelihood of our citizens.

But I warn you that free access to the Internet does not mean free publication of fabrications, slander, insults and inflammatory appeals.

If such materials appear, we will take measures to detect and punish their authors.

The counter-terrorist operation continues. The fighters have not laid down their arms, they continue to commit crimes or prepare for them. The fight against them must be seen through to the end. Whoever does not surrender will be eliminated.

There is a lot of work ahead to learn the lessons of the tragedy we have lived through. Including from the socio-economic point of view.

The Government will have to take specific decisions, about which I will speak at the Majilis on 11 January.

Right now I would like to tell you, my compatriots, that I am proud of you.

I would like to thank those citizens of Kazakhstan who have remained calm these days and worked to ensure stability and public order.

Despite provocations and destructive calls, you have remained faithful to the law and to your country.

I thank the students of large cities, members of labor collectives, industrial and agricultural workers for their civic consciousness.

I thank the residents of the regions who ensured a peaceful protest.

All demands, expressed in a peaceful form, were heard. As a result of the dialogue, a compromise was reached and solutions to acute socio-economic problems were developed.

Therefore, in regions where the situation remains stable, we will gradually lift the state of emergency.

I am absolutely certain that our sacred motherland, Kazakhstan, will be a strong state on the world map, our economy will develop dynamically, and the social status of our citizens will improve. To achieve these goals, I will propose a plan for reforms and concrete measures to implement them.

I wish strong health and well-being to all!

Source: Telegram ColonelCassad Channel (Boris Rozhin)