Kazakhstan: Mass Arrests and Surveillance—With Some Help from China

In Kazakhstan, authorities have recaptured the power, which they almost lost, through the Russian army. Russian troops, called by President Tokayev to protect himself from his own people, opened fire on peaceful civilians. Tokayev called peaceful protesters “terrorists.” He told Kazakhs that we have been “attacked by 20,000 terrorists.” Who were these terrorists and where did they come from was not explained.

Mass arrests and torture continue in Kazakhstan, as the authorities should find their 20,000 terrorists somewhere. Even bodies were taken out of their graves to check whether there are pictures capturing the deceased as participants in the protests.

What many international observers have overlooked is that all this is supported by surveillance technology supplied by China. All street cameras in Kazakhstan were made by the Chinese company Hikvision. President Tokayev personally visited this company and met with the owners. Huawei had received the “First Prize for Highest Trust” award from the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. And all state Internet routers are also made in China by Huawei. Both of these companies are under U.S. sanctions. In November 2021, President Biden signed the Secure Equipment Act of 2021, which prohibits such companies from obtaining licenses for network equipment in the United States.

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