2011 Mangystau riots
| Zhanaozen massacre | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | 16–17 December 2011 | ||
| Location |  Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan |
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| Goals | Repayment of wages, political reforms | ||
| Methods | Demonstrations, riots, strike actions, vandalism | ||
| Result | Reshuffling of energy sector leadership | ||
| Lead figures | |||
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The Zhanaozen massacre took place in Kazakhstan's western Mangystau Region over the weekend of 16–17 December 2011. At least 14 protestors were killed by police in the oil town of Zhanaozen as they clashed with police on the country's Independence Day, with unrest spreading to other towns in the oil-rich oblys, or region. The massacre was a stark illustration of the country's poor human rights record under President Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Zhanaozen has been described as “a one-industry town...centered on the ageing oilfield of Ozen”. In May 2011, workers from the Ozenmunaigas oil field went on strike for unpaid danger money, higher wages and better working conditions. The strike was declared illegal by local courts and the state oil company fired nearly 1000 employees. Some of the sacked workers then started a round-the-clock occupation of the town square in protest, demanding better union representation and recognition of workers' rights. The strike continued for months without official interference. According to Radio Free Europe, the protest expanded, “with demonstrators furious over what they saw as a stranglehold on collective bargaining and labor rights by the government.” In mid-December, some workers in the square began calling for the right to form independent political parties free of the government's influence.
On 16 December, there were clashes between protesters and police who were attempting to evict them from the square in preparation for an Independence Day celebration. Activists claimed security officers opened fire on unarmed demonstrators. Authorities claimed that "bandits" infiltrated the protesters and began the riots first, producing video to support their version of events. Eleven were killed, according to government officials, though opposition sources put the death toll in the dozens. General Prosecutor Askhat Daulbayev claimed that "civilians, who had gathered in the main square to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the country's independence, were attacked by a group of hooligans". The Kazakh opposition TV channel K-Plus showed the beginning of the unrest, as men purported to be oil workers ran on the stage, tipped over the speakers and pushed around civilians before police arrived. In the disturbances which followed, local government offices, a hotel and an office of the state oil company were set on fire, according to Daulbayev. Eighty-six people were injured in the clashes, according to officials. Due to a shortage of hospital beds in Zhanaozen, many were taken to be treated in Aktau, around 150 km away.
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