Astana Responds Quickly and Forcefully to Manifestations of Separatism but Must Do More to Prevent Their Emergence, Chebotaryov Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Oct. 19 – Kazakhstan faces a variety of potential separatist threats (jamestown.org/program/kazakhstan-faces-variety-of-separatist-threats-any-of-which-russia-could-use/), but Astana has shown that it is ready, willing and able to act forcefully against them when they emerge, Andrey Chebotaryov says.

            But the director of the Alternative Center for Real Investigations says that there are risks that “mental” separatism in which people see themselves at odds with the central government may grow into “political” separatism which will challenge the regime and consequently, Astana must act prophylactically to prevent that (qmonitor.kz/politics/6478).

            At present, Chebotaryov suggests, the central government is not doing as much as it could in that regard; and consequently, there is a danger that one or another of the breeding grounds of separatist thinking could lead to the growth of poisonous weeds. He calls for more surveys of popular attitudes and more educational programs to counter that danger.