Kazakhstan wipes blood off the
map By Farangis Najibullah
Mention Zhanaozen and those who are aware
of the remote Kazakh town's existence will likely
recall the bloodshed that took place there in
2011. It was an ugly scene, as anti-government
protests staged by striking oil workers turned
violent, leading to the deaths of at least 17
people.
Now, as the first anniversary of
the December 16 unrest approaches, Zhanaozen is
again making headlines and spurring heated debate.
The Council of Elders in Manghystau Oblast, where
Zhanaozen is located, has asked local authorities
to rename Zhanaozen after Beket-Ata, an
18th-century Sufi philosopher, scholar, and
regional native son.
The request was made
during a meeting with provincial Governor Baurzhan
Muhamedov during Eid al-Adha religious celebrations
on
October 27 and, if it passes the bureaucratic
hurdles, would officially remove the name
Zhanaozen from the map.
Nurbol Telegenov, the head of the
province's internal policies department, told
RFE/RL's Kazakh Service that the final decision
would be made in Astana.
Hot
topic Telegenov noted, however, that the
proposal had already become a hot topic of
discussion. "It's up to the people whether to
rename the city," Telegenov said. "After people
come to a certain decision, then the regional
governor's office will submit the request to the
central government."
Telegenov said
Zhanaozen's administration had already staged
public discussions with town residents, and a live
debate was broadcast on October 29 on the regional
state television station Kazakhstan-Aqtau.
Social media have also proved to be a
popular avenue for Kazakhs to weigh in on the
proposed name change. Some Kazakh Facebook users
support the proposal, pointing out Beket-Ata's
prominence as a Sufi religious leader and scholar.
Manghystau locals credit Beket-Ata with
building several prominent mosques in the region,
including the underground Orlandy Mosque where the
Council of Elders met with the governor last week.
"Beket-Ata was a great personality,"
writes a Facebook user registered as "Almatinetc."
"He was a great leader, scientist, and a great
thinker."
Wiping town off the
map Others sense a conspiracy, suggesting
that the proposal is aimed at removing an
embarrassing black mark from the pages of Kazakh
history. Facebook user Ergenekon writes that
"Zhanaozen has to be forgotten as soon as
possible, because if someone asks about it we can
say: 'Where is it exactly? We don't have such a
town in Kazakhstan.'"
Another Facebook
user, Qonaq, suggests that "it reminds me of a
child who gets a bad mark at school and then tries
to destroy his gradebook so he can start afresh
with a new gradebook."
Kazakh authorities
have come under international criticism for
shooting at the protesters and for the arrests of
activists and opposition leaders that followed.
Saiyn Nazarbek-uly, a member of the Manghystau
Council of Elders, dismisses criticism surrounding
the council's proposal.
"You cannot shut
everyone's mouths. Any move sparks gossip. If
somebody is against any decision they spread
gossip," Nazarbek-uly says. "With any kind of
decision, it is very hard to keep every single
person happy."
Is history so easily
rewritten? The council insists the
initiative has no connection to the upcoming
anniversary of the Zhanaozen protests. The elders
maintain they merely want to immortalize a
prominent person from the area by naming a town
after him.
With the memory of December's
bloodshed and the subsequent information blackout
still fresh in minds of Zhanaozen residents, many
are reluctant to express their opinion openly to
media. One college student, who spoke on condition
his name not be revealed, says he sees no reason
to change his hometown's name, which means "new
river."
"I am against [renaming the city].
Many other young people have the same opinion as
me," the student says. "This proposal is made by
the authorities' sycophants."
But echoing
numerous comments on social media, Zhanaozen
residents appear to believe it is only a matter of
time before officials in Astana approve the local
council's initiative. The Council of Elders is
seen by many as a rubber-stamp group that operates
in coordination with officials.
Even if
the name were changed, however, it could not
rewrite history, according to Facebook user
Takeshi.
"You can give a different name to
a city, but problems will stay the same. Now we
call them 'Zhanaozen events' and in the future
they will be called 'Beket-Ata events,'" Takeshi
wrote.
"I am afraid our Beket-Ata would be
turning in his grave now. May he rest in peace."
With additional reporting by RFE/RL
Kazakh Service correspondent Makpal
Mukankyzy
Copyright (c) 2012,
RFE/RL Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW,
Washington DC 20036.
(To view the original
article, please click here.)
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