Zhanaozen

Reasons not to celebrate in Kazakhstan

The violence that took the lives of at least 14 people in Kazakhstan these past few days is nothing short of disastrous - for the families of the victims and for those who run this country.

The rioting may not have been entirely predictable or preventable. But it was surely possible to have avoided so many deaths.

Friday's rioting in the isolated western oil town of Zhanaozen was an explosion after months and months of peaceful protest by men and women on the main square that had gotten them nowhere. 

They had lost their jobs with state oil company KazMunaiGas for a strike action found illegal by the courts, but they wanted to keep their dignity. Protest, as far as they were concerned, was the only means possible.

It seems neither the workers nor KazMunaiGas was able to hold meaningful talks. NGOs like Human Rights Watch expressed concern that there was no fair legal mechanism to resolve the dispute.