MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th January, 2022) The events in Kazakhstan have made it clear that social networks do both good and evil, and their negative impact must be stopped, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
"Obviously, social networks, apart from the good, also do evil. The aim is to take measures to stop this evil. This story is not new, it is old. It just found its obvious relevance once again in the course of recent events in Kazakhstan," Peskov told journalists answering a question about the role of the internet in the Kazakh unrest.
Asked if the Russian government plans to introduce any social media regulations given Kazakhstan's experience, Peskov replied "there is nothing like that right now."
Mass protests in Kazakhstan began in the early days of 2022, with residents of the western cities of Zhanaozen and Aktau protesting a twofold increase in the price of liquefied gas. The protests spilled over to other cities, including the former capital and largest city of Almaty, where looting, attacks on government buildings, and armed clashes with the police broke out. In response, the Kazakh authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency until January 19 and launched an anti-terrorist operation. Almost 1,000 people were injured during the unrest, according to the United Nations.
Last Wednesday, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismissed the government and took over the Security Council, describing the situation in Kazakhstan as undermining national integrity. He officially requested the assistance of the Collective Security Treaty Organization in "overcoming the terrorist threat," which then sent collective peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan to normalize the situation. On Friday, Tokayev said that terrorists, which include foreigners, were stoking the insurgency, and vowed to eliminate those who would not lay down their arms.
