Clashes kill 10 on Kazakh independence day

Ten people were killed when sacked oil workers clashed with riot police in Kazakhstan on Friday, a rare violent protest in the tightly controlled Central Asian state that overshadowed celebrations to mark 20 years of independence. Several people were also wounded after protesters stormed a stage in the oil city of Zhanaozen and set fire to the city administration building and the headquarters of the local unit of London-listed oil firm KazMunaiGas Exploration Production.
"Ten people were killed as a result of mass disorder. There are also some wounded, including police officers," Kazakh Prosecutor-General Askhat Daulbayev told a news conference, citing preliminary data. He did not say who had been killed or how. He said a group of investigators led by the interior minister had flown to the city on the orders of President Nursultan Nazarbayev "to take all necessary measures to preclude further criminal acts, identify and punish organisers of the disorder and restore public security in the town".
Violent protests scarcely occur in Kazakhstan, Central Asia's largest economy and oil producer, where 71-year-old Nazarbayev has ruled with a firm hand for more than 20 years. He has overseen massive foreign investment, mainly in oil and gas. In a speech on Thursday, Nazarbayev stressed the need to preserve stability in the country of 16.6 million people, which has also witnessed an unprecedented spate of attacks by Islamist militants this year.
The clashes in Zhanaozen, a city of 90,000 people about 150 km (95 miles) inland from the Caspian Sea, marred celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary osf Kazakhstan's independence from the Soviet Union. A triumphal arch was unveiled in the futuristic capital Astana as part of lavish celebrations held nation-wide. But in Zhanaozen, protesters - some wearing red-and-blue overalls with a KazMunaiGas logo - stormed a stage in the central square. Video footage broadcast by privately owned television channel K+, and later on state television, showed a crowd of men breaking through barriers and toppling speakers from the stage.