URGENT APPEAL
Moscow, December 16, 2010, 08.30 GMT
We have just had information that the whole city of Zhanaozen is in chaos.
The oil workers and their supporters had today planned a peaceful demonstration. The authorities, however, afraid that a powerful show of support for the strikers on the day of the 20th Anniversary and in the lead up to the Parliamentary election in January have decided to use internal troops against the protests. We have just been informed that the City Akimat (Mayor's Office) has been taken over by protesters. But the situation is very dangerous as the authorities are clearly intent on using violence.
Please send immediate protests to the Embassies in your own country and to the Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry email: mid@mid.kz
and message of support to:
For those who are today already organizing protests outside Embassies, please make sure that the case is put very forcibly to demand an end to violent repression and for the start of immediate and meaningful negotiations.
09.30 GMT UPDATE: initial reports are that up to 50 have been killed, hundreds wounded - more details later
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