Month in Review: Central Asia in October 2019 October 2019 in Central Asia was remembered by the selection of Chinese face recognition systems in the capitals of three countries, meetings of regional leaders within the CIS and the Turkic Council, toughening Internet censorship and active cooperation in the military sphere. The analytical platform CABAR.asia provides a brief overview of the most significant events of the region over the past month. Follow us on Facebook KAZAKHSTAN Tokayev on “Valdai” President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, took part in the plenary session of the XVI Annual meeting of the Valdai International Discussion Club at the behest of the Russian leader Vladimir Putin. This year, a representative forum uniting authoritative politicians, famous experts and public figures from dozens of countries of the world, was devoted to a discussion of the role of the East in global geopolitics.[1] Month in Review: Central Asia in October 2019 Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took part in a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club. Photo: akorda.kz The second president of Kazakhstan, Tokayev, takes part in the forum for the first time. However, the topic of East and Asia is close and well known to the head of state and international diplomat. In his speech, he spoke about the growing role of Asia, outlined the main challenges and problems, and made specific recommendations. In addition to the heads of Russia and Kazakhstan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, King of Jordan Abdullah II and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had a speech at the plenary session.[2] In Kazakhstan, a scientist was sentenced to 10 years of prison on charges of treason A court in Almaty sentenced the Sinologist Konstantin Syroezhkin to 10 years in prison on charges of treason.[3] The 63-year-old Syroezhkin, who was identified as a citizen of Kazakhstan in a KNB report, was detained in February this year in connection with an investigation into the alleged leak of state secrets. Details of the case are not given in the committee’s one-sentence report. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), an American newspaper, wrote in their article (dated July 10) with reference to an informed source, that “Syroezhkin may have passed secret documents to China in exchange for a financial reward.” The publication notes that the Chinese authorities described the Syroezhkin case as “news concocted out of thin air.” WSJ drew attention to the fact that Syroezhkin was an adviser on China to the current president of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, back in the years when he worked as a prime minister. A native of Almaty, 63-year-old Konstantin Syroezhkin, was a graduate of the Higher School of the KGB (USSR), and was considered as one of the leading experts on China. He is the author of more than a thousand articles in Russian, English and Chinese. Since 2006, Syroezhkin worked as the chief scientific associate of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of Kazakhstan. The President of Kazakhstan did not like the new alphabet in Latin The Kazakh alphabet based on Latin graphics require improvements. This opinion was expressed on Twitter today, October 21, by the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.[4] “The historic decision on switching to Latin script was made about two years ago. However, Month in Review: Central Asia in October 2019 there are still flaws in the alphabet. Linguists need to refine the alphabet. I have given the relevant instruction to the Minister of Culture and Sports Aktoty Raimkulova. There is a lot of work ahead,” Tokayev wrote on his page. Историческое решение о переходе на латинскую графику было принято около двух лет назад. Однако в алфавите все же имеются недостатки. Языковедам необходимо усовершенствовать алфавит. Дал соответствующее поручение министру культуры и спорта А.Раимкуловой. Впереди большая работа. — Qasym-Jomart Toqayev (@TokayevKZ) October 21, 2019 On October 26, 2017, Nursultan Nazarbayev, president of Kazakhstan at that time, signed a decree on the translation of Kazakh language alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin script. The government was instructed to ensure a phased translation of the Kazakh language alphabet into the Latin alphabet until 2025. Tokayev banned the construction of the Kok-Zhailau resort Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev once again spoke about the construction of a ski resort on Kok-Zhailau, which is located near Almaty.[5] At the meeting, as part of a working visit to Almaty, the President called plans for the construction of the resort as a problem. “In order not to return to this issue every time, today I forbid to engage in this project. That is, we do not need the construction of a ski resort on Kok-Zhailau,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. “Moreover, all professional ecologists and the competent public are against it,” he added. Last spring, activists of Save the Kok-Zhailau group sent Tokayev a request to stop the construction of the ski resort and return this natural landmark to the Ile-Alatau National Park. Tokayev instructed to cancel the registration of foreign citizens in Kazakhstan In Kazakhstan, the mandatory registration of foreigners with the migration police should be abolished.[6] “If we really want to strengthen the investment and tourist attractiveness of the largest Month in Review: Central Asia in October 2019 cities and the country as a whole, we need to get rid of this anachronism as soon as possible. In addition to inconvenience for foreign guests, compulsory registration is a source of corruption. The very fact that foreign guests have passed border control is migratory registration. Why is digitalization being carried out, about which we discuss so much?” – said the President at a meeting in Almaty. He added that the government should resolve the issue before the new year. The Minister of Interior affairs, Yerlan Turgumbayev reported to the president that the agency was ready for this. Now, foreign citizens arriving to Kazakhstan (except for certain categories) are required to register in the internal affairs bodies within five days from the date of crossing the border. Tokayev expanded the powers of Nazarbayev The first president of Kazakhstan, the head of the Security Council, Nursultan Nazarbayev, received powers in the field of personnel policy, allowing him to control almost all major appointments in the republic.[7] The decree of the current president of the republic, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, dated October 9, is published in the legal information system of statutory and regulatory enactments.[8] According to the decree, the president will have power to appoint ministers, with exception of the heads of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. These appointments may occur only after agreement with the head of the Security Council. The head of the council should agree on the appointments of heads of bodies directly subordinate and accountable to the president of Kazakhstan – the administration and management of the president, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the National Security Committee, the National Bank, the Republican Guard, the foreign intelligence service, the president’s security service, the Accounts Committee for monitoring the execution of the republican budget and anti-corruption agencies. Presidential spokesman Berik Kurmangali called the decree[9] “orderly” and dictated by the provision of the law “On Security Council”, which was adopted in 2018, even before Nazarbayev resigned. Grandson of Nazarbayev convicted in London for assaulting a policeman Aisultan Nazarbayev, 30-year-old grandson of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Month in Review: Central Asia in October 2019 Nazarbayev, was sentenced to probation for assaulting a policeman in London.[10] The sentence involves a probationary period, continued treatment for drug addiction, community service and a fine. Nazarbayev was found guilty of the fact that, being under the influence of drugs, he resisted the police, hit and bit one of them. According to investigators, the policeman’s hand left a deep bite mark, and “blood flowed plentifully from the wound.” The sentence involves a trial period of one and a half years. If during this period he breaks the law, the sentence will become conditional. Tokaev instructed to establish a Chinese face recognition system in the capital President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised the method of digitizing personal data in China, saying that Kazakhstan should adopt the experience of Beijing.[11] This statement by Tokayev was made against the backdrop of increased anti-Chinese sentiment in Kazakhstan and US sanctions against Chinese companies for the production of video surveillance systems and digital technologies. The president praised Hikvision cameras, which can accurately recognize people’s faces, and instructed the government to work in this direction. Month in Review: Central Asia in October 2019 Tokayev at the office of Hikvision in Hangzhou in September 2019. Photo: akorda.kz The Hikvision company, which is included in the US sanctions list, has been supplying Kazakhstan cities with video surveillance cameras and security equipment for the last three to four years. So far, Hikvision cameras in Kazakhstan control only road safety. KYRGYZSTAN Atambayev’s advisor was sentenced to seven years in prison Ikramzhan Ilmiyanov, a former adviser to ex-president of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, was sentenced to seven years in prison, a fine of 160 thousand KGS ($ 2.3 thousand) and confiscation of property.[12] The court found Ilmiyanov guilty of receiving $ 150,000 from the Diesel complect company Month in Review: Central Asia in October 2019 for helping to end the criminal case of tax evasion. Ilmiyanov moved to the post of adviser to Atambayev from being his driver first, which caused sharp criticism from opponents of the head of state. In October 2018, Ilmiyanov was put on the wanted list; a few days later he was arrested.