Social network users condemn decision to send Armenian troops to Kazakhstan

Armenia should not send its military personnel as part of the peacemaking contingent of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), given the geopolitical situation, as well as the fact that Premier Pashinyan himself came to power through street protests, users of the Armenian Facebook segment have stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that mass protest actions are underway in Kazakhstan, accompanied by protesters' clashes with law enforcers and military servicemen. The protests began back on January 2, after the price of liquefied gas, which is massively used by motorists, was doubled.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the chair of the Collective Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has granted the request of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, to bring the CSTO’s peacekeeping forces into the country. The contingent included units of the armed forces of Armenia, as well as Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

Russia could quite well cope with sending its troops to Kazakhstan independently, Ara Papyan, a political scientist, has stated. "It's not a problem for Russia to send 70 more of its military personnel to Kazakhstan, not involving Armenia (...) Russia solves a different problem - it finally places Armenia into the 'dictators' club'," Mr Papyan wrote on the Facebook.

Oleg Dulgaryan, an eco-activist, has agreed with him. Armenia is sending troops into Kazakhstan in defence of dictatorship there, he wrote in his Facebook page. "By sending troops, Armenia will finally cease to be seen as a country striving for democratic values," he has concluded.

Nina Karapetyants, a human rights defender, believes it immoral when politicians, who came to power through street protests, are sending a military contingent to suppress the protest movement that rebelled against the dictatorial regime.

In his turn, Arthur Sakunts, another rights defender, has treated the use of troops against the people, who have rebelled against dictatorship, as a crime against humanity. "Participation in this crime equates Armenia to countries with dictatorial systems," he wrote on the Facebook.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on January 6, 2022 at 09:33 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.