Some Victims Are More Equal Than Others

Once again, Kazakhstan has been shocked by an airplane crash. 5 crew members and 16 passengers died, when a Chаllenger-200 of SCAT airlines, making a Kokshetau-Almaty City flight, crashed near Almaty City on January 29, 2013. The country’s officials have offered usual condolences to relatives of the victims, but no national mourning was declared. It seems that Kazakh authorities declare the nationwide mourning, only if big bosses and/or soldiers die tragically. Even business people, who apparently constitute the majority among the victims of the airplane’s crash, are not worthy enough to be mourned nationally.

When on January 11, 2008 at least 30 miners were killed by an accident in the Abai Mine of Karagandy Region, no national mourning was declared. When on March 11 , 2010 at least 37 peasants died due to a dam failure in Kyzylagash settlement of Almaty Region, no national mourning was declared. By the way, its unofficial death toll rises up to 150 people. But, when at least 14 soldiers and one huntsman were slaughtered at the Arkankergen border post on May 28, 2012 by their comrade Vladislav Chelakh, Kazakh authorities declared the nationwide mourning after a little hesitation. Again, when on December 25, 2012 a military Ukrainian-made An-72 airplane crashed near Shymkent, South Kazakhstan, killing 27 people onboard, mainly Kazakh border service high-ranking officers, December 27 was readily declared as the mourning day.

So, the aforementioned cases reflect a grave reality that human lives in Kazakhstan officially have different price tags.

Update

On January 30, 2013, Kazakh government reluctantly declared January 31, 2013 as the day of national mourning.

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