10 die in clashes in Kazakh oil town
Kazakhstan's Prosecutor-General Askhat Daulbayev says 10 people have died in clashes between sacked oil workers and police in the oil town of Zhanaozen in western Kazakhstan, Radio Liberty reported.
Daulbayev told a news conference on December 16 that "10 people were killed as a result of mass disorders." He denied that security forces had opened fire on protesters.
Violent clashes had broken out earlier on December 16 between police and demonstrators in Zhanaozen where workers have been protesting for higher wages.
Footage broadcast by satellite channel K+ showed men in worker's outfits charging a stage erected in the town for the 20th anniversary of independence celebrations taking place today.
Hundreds of workers at an oil facility controlled by the state owned energy company KazMunaiGas in Zhanaozen have been protesting for better salaries and working conditions for more than six months.
Almost 1,000 workers were fired in the summer for striking, but demonstrations have continued.
In a sign that Kazakhstan's authoritarian government may be attempting to contain information on developments in Zhanaozen, Internet users reported being unable to open independent news websites or Twitter.
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