ANALYSIS OF INTER-ETHNIC CONFLICTS AND APPLICATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY THEORIES IN KAZAKHSTANI CONTEXT

Abstract

Two large conflicts arose between representatives of Uighurs and Kazakhs in 2006 and between Kurds and Kazakhs in 2007 within the Republic of Kazakhstan. Official authorities did not want to consider these conflicts as inter-ethnic conflicts in order not to propagate further ethnic escalations and clashes. One of the few reasons were due to the fact that the state did not want to worsen its international image as a peaceful and multi-national state as it has proclaimed to be so, where representatives of around 130 nationalities live in peace and harmony together. In this paper we are going to compare the aforementioned conflicts with the conflict of Korday that happened on February 2020 between Dungans and Kazakhs. Then we are going to offer short-term and long-term solutions for handling the same kinds of conflicts in the future. Finally, we will offer several options to form a Kazakhstani identity based on existing theories of national identity.