Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has called for ‘calm heads’ to prevail as dozens die during a government crackdown on protests in Kazakhstan.

The MP wrote via Twitter today: “Following news from Kazakhstan closely – hoping calm heads prevail, human rights and democratic voices are respected, and violence does not worsen.

“The people of Kazakhstan deserve an accountable government they choose themselves,” he went on.

Security forces in the central Asian national said yesterday that they have killed dozens of protestors in an attempt to restore order in its largest city Almaty.

The unrest, in which Kazakh authorities say protestors have attempted to take over police stations, has left 12 security force members dead and 353 injured.

Social media videos show protesters storming the office of the Almaty mayor as gunfire can be heard in the background.

Overall around 1,000 people are reportedly injured due to the unrest.

The backlash ensued after the cost of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) doubled following the government’s decision to lift price caps.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has declared a nationwide state of emergency that madates a curfew and bans on mass gatherings, and has accused foreign-trained “terrorist gangs” of causing the trouble.

Internet blackouts are also being implemented by the government.

Russian troops are being deployed to “stabilise” the country at its President’s request.

Kazakhstan is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) along with fellow post-Soviet states Russia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

Many of the protesters grievances appear to have been aimed at President Tokayev’s predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev who served as premier from 1991 to 2019, during which he cultivated a significant cult of personality and silenced opposition voices.

On Wednesday Tokayev said he would replace Nazarbayev in his powerful role as chair of the security council and the entire government resigned.