The new year began in Kazakhstan with the government lifting its price cap on fuel, virtually doubling the cost for people to fill up their cars. Protests spread across the nation of 19 million inhabitants and soon transformed into violent unrest and a bloody crackdown. Over 100 people were killed and thousands were arrested. At the request of Kazakhstan’s president, Russia sent paratroopers to help “stabilise” the country. We take a closer look at the former Soviet republic.

This post was originally published on Access Asia.