Kazakhstan revises its approach to provocative content posted by bloggers

Kazakhstan is taking a systematic approach to establishing new standards of public conduct and social ethics, ranging from educational initiatives in schools to strengthening liability for vandalism, the use of profanity, traffic violations and dangerous stunts on social media. This was stated by 1st Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Kazakhstan Erlan Karin, El.kz reports.

Fostering a culture of conduct and establishing new principles of public ethics are among the key prerequisites for the development and prosperity of our nation.

Only a society characterised by a high level of civic culture and firm moral principles can effectively withstand the numerous challenges of the modern world.

As Erlan Karin notes, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has a deep understanding of the importance of this issue and attaches particular importance to promoting public ethics.

Indeed, many conflicts and disputes in society today are often caused by a lack of civic culture, ostentatious behaviour and poor manners. Such situations arise from failure to observe basic standards of etiquette and from a lack of mutual respect. Therefore, fostering a new culture of public conduct is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. The only way to prevent conflicts and disputes in society is to promote a culture of conduct among every individual. This means treating one another with respect, acting honestly, complying with the law, and maintaining cleanliness and public order, Erlan Karin wrote.

At the same time, Erlan Karin noted that changing citizens’ behaviour and establishing new habits cannot be achieved quickly or solely through ideological methods.

“Clearly, improving the quality of the nation, changing citizens’ behaviour and establishing new habits is not something that can be achieved overnight. Nor can such changes be brought about through superficial ideological campaigns. Therefore, it is far more effective today to take concrete measures rather than engage in empty propaganda,” Erlan Karin said.

For this reason, according to the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration, the state is consistently taking concrete measures aimed at establishing new standards of public conduct and social ethics.

“To achieve this objective, the necessary measures are being implemented consistently and systematically across the country pursuant to the direct instructions of the President. For example, a unified character-building programme, ‘Adal Azamat’, has been introduced into the secondary education system. A dedicated law on combating vandalism has been adopted. Requirements for the protection of natural sites have been strengthened. Legislation has been amended to regulate appearing in public places with one’s face concealed. The use of profanity in public places has been prohibited. Particular attention is being paid to cleanliness and public order. Requirements concerning compliance with traffic rules have been strengthened. Liability has been established for insulting or degrading the honour and dignity of citizens on social media,” Karin emphasized.

Erlan Karin separately addressed the legal mechanisms and liability applicable to conduct on social media. According to him, the state has already moved from identifying the problem to taking practical enforcement measures against violators.

“Legal mechanisms also play an important role in establishing new standards of public conduct. Therefore, in recent days, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has begun holding social media users accountable for engaging in shocking acts for the sake of generating hype, as well as authors of dangerous pranks. At the same time, the Ministry openly identifies violators and displays their faces. Clearly, such measures against offenders will serve as a lesson to others,” Erlan Karin concluded.