Sting has pulled out of his show in Kazakhstan as a protest against the government.
The show on Monday night was blown out after Sting was alerted by Amnesty International to the fact that the government has been repressing strikers.
According to Reuters, employees of UzenMunaiGas went on strike in May, alleging that their wages had been unfairly cut. To date, 250 strikers have been fired and the lawyer for the group has been jailed.
Sting was to perform his Symphonicity show in Astana in celebration of the 13th anniversary of the country's capital. Amnesty International felt that his performance would be a interpreted as an endorsement of the government's policies towards the workers, something that they felt would be against the singer's normal stance on human rights.
Sting released the following statement:
Hunger strikes, imprisoned workers and tens of thousands on strike represents a virtual picket line which I have no intention of crossing. The Kazakh gas and oil workers and their families need our support and the spotlight of the international media on their situation in the hope of bringing about positive change.
