| MONGOLIA Mongolia Mongol Uls Joined United Nations: 27 October 1961 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 05/19/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Ulaanbaatar
3,041,142 (July 2009 est.)
Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj
President since 18 June 2009
President since 18 June 2009
Presidential candidates nominated by political parties
represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote
for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last
held 24 May 2009
Next scheduled election: May 2013
represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular vote
for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last
held 24 May 2009
Next scheduled election: May 2013
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Miegombyn Enkhbold
Deputy Prime Minister since 6 December 2007
Deputy Prime Minister since 6 December 2007
Leader of majority party or majority coalition is usually elected
prime minister by State Great Hural; elections: last held 29 June
2008
Next scheduled election: June 2012
prime minister by State Great Hural; elections: last held 29 June
2008
Next scheduled election: June 2012
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Mongol (mostly Khalkha) 94.9%, Turkic (mostly Kazakh) 5%, other (including Chinese and Russian) 0.1% (2000)
| RELIGIONS |
Buddhist Lamaist 50%, none 40%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4% (2004)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Mixed parliamentary/presidential democracy comprised of 21 provinces (aymguud, singular - aymag) and 1
municipality (singular - hot); Legal system is a blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine "continental"
or "civil" code and case-precedent; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: Presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular
vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2013);
following legislative elections, leader of majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by State Great
Hural
Legislative: Unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms
elections: last held 29 June 2008 (next to be held in June 2012)
Judicial: Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts but rarely overturns verdicts of
lower courts; judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts and approved by the president)
municipality (singular - hot); Legal system is a blend of Soviet, German, and US systems that combine "continental"
or "civil" code and case-precedent; constitution ambiguous on judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Executive: Presidential candidates nominated by political parties represented in State Great Hural and elected by popular
vote for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 24 May 2009 (next to be held in May 2013);
following legislative elections, leader of majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by State Great
Hural
Legislative: Unicameral State Great Hural 76 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms
elections: last held 29 June 2008 (next to be held in June 2012)
Judicial: Supreme Court (serves as appeals court for people's and provincial courts but rarely overturns verdicts of
lower courts; judges are nominated by the General Council of Courts and approved by the president)
| LANGUAGES |
Khalkha Mongol 90%, Turkic, Russian (1999)
| BRIEF HISTORY |
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Economic activity in Mongolia has traditionally been based on herding and agriculture - Mongolia's extensive mineral
deposits, however, have attracted foreign investors. The country holds copper, gold, coal, molybdenum, fluorspar,
uranium, tin, and tungsten deposits, which account for a large part of foreign direct investment and government
revenues. Soviet assistance, at its height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and 1991 at the
time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw Mongolia endure both deep recession, because
of political inaction and natural disasters, as well as economic growth, because of reform-embracing, free-market
economics and extensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer droughts in
2000-02 resulted in massive livestock die-off and zero or negative GDP growth. This was compounded by falling
prices for Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread opposition to privatization. Growth averaged nearly
9% per year in 2004-08 largely because of high copper prices and new gold production. In 2008 Mongolia
experienced a soaring inflation rate with year-to-year inflation reaching nearly 30% - the highest inflation rate in over
a decade. By late 2008, as the country began to feel the effects of the global financial crisis, falling commodity prices
helped lower inflation, but also reduced government revenues and forced cuts in spending. In early 2009, the
International Monetary Fund reached a $236 million Stand-by Arrangement with Mongolia, and the country has
started to move out of the crisis, although the banking sector remains unstable. In October 2009, the government
passed long-awaited legislation on an investment agreement to develop Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi mine, considered to
be one of the world's largest untapped copper deposits. Mongolia's economy continues to be heavily influenced by
its neighbors. Mongolia purchases 95% of its petroleum products and a substantial amount of electric power from
Russia, leaving it vulnerable to price increases. Trade with China represents more than half of Mongolia's total
external trade - China receives about three-fourths of Mongolia's exports. Remittances from Mongolians working
abroad are sizable, but have fallen due to the economic crisis; money laundering is a growing concern. Mongolia
joined the World Trade Organization in 1997 and seeks to expand its participation in regional economic and trade
regimes.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Mongolia)
deposits, however, have attracted foreign investors. The country holds copper, gold, coal, molybdenum, fluorspar,
uranium, tin, and tungsten deposits, which account for a large part of foreign direct investment and government
revenues. Soviet assistance, at its height one-third of GDP, disappeared almost overnight in 1990 and 1991 at the
time of the dismantlement of the USSR. The following decade saw Mongolia endure both deep recession, because
of political inaction and natural disasters, as well as economic growth, because of reform-embracing, free-market
economics and extensive privatization of the formerly state-run economy. Severe winters and summer droughts in
2000-02 resulted in massive livestock die-off and zero or negative GDP growth. This was compounded by falling
prices for Mongolia's primary sector exports and widespread opposition to privatization. Growth averaged nearly
9% per year in 2004-08 largely because of high copper prices and new gold production. In 2008 Mongolia
experienced a soaring inflation rate with year-to-year inflation reaching nearly 30% - the highest inflation rate in over
a decade. By late 2008, as the country began to feel the effects of the global financial crisis, falling commodity prices
helped lower inflation, but also reduced government revenues and forced cuts in spending. In early 2009, the
International Monetary Fund reached a $236 million Stand-by Arrangement with Mongolia, and the country has
started to move out of the crisis, although the banking sector remains unstable. In October 2009, the government
passed long-awaited legislation on an investment agreement to develop Mongolia's Oyu Tolgoi mine, considered to
be one of the world's largest untapped copper deposits. Mongolia's economy continues to be heavily influenced by
its neighbors. Mongolia purchases 95% of its petroleum products and a substantial amount of electric power from
Russia, leaving it vulnerable to price increases. Trade with China represents more than half of Mongolia's total
external trade - China receives about three-fourths of Mongolia's exports. Remittances from Mongolians working
abroad are sizable, but have fallen due to the economic crisis; money laundering is a growing concern. Mongolia
joined the World Trade Organization in 1997 and seeks to expand its participation in regional economic and trade
regimes.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Mongolia)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
In April 2006, Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj was elected as a Democratic Party chairman by the two step elections of the
party. Violent Protests that followed the June 2008 election resulted in damage to MPRP Headquarters In October
2007, Enkhbold lost his position as MPRP chairman to Sanjaagiin Bayar. The MPRP delegates also voted for
having Bayar create a new government. Enkhbold remained in office until Bayar was elected on 22 November 2007.
In Bayar's government, Enkhbold was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister on December 5, 2007. The MPRP won
a clear majority (46 of 76 seats) in legislative elections on June 29, 2008. The Democrats (DP)won 27 seats with the
three remaining seats going to minor parties and an independent. After intermediate results were published on July
30th, DP chairman Elbegdorj declared that the elections were rigged and that his party would not accept the results.
Protests against the election results turned violent on the evening of July 1st, and protesters sacked the MPRP
headquarters in downtown Ulaanbaatar. Five protesters were killed, and around midnight a four-day state of
emergency was declared. On 5 June 2009, the parliament decided to swear Elbegdorj in on 18 June 2009. On 30
October 2009 Mongolia's parliament elected foreign minister Sukhbaatar Batbold as the resource-rich country's new
prime minister, following the resignation of Sanjaa Bayar due to poor health.
Click here to read more »
party. Violent Protests that followed the June 2008 election resulted in damage to MPRP Headquarters In October
2007, Enkhbold lost his position as MPRP chairman to Sanjaagiin Bayar. The MPRP delegates also voted for
having Bayar create a new government. Enkhbold remained in office until Bayar was elected on 22 November 2007.
In Bayar's government, Enkhbold was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister on December 5, 2007. The MPRP won
a clear majority (46 of 76 seats) in legislative elections on June 29, 2008. The Democrats (DP)won 27 seats with the
three remaining seats going to minor parties and an independent. After intermediate results were published on July
30th, DP chairman Elbegdorj declared that the elections were rigged and that his party would not accept the results.
Protests against the election results turned violent on the evening of July 1st, and protesters sacked the MPRP
headquarters in downtown Ulaanbaatar. Five protesters were killed, and around midnight a four-day state of
emergency was declared. On 5 June 2009, the parliament decided to swear Elbegdorj in on 18 June 2009. On 30
October 2009 Mongolia's parliament elected foreign minister Sukhbaatar Batbold as the resource-rich country's new
prime minister, following the resignation of Sanjaa Bayar due to poor health.
Click here to read more »
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
None reported.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
None reported.
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
None reported.
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Mongolia
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Mongolia, with a population of approximately three million, is a multiparty, parliamentary democracy. The most recent presidential
election, held on May 24, was considered largely free and fair. Former prime minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of the opposition
Democratic Party won the election, defeating incumbent Nambaryn Enkhbayar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
(MPRP). The goverment, led by Prime Minister Sukhbaatariin Batbold, continued to be dominated by an MPRP majority but
managed under a unity government with the Democratic Party. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the
security forces.
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, the following human rights problems were noted:
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Mongolia, with a population of approximately three million, is a multiparty, parliamentary democracy. The most recent presidential
election, held on May 24, was considered largely free and fair. Former prime minister Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj of the opposition
Democratic Party won the election, defeating incumbent Nambaryn Enkhbayar of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
(MPRP). The goverment, led by Prime Minister Sukhbaatariin Batbold, continued to be dominated by an MPRP majority but
managed under a unity government with the Democratic Party. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the
security forces.
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, the following human rights problems were noted:
- police abuse of prisoners and detainees;
- impunity;
- poor conditions in detention centers;
- arbitrary arrest, lengthy detention, and corruption within the judicial system;
- continued refusal by some provincial governments to register Christian churches;
- secrecy laws and a lack of transparency in government affairs;
- domestic violence against women;
- trafficking in persons.
29 January 2010
Committee on the Rights of the Child
Fifty-third session
11-29 January 2010
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 44 of the Convention
Concluding observations: Mongolia
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the third and fourth combined periodic report and of the written replies to its list of
issues (CRC/C/MNG/3-4 and CRC/C/MNG/Q/3-4/Add.1) and appreciates the constructive dialogue held with the high-level
delegation of the State party which allowed for a better understanding of the situation of children in the State party.
3. The Committee reminds the State party that these concluding observations should be read in conjunction with the Concluding
observations on the State party’s initial reports under the two Optional Protocols to the Convention (CRC/C/OPSC/MNG/CO/1) and
(CRC/C/OPAC/MNG/CO/1) adopted on 29th January 2010.
B. Follow-up measures undertaken and progress achieved by the State party
4. The Committee welcomes the adoption of many legislative and other measures taken with a view to implementing the
Convention, including the enactment of:
(a) Law on Prevention from Iodine Deficiency by Salt Iodization (2003);
(b) Law on Prevention of HIV/AIDS (2004);
(c) Law on Breast Milk Substitutes (2005);
(d) Law for Citizens with Disabilities (2005);
C. Main areas of concern and recommendations
1. General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44, para. 6 of the Convention)
Committee’s previous recommendations
7. The Committee notes with appreciation that several concerns and recommendations made upon the consideration of the State
party’s second periodic report (CRC/C/65/Add.32, 2005) have been addressed. However, it regrets that others have been
insufficiently or only partly addressed.
8. The Committee urges the State party to take all necessary measures to address those recommendations from previous
concluding observations that have been partially or not at all implemented and to provide adequate follow-up to the
recommendations contained in the present concluding observations, notably those related to: legislation; data collection; non-
discrimination; corporal punishment; adoption; abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and violence; standard of living; and the situation of
street children.
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Committee on the Rights of the Child
Fifty-third session
11-29 January 2010
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 44 of the Convention
Concluding observations: Mongolia
A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the third and fourth combined periodic report and of the written replies to its list of
issues (CRC/C/MNG/3-4 and CRC/C/MNG/Q/3-4/Add.1) and appreciates the constructive dialogue held with the high-level
delegation of the State party which allowed for a better understanding of the situation of children in the State party.
3. The Committee reminds the State party that these concluding observations should be read in conjunction with the Concluding
observations on the State party’s initial reports under the two Optional Protocols to the Convention (CRC/C/OPSC/MNG/CO/1) and
(CRC/C/OPAC/MNG/CO/1) adopted on 29th January 2010.
B. Follow-up measures undertaken and progress achieved by the State party
4. The Committee welcomes the adoption of many legislative and other measures taken with a view to implementing the
Convention, including the enactment of:
(a) Law on Prevention from Iodine Deficiency by Salt Iodization (2003);
(b) Law on Prevention of HIV/AIDS (2004);
(c) Law on Breast Milk Substitutes (2005);
(d) Law for Citizens with Disabilities (2005);
C. Main areas of concern and recommendations
1. General measures of implementation (arts. 4, 42 and 44, para. 6 of the Convention)
Committee’s previous recommendations
7. The Committee notes with appreciation that several concerns and recommendations made upon the consideration of the State
party’s second periodic report (CRC/C/65/Add.32, 2005) have been addressed. However, it regrets that others have been
insufficiently or only partly addressed.
8. The Committee urges the State party to take all necessary measures to address those recommendations from previous
concluding observations that have been partially or not at all implemented and to provide adequate follow-up to the
recommendations contained in the present concluding observations, notably those related to: legislation; data collection; non-
discrimination; corporal punishment; adoption; abuse, neglect, maltreatment, and violence; standard of living; and the situation of
street children.
Click here to read more »
FREEDOM IN THE WORLD REPORT 2009
Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 2
Status: Free
Overview
Following initial results that showed victory for the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) in the June 2008
parliamentary elections, several large political demonstrations took place in the capital Ulaanbaatar by those challenging the results.
The looting of the MPRPs headquarters and the deaths of several people during the unrest led the government to declare a four-day
state of emergency, during which the government arrested and detained hundreds of people and severely curtailed press freedom.
Prime Minister Enkhbold resigned on November 8, 2007 following an October 26 vote by the MPRP to remove him as its
chairman. Opponents blamed Enkhbold for excessive political favoritism and corruption. On November 22, parliament chose Sanjaa
Bayar as the next prime minister who pledged to eradicate corruption.
Mongolia held parliamentary elections on June 29, 2008. Initial results declared victory for the MPRP, which captured 44 of the 76
seats; the DP won 26 seats. The DP and it supporters, as well as other smaller parties, challenged the results. After heavy television
coverage, small-scale political protests escalated into large demonstrations in the capital Ulaanbaatar. The protests led to the looting
of the MPRP headquarters, which was later set on fire; nearby buildings suffered similar destruction. Five people died in the unrest
and scores of people were severely injured, including police officers; over 700 people were arrested. The government declared a
four day State of Emergency on July 2. On July 14, the General Election Committee announced that the MPRP had won 39 seats
and the DP 25 seats; it recommended a recount in some contested constituencies. The final tally in August resulted in MPRP
winning 46 seats and DP 27 seats. Next parliamentary election is set for 2012.
Mongolia’s economy has been growing due to its extensive mineral deposits and a rapidly expanding tourism industry.
Nevertheless, the country continues to struggle with high unemployment and rampant poverty stemming in part from ineffective
market reforms in the 1990s. In October 2007, President Enkhbayar visited U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington and
signed a Millennium Challenge Compact that committed $285 million in aid; the bulk of the aid ($188.3 million) is for rail projects.
According to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Mongolia scored well above the median (median is 50 percent) in the
three categories used to determine country eligibility for MCC assistance: ruling justly, investing in people, and economic freedom.
Real GDP growth estimate for 2008 was 8.9 percent, and inflation reached 28 percent.
Mongolia is an electoral democracy. The most recent parliamentary elections in 2008 were generally considered free and fair by
international election observers, although election rules are not firmly established. While the 1992 constitution created a hybrid
presidential-parliamentary system, parliamentary balloting has been conducted under different electoral arrangements, varying
between multimember and single-member districts. There is concern that these frequent changes make it difficult to stabilize the
expectations of political elites or enhance popular confidence in democratic government. The prime minister, who holds most
executive powers, is nominated by the party or coalition with the most seats in the 76-member parliament (the State Great Hural)
and approved by the parliament with the agreement of the president. There is no requirement that the prime minister be an elected
member of parliament. The president can veto legislation, subject to a two-thirds parliamentary override. Both the president and the
parliament are directly elected for four-year terms. The MPRP continues to be the most powerful party, but a number of smaller
opposition groups, including the DP, are competitive.
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Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 2
Status: Free
Overview
Following initial results that showed victory for the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) in the June 2008
parliamentary elections, several large political demonstrations took place in the capital Ulaanbaatar by those challenging the results.
The looting of the MPRPs headquarters and the deaths of several people during the unrest led the government to declare a four-day
state of emergency, during which the government arrested and detained hundreds of people and severely curtailed press freedom.
Prime Minister Enkhbold resigned on November 8, 2007 following an October 26 vote by the MPRP to remove him as its
chairman. Opponents blamed Enkhbold for excessive political favoritism and corruption. On November 22, parliament chose Sanjaa
Bayar as the next prime minister who pledged to eradicate corruption.
Mongolia held parliamentary elections on June 29, 2008. Initial results declared victory for the MPRP, which captured 44 of the 76
seats; the DP won 26 seats. The DP and it supporters, as well as other smaller parties, challenged the results. After heavy television
coverage, small-scale political protests escalated into large demonstrations in the capital Ulaanbaatar. The protests led to the looting
of the MPRP headquarters, which was later set on fire; nearby buildings suffered similar destruction. Five people died in the unrest
and scores of people were severely injured, including police officers; over 700 people were arrested. The government declared a
four day State of Emergency on July 2. On July 14, the General Election Committee announced that the MPRP had won 39 seats
and the DP 25 seats; it recommended a recount in some contested constituencies. The final tally in August resulted in MPRP
winning 46 seats and DP 27 seats. Next parliamentary election is set for 2012.
Mongolia’s economy has been growing due to its extensive mineral deposits and a rapidly expanding tourism industry.
Nevertheless, the country continues to struggle with high unemployment and rampant poverty stemming in part from ineffective
market reforms in the 1990s. In October 2007, President Enkhbayar visited U.S. President George W. Bush in Washington and
signed a Millennium Challenge Compact that committed $285 million in aid; the bulk of the aid ($188.3 million) is for rail projects.
According to the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Mongolia scored well above the median (median is 50 percent) in the
three categories used to determine country eligibility for MCC assistance: ruling justly, investing in people, and economic freedom.
Real GDP growth estimate for 2008 was 8.9 percent, and inflation reached 28 percent.
Mongolia is an electoral democracy. The most recent parliamentary elections in 2008 were generally considered free and fair by
international election observers, although election rules are not firmly established. While the 1992 constitution created a hybrid
presidential-parliamentary system, parliamentary balloting has been conducted under different electoral arrangements, varying
between multimember and single-member districts. There is concern that these frequent changes make it difficult to stabilize the
expectations of political elites or enhance popular confidence in democratic government. The prime minister, who holds most
executive powers, is nominated by the party or coalition with the most seats in the 76-member parliament (the State Great Hural)
and approved by the parliament with the agreement of the president. There is no requirement that the prime minister be an elected
member of parliament. The president can veto legislation, subject to a two-thirds parliamentary override. Both the president and the
parliament are directly elected for four-year terms. The MPRP continues to be the most powerful party, but a number of smaller
opposition groups, including the DP, are competitive.
Click here to read more »
MONGOLIA SUBMISSION TO THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
FOR THE PRE-SESSIONAL MEETING OF THE COUNTRY REPORT TASK FORCE, JULY 2010
30 April 2010
INTRODUCTION
Amnesty International is submitting this briefing to the Human Rights Committee (the Committee) ahead of its examination of
Mongolia’s fifth periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant). In
particular, this briefing points to the failure of Mongolia to respect and protect human rights under Articles 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 17
and 26 of the Covenant.
This briefing covers on-going human rights concerns in Mongolia as well as human rights violations which occurred in the context
of the 1 July 2008 riot in which at least five people died.1 The riot erupted as thousands of people gathered in Sukhbaatar Square,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to protest allegations of widespread fraud in parliamentary elections held on 29 June. Police arrested over
700 people on the night of 1 and 2 July and over 100 people were arrested in the weeks following for suspected offences
committed during the riot.
UNNECESSARY AND EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE AND KILLINGS BY POLICE OFFICERS DURING THE STATE OF
EMERGENCY IN JULY 2008 (ARTICLES 4, 6 AND 7)
A State of Emergency was declared in Ulaanbaatar at midnight on 2 July 2008 and lasted for four days. No measures were taken to
inform the crowds who were at Sukhbaatar Square protesting allegations of widespread fraud during the 29 June parliamentary
elections that the State of Emergency had been declared. Police had been present at the protest throughout the day but the majority
of instances of unnecessary and excessive use of force by police are reported to have occurred after the government declared the
State of Emergency.
At least 9 people were shot with live ammunition during the riot, four of them fatally. A fifth person died allegedly from smoke
inhalation from a fire that destroyed the headquarters of the ruling Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP). According to
local NGOs including the Citizen’s Alliance and Coalition of the 1 July Riot, a Mongolian NGO established in the wake of the 1 July
riot to investigate allegations of human rights violations, and Law and Human Rights, which interviewed people who attended the
riots, the number of people shot with live ammunition is eleven or even higher.
Click here to read more »
FOR THE PRE-SESSIONAL MEETING OF THE COUNTRY REPORT TASK FORCE, JULY 2010
30 April 2010
INTRODUCTION
Amnesty International is submitting this briefing to the Human Rights Committee (the Committee) ahead of its examination of
Mongolia’s fifth periodic report on the implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (the Covenant). In
particular, this briefing points to the failure of Mongolia to respect and protect human rights under Articles 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 17
and 26 of the Covenant.
This briefing covers on-going human rights concerns in Mongolia as well as human rights violations which occurred in the context
of the 1 July 2008 riot in which at least five people died.1 The riot erupted as thousands of people gathered in Sukhbaatar Square,
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to protest allegations of widespread fraud in parliamentary elections held on 29 June. Police arrested over
700 people on the night of 1 and 2 July and over 100 people were arrested in the weeks following for suspected offences
committed during the riot.
UNNECESSARY AND EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE AND KILLINGS BY POLICE OFFICERS DURING THE STATE OF
EMERGENCY IN JULY 2008 (ARTICLES 4, 6 AND 7)
A State of Emergency was declared in Ulaanbaatar at midnight on 2 July 2008 and lasted for four days. No measures were taken to
inform the crowds who were at Sukhbaatar Square protesting allegations of widespread fraud during the 29 June parliamentary
elections that the State of Emergency had been declared. Police had been present at the protest throughout the day but the majority
of instances of unnecessary and excessive use of force by police are reported to have occurred after the government declared the
State of Emergency.
At least 9 people were shot with live ammunition during the riot, four of them fatally. A fifth person died allegedly from smoke
inhalation from a fire that destroyed the headquarters of the ruling Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP). According to
local NGOs including the Citizen’s Alliance and Coalition of the 1 July Riot, a Mongolian NGO established in the wake of the 1 July
riot to investigate allegations of human rights violations, and Law and Human Rights, which interviewed people who attended the
riots, the number of people shot with live ammunition is eleven or even higher.
Click here to read more »
Letter to The Minister of Justice and Home Affairs of Mongolia
July 9, 2009
Dear Minister Nyamdorj,
On behalf of Human Rights Watch I write to express concern that the State Registration General Agency of Mongolia has denied
registration to the Mongolian non-governmental organization "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre." In its rejection letter
of June 23, 2009 (No. 7/694), the Agency justified its decision by claiming that "the name ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Centre' has a meaning that conflicts with Mongolian customs and traditions and has the potential to set the wrong example for
youth and adolescents."
The Agency's denial of registration to this organization is a violation of international human rights law, the Mongolian Constitution
and the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations.
In 1976 Mongolia ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and is obliged to apply its provisions.
Article 22 of the ICCPR affirms the right to freedom of association; article 19 affirms the right to freedom of opinion and
expression and article 21 the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. These are rights essential to citizenship and political
participation. To restrict these rights on the basis of a judgment about the names under which citizens associate and assemble, is to
strike at those democratic values. While these rights may be restricted for reasons of "public morals," international human rights
law also requires that any such restriction be non-discriminatory in intent and effect. Articles 2 and 26 of the ICCPR affirm the
equality of all people, and require all the articles of the ICCPR to be applied in a non-discriminatory way. In the 1994 case Toonen v
Australia, the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which is charged with authoritatively interpreting the ICCPR and evaluating
states' compliance with its provisions, found that both these articles should be understood to include sexual orientation as a status
protected against discrimination. The Agency has clearly discriminated on the grounds of sexual orientation by refusing registration
to the Centre, for the reasons it has given.
The denial of registration on the ground that the name "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender centre" has the potential to set the
"wrong example" for youth and adolescents means that the Centre will not be able to distribute information, including information
that children could use in order to learn about their own sexual orientation. The denial is in violation of the Convention of the
Rights of the Child. Article 13 paragraph 1 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, ratified by Mongolia in 1990, states that a
child shall have the right to freedom of expression; "this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information of ideas
of all kinds". The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has held in general comments 3 and 4 of the Convention that these
protections include discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Click here to read more »
July 9, 2009
Dear Minister Nyamdorj,
On behalf of Human Rights Watch I write to express concern that the State Registration General Agency of Mongolia has denied
registration to the Mongolian non-governmental organization "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre." In its rejection letter
of June 23, 2009 (No. 7/694), the Agency justified its decision by claiming that "the name ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender
Centre' has a meaning that conflicts with Mongolian customs and traditions and has the potential to set the wrong example for
youth and adolescents."
The Agency's denial of registration to this organization is a violation of international human rights law, the Mongolian Constitution
and the Law on Non-Governmental Organizations.
In 1976 Mongolia ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), and is obliged to apply its provisions.
Article 22 of the ICCPR affirms the right to freedom of association; article 19 affirms the right to freedom of opinion and
expression and article 21 the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. These are rights essential to citizenship and political
participation. To restrict these rights on the basis of a judgment about the names under which citizens associate and assemble, is to
strike at those democratic values. While these rights may be restricted for reasons of "public morals," international human rights
law also requires that any such restriction be non-discriminatory in intent and effect. Articles 2 and 26 of the ICCPR affirm the
equality of all people, and require all the articles of the ICCPR to be applied in a non-discriminatory way. In the 1994 case Toonen v
Australia, the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which is charged with authoritatively interpreting the ICCPR and evaluating
states' compliance with its provisions, found that both these articles should be understood to include sexual orientation as a status
protected against discrimination. The Agency has clearly discriminated on the grounds of sexual orientation by refusing registration
to the Centre, for the reasons it has given.
The denial of registration on the ground that the name "Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender centre" has the potential to set the
"wrong example" for youth and adolescents means that the Centre will not be able to distribute information, including information
that children could use in order to learn about their own sexual orientation. The denial is in violation of the Convention of the
Rights of the Child. Article 13 paragraph 1 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, ratified by Mongolia in 1990, states that a
child shall have the right to freedom of expression; "this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information of ideas
of all kinds". The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has held in general comments 3 and 4 of the Convention that these
protections include discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Click here to read more »
SIXTY-FOURTH SESSION OF THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THIRD COMMITTEE
16 OCTOBER 2009
NEW YORK
STATEMENT BY MRS. ONON SODOV, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS,
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE OF MONGOLIA ON AGENDA ITEM 65 – PROMOTION AND
PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Mr.Chairman,
The impacts of global financial, fuel and food crises have most seriously endangered the fates of children. Achieving the goals to
promote healthy lives, provide quality education and protect children against abuse, exploitation and violence set out in the document
entitled “World fit for children” is now under a real doubt.
The Secretary-General’s report on Follow-up to the Special session of the GA on children notes that around 75 million children are
still out of primary school and 182 million children have no access to secondary school. Children are still subject to violence,
exploitation and abuse as well as to inequity and discrimination in particular against the girl child.
Thus, it poses enough alert for Member States to realize their commitments to fulfill “World fit for children” goals of improving
policies and programs for children and promoting and protecting children against violence and against being victims of human
trafficking.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It provides us a valuable
opportunity to evaluate the status and progress achieved towards the realization of the rights of the child and to identify priorities for
the future.
Mongolia spares no effort to fully implement the Declaration and Plan of Action contained in the “World fit for children” document.
Our commitment is once again demonstrated by adopting and implementing the National Program of Action for the Protection and
Development of Children for the period 2002-2010.
Mongolia is taking significant measures aimed at protection of the rights of children, increasing family income and expanding the
support for children left out of parental care. In this context, the Parliament of Mongolia has adopted a number of legislative acts
including Law against Domestic Violence, Law on Social Welfare and Law on Monetary Provisions for Children and Families. The
provisions of the Criminal Code related to human trafficking were also amended in 2008.
Click here to read more »
THIRD COMMITTEE
16 OCTOBER 2009
NEW YORK
STATEMENT BY MRS. ONON SODOV, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS,
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE OF MONGOLIA ON AGENDA ITEM 65 – PROMOTION AND
PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD
Mr.Chairman,
The impacts of global financial, fuel and food crises have most seriously endangered the fates of children. Achieving the goals to
promote healthy lives, provide quality education and protect children against abuse, exploitation and violence set out in the document
entitled “World fit for children” is now under a real doubt.
The Secretary-General’s report on Follow-up to the Special session of the GA on children notes that around 75 million children are
still out of primary school and 182 million children have no access to secondary school. Children are still subject to violence,
exploitation and abuse as well as to inequity and discrimination in particular against the girl child.
Thus, it poses enough alert for Member States to realize their commitments to fulfill “World fit for children” goals of improving
policies and programs for children and promoting and protecting children against violence and against being victims of human
trafficking.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It provides us a valuable
opportunity to evaluate the status and progress achieved towards the realization of the rights of the child and to identify priorities for
the future.
Mongolia spares no effort to fully implement the Declaration and Plan of Action contained in the “World fit for children” document.
Our commitment is once again demonstrated by adopting and implementing the National Program of Action for the Protection and
Development of Children for the period 2002-2010.
Mongolia is taking significant measures aimed at protection of the rights of children, increasing family income and expanding the
support for children left out of parental care. In this context, the Parliament of Mongolia has adopted a number of legislative acts
including Law against Domestic Violence, Law on Social Welfare and Law on Monetary Provisions for Children and Families. The
provisions of the Criminal Code related to human trafficking were also amended in 2008.
Click here to read more »
Workshop for family members of persons with disabilities
Friday 06:25 pm, November 6th, 2009
Many family members of persons with disabilities do not that by “putting on home arrest” and limiting social participation of
persons with disabilities is violation of their rights and consider this a way for their protection. Thus, considering that public
awareness-raising activities on the rights of persons with disabilities would be more beneficial if starts from family members of
persons with disabilities, a training was organized by the NHRCK in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Bayanzurkh
district in the framework of implementation of the project “Public provision of information on the rights of persons with
disabilities ” financed by AIFO, Italian NGO.
This event gathered family members of persons with disabilities of the district and was held at the Gorvernor’s Office meeting
hall on 30 October 2009. Lectures were given in following upon following topics:
• “Introduction tob the rights of persons with disabilities” by Ms. B.Battsetseg, Officer of NHRCM
• “Creating accessing environment for persons with disabilities” Ya. Avermid, Head of Yavuun NGO, NHRCM Advisory council
member.
• “Rehabilitation of persons with disabilities through community interaction” Ms. B.Badamdulam
As persons with disabilities are often become subject of discrimination by medics, medical staff and state officials, a
suggestion was raised by periodically organize the training from broader range of people. The successive training will be held the
community of Songino Khaikhan district.
Click here to read more »
Friday 06:25 pm, November 6th, 2009
Many family members of persons with disabilities do not that by “putting on home arrest” and limiting social participation of
persons with disabilities is violation of their rights and consider this a way for their protection. Thus, considering that public
awareness-raising activities on the rights of persons with disabilities would be more beneficial if starts from family members of
persons with disabilities, a training was organized by the NHRCK in collaboration with the Governor’s Office of Bayanzurkh
district in the framework of implementation of the project “Public provision of information on the rights of persons with
disabilities ” financed by AIFO, Italian NGO.
This event gathered family members of persons with disabilities of the district and was held at the Gorvernor’s Office meeting
hall on 30 October 2009. Lectures were given in following upon following topics:
• “Introduction tob the rights of persons with disabilities” by Ms. B.Battsetseg, Officer of NHRCM
• “Creating accessing environment for persons with disabilities” Ya. Avermid, Head of Yavuun NGO, NHRCM Advisory council
member.
• “Rehabilitation of persons with disabilities through community interaction” Ms. B.Badamdulam
As persons with disabilities are often become subject of discrimination by medics, medical staff and state officials, a
suggestion was raised by periodically organize the training from broader range of people. The successive training will be held the
community of Songino Khaikhan district.
Click here to read more »
Mongolian NGOs Appeal to the UN’s Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights to
Resolve Oyu Tolgoi Mine Dispute
Apr 23 2010
A coalition of Mongolian NGOs appealed today (23rd April 2010) to Professor John Ruggie, the United Nations Special
Representative of the Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights, to use his good offices to calm the tension that has erupted
in the capital, Ulaanbaatar and other parts of the country, over the decision by the Government of Mongolia to allow Rio Tinto and
Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. to develop a copper-gold mine in the South Gobi region (the size of Manhattan) without undertaking adequate
environmental studies. According to the NGOs there are a number of legal irregularities in relation to the Oyu Tolgoi agreement.
On 4 April 2010 NGOs and 200 representatives from 18 aimags (provinces) gathered in Sukhbaatar Square, the main square in
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, calling on the Government to respect its election promises and accusing it of selling out the
country to foreign mining interests. Tension mounted after an unprovoked assault on the demonstrators. On April 5, thousands of
protesters marched to the main square to demand dismissal of parliament. The demonstration ended peacefully, but some remained
in Sukhbaatar Square waiting for a reply from authorities.
On 8 April a Toyota land cruiser drove into the ger (traditional tent) where the protestors were based injuring eight people. The
driver of the vehicle (who was allegedly mentally disturbed) was subsequently arrested by police. Seven demonstrators went on
hunger strike demanding inter alia constitutional reforms and a review of the Oyu Tolgoi investment agreement. There are concerns
about the situation of the hunger strikers, who were taken away in the middle of the night on 14 April and placed under police
guard in hospitals around Ulaanbaatar. A District Health official justified these measures on the grounds that the hunger strikers’
blood sugar levels were dangerously low. Police then cordoned off the square, removed the ger and confiscated the hunger
strikers’ personal belongings and documents. Some of the people on hunger strike, who had come from rural areas, refused
treatment and were ‘discharged’ from hospital on 17 April late at night.
Rio Tinto’s participation in the project is supposed to guarantee the world’s best mining and environmental practices. But, a major
cause of concern is the absence of a full Environmental Impact Assessment and a detailed water study for the Oyu Tolgoi project
which is located in the fragile ecosystem of the South Gobi Desert. Increasingly Mongolian civil society fears that the mine licences
awarded to foreign companies will reduce both the quality and availability of water, threaten Mongolia’s wildlife and biodiversity;
and decrease the amount of pasture on which the country’s traditional nomadic population depends for their survival.
“The Mongolian Government approved the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement on 31st March 2010 without obtaining the prior
consent of Mongolia’s parliament (the State Great Hural) and despite the fact that the technical and economic feasibility study
submitted by Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia Inc had been rejected by Mongolia’s Mineral Expert Council [the technical council that has
the responsibility to approve mining projects]” said Ms. Urantsooj of the Centre for Human Rights and Development, a NGO which
has made a study of Mongolia’s mining and environmental legislation.
Click here to read more »
Resolve Oyu Tolgoi Mine Dispute
Apr 23 2010
A coalition of Mongolian NGOs appealed today (23rd April 2010) to Professor John Ruggie, the United Nations Special
Representative of the Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights, to use his good offices to calm the tension that has erupted
in the capital, Ulaanbaatar and other parts of the country, over the decision by the Government of Mongolia to allow Rio Tinto and
Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. to develop a copper-gold mine in the South Gobi region (the size of Manhattan) without undertaking adequate
environmental studies. According to the NGOs there are a number of legal irregularities in relation to the Oyu Tolgoi agreement.
On 4 April 2010 NGOs and 200 representatives from 18 aimags (provinces) gathered in Sukhbaatar Square, the main square in
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, calling on the Government to respect its election promises and accusing it of selling out the
country to foreign mining interests. Tension mounted after an unprovoked assault on the demonstrators. On April 5, thousands of
protesters marched to the main square to demand dismissal of parliament. The demonstration ended peacefully, but some remained
in Sukhbaatar Square waiting for a reply from authorities.
On 8 April a Toyota land cruiser drove into the ger (traditional tent) where the protestors were based injuring eight people. The
driver of the vehicle (who was allegedly mentally disturbed) was subsequently arrested by police. Seven demonstrators went on
hunger strike demanding inter alia constitutional reforms and a review of the Oyu Tolgoi investment agreement. There are concerns
about the situation of the hunger strikers, who were taken away in the middle of the night on 14 April and placed under police
guard in hospitals around Ulaanbaatar. A District Health official justified these measures on the grounds that the hunger strikers’
blood sugar levels were dangerously low. Police then cordoned off the square, removed the ger and confiscated the hunger
strikers’ personal belongings and documents. Some of the people on hunger strike, who had come from rural areas, refused
treatment and were ‘discharged’ from hospital on 17 April late at night.
Rio Tinto’s participation in the project is supposed to guarantee the world’s best mining and environmental practices. But, a major
cause of concern is the absence of a full Environmental Impact Assessment and a detailed water study for the Oyu Tolgoi project
which is located in the fragile ecosystem of the South Gobi Desert. Increasingly Mongolian civil society fears that the mine licences
awarded to foreign companies will reduce both the quality and availability of water, threaten Mongolia’s wildlife and biodiversity;
and decrease the amount of pasture on which the country’s traditional nomadic population depends for their survival.
“The Mongolian Government approved the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement on 31st March 2010 without obtaining the prior
consent of Mongolia’s parliament (the State Great Hural) and despite the fact that the technical and economic feasibility study
submitted by Ivanhoe Mines Mongolia Inc had been rejected by Mongolia’s Mineral Expert Council [the technical council that has
the responsibility to approve mining projects]” said Ms. Urantsooj of the Centre for Human Rights and Development, a NGO which
has made a study of Mongolia’s mining and environmental legislation.
Click here to read more »
Although people have inhabited Mongolia since the Stone Age, Mongolia only became politically important after iron
weapons entered the area in the 3rd century B.C. In general, Mongolia at this point had a similar history to the rest of
the nomadic steppe that lies between Siberia Northern Russia to the North, China, and, the Middle East and Central
Asia to the South. These steppes usually were inhabited by bands of nomads, sometimes united in confederations of
varying sizes. These nomads usually herded animals, traded, raided more agricultural peoples and each other.
However, every now and then, there would form giant nomadic confederations that threatened China, and sometimes
the Middle East, Europe and beyond, but these confederations, while vast, and often destructive, rarely lasted,
though they did redistribute peoples and disrupt the politics of the regions they attacked. The people in the Mongolia
region usually focused their attention on nearby, wealthy China, and their occasional confederations greatly influence
Chinese history. China's response is a major theme in Mongolian history. The most notable alliance of the Mongols
however reached far beyond China, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, his empire and the states that emerged
from it would play a major role in the history of the 13th and 14th centuries. He and his immediate successors
conquered nearly all of Asia and European Russia and sent armies as far as central Europe and Southeast Asia. In
Mongolia itself, the legacy of Genghis Khan was a superior law code, a written language, and a historical pride. In
addition, the foreign contact created by the Mongolian empire allowed for the spread of Mongolian genes, and the
introduction of Buddhism into Mongolia. When the Mongolian empire broke up, Mongolia became part of the Yuan
dynasty (1271-1368 CE), which included a unified China. The Ming Dynasty replaced it in 1368 and invaded
Mongolia, leading to a Mongolian defeat, but not a Chinese conquest. By the early 15th century, Mongolia was split
between the Oirad in the Altay Mountains region and the eastern group that later came to be known as the Khalkha
in the area north of the Gobi. In the mid-15th century, the Oirad dominated and briefly united Mongolia and
threatened China, at one point taking a Chinese emperor captive. Eventually in the 16th century, under Dayan Khan,
it ruled over a vast section of North-Central Asia from the Ural Mountains to Lake Baykal, conquering even the
Khalkas. But after his death, Mongolia split into waring factions again, though most of Mongolia was unified by Altan
Khan, who continued the Mongolian tradition of attacking China, though he gave up in 1571, signing a peace treaty
with the Ming Dynasty that ended 3 centuries of war. Instead he concentrated on his southwest and raided Tibet,
eventually becoming a convert to Tibetan Buddhism and naming the first Dalai Lama. By the end of the 17th century
the power of the khan had been greatly weakened. The Mongols were decentralized and threatened by a rising
Manchuria. The last of the major khans, Ligden Khan established the pre-eminence of his faction over the Khalkha
Mongols, and this prompted fear among his rivals who called upon the Manchu empire to help. The Manchus made
some conquests in Eastern Mongolia, but Ligden was able to stop conquest further west, but after his death,
southern Mongolian resistance collapsed. By this time the Torgut Mongols, a subset of the Oriad migrated
westwards becoming the Kalmyk, entering Russian territory they were conquered by the mid-17th century. Over the
17th century, Mongolia became increasingly Buddhist, and one faction established a protectorate over Tibet. But as
the Manchus became the Qing dynasty and established a firm control over China, they expanded into Northern
Mongolia. Qing rule over the areas of Northern Mongolia that became Outer Mongolia ended in 1911, with the fall
of the Qing dynasty. Outer Mongolia briefly established a theocracy in 1911, before being conquered by a Chinese
warlord in 1919, and then the Russian White movement warlord Ungern von Sternberg in 1920. The Red Army
backed native guerrilla units led by Damdin Sühbaatar and the MPRP (the recently-founded local communist party)
defeated the forces of Ungern von Sternberg the People's Republic of Mongolia, perhaps the first Soviet satellite.
The Mongolian People's Republic was aligned closely with the Soviet Union. Politicians who demanded a more
capitalist course and who dissented against collective property, like Dogsomyn Bodoo or Horloogiyn Dandzan,
quickly became unpopular. In 1928, Horloogiyn Choybalsan rose to power. Under his administration, forced
collectivisation of livestock was instituted, and the destruction of Buddhist monasteries in 1937 left more than 10,000
lamas dead. During the Soviet-Japanese Border War of 1939, the USSR defended Mongolia against Japan.
Mongolian forces also took part in the Soviet offensive against Japanese forces in Inner Mongolia in August 1945
(see Operation August Storm). The (soviet) threat of Mongolian forces seizing parts of Inner Mongolia induced the
Republic of China to recognize Outer Mongolia's independence, provided that a referendum was held. The
referendum took place on October 20, 1945, with (according to official numbers) 100% of the electorate voting for
independence. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, both countries re-recognized each other on
October 6, 1949. After Choybalsan died in Moscow on January 26, 1952, Yumjaagiyn Tsedenbal took power. In
1956 and again in 1962, Choybalsan's personality cult was condemned. Mongolia continued to align itself closely
with the Soviet Union, especially after the Sino-Soviet split of the late 1950s. While Tsedenbal was visiting Moscow
in August 1984, his severe illness prompted the parliament to announce his retirement and replace him with Jambyn
Batmonh.With the fall of the Soviet Union, Mongolia lost its only major source of aid, but began political reforms.
Mongolia held its first direct presidential elections on June 6, 1993.
Sources: Wikipedia History of Mongolia
weapons entered the area in the 3rd century B.C. In general, Mongolia at this point had a similar history to the rest of
the nomadic steppe that lies between Siberia Northern Russia to the North, China, and, the Middle East and Central
Asia to the South. These steppes usually were inhabited by bands of nomads, sometimes united in confederations of
varying sizes. These nomads usually herded animals, traded, raided more agricultural peoples and each other.
However, every now and then, there would form giant nomadic confederations that threatened China, and sometimes
the Middle East, Europe and beyond, but these confederations, while vast, and often destructive, rarely lasted,
though they did redistribute peoples and disrupt the politics of the regions they attacked. The people in the Mongolia
region usually focused their attention on nearby, wealthy China, and their occasional confederations greatly influence
Chinese history. China's response is a major theme in Mongolian history. The most notable alliance of the Mongols
however reached far beyond China, under the leadership of Genghis Khan, his empire and the states that emerged
from it would play a major role in the history of the 13th and 14th centuries. He and his immediate successors
conquered nearly all of Asia and European Russia and sent armies as far as central Europe and Southeast Asia. In
Mongolia itself, the legacy of Genghis Khan was a superior law code, a written language, and a historical pride. In
addition, the foreign contact created by the Mongolian empire allowed for the spread of Mongolian genes, and the
introduction of Buddhism into Mongolia. When the Mongolian empire broke up, Mongolia became part of the Yuan
dynasty (1271-1368 CE), which included a unified China. The Ming Dynasty replaced it in 1368 and invaded
Mongolia, leading to a Mongolian defeat, but not a Chinese conquest. By the early 15th century, Mongolia was split
between the Oirad in the Altay Mountains region and the eastern group that later came to be known as the Khalkha
in the area north of the Gobi. In the mid-15th century, the Oirad dominated and briefly united Mongolia and
threatened China, at one point taking a Chinese emperor captive. Eventually in the 16th century, under Dayan Khan,
it ruled over a vast section of North-Central Asia from the Ural Mountains to Lake Baykal, conquering even the
Khalkas. But after his death, Mongolia split into waring factions again, though most of Mongolia was unified by Altan
Khan, who continued the Mongolian tradition of attacking China, though he gave up in 1571, signing a peace treaty
with the Ming Dynasty that ended 3 centuries of war. Instead he concentrated on his southwest and raided Tibet,
eventually becoming a convert to Tibetan Buddhism and naming the first Dalai Lama. By the end of the 17th century
the power of the khan had been greatly weakened. The Mongols were decentralized and threatened by a rising
Manchuria. The last of the major khans, Ligden Khan established the pre-eminence of his faction over the Khalkha
Mongols, and this prompted fear among his rivals who called upon the Manchu empire to help. The Manchus made
some conquests in Eastern Mongolia, but Ligden was able to stop conquest further west, but after his death,
southern Mongolian resistance collapsed. By this time the Torgut Mongols, a subset of the Oriad migrated
westwards becoming the Kalmyk, entering Russian territory they were conquered by the mid-17th century. Over the
17th century, Mongolia became increasingly Buddhist, and one faction established a protectorate over Tibet. But as
the Manchus became the Qing dynasty and established a firm control over China, they expanded into Northern
Mongolia. Qing rule over the areas of Northern Mongolia that became Outer Mongolia ended in 1911, with the fall
of the Qing dynasty. Outer Mongolia briefly established a theocracy in 1911, before being conquered by a Chinese
warlord in 1919, and then the Russian White movement warlord Ungern von Sternberg in 1920. The Red Army
backed native guerrilla units led by Damdin Sühbaatar and the MPRP (the recently-founded local communist party)
defeated the forces of Ungern von Sternberg the People's Republic of Mongolia, perhaps the first Soviet satellite.
The Mongolian People's Republic was aligned closely with the Soviet Union. Politicians who demanded a more
capitalist course and who dissented against collective property, like Dogsomyn Bodoo or Horloogiyn Dandzan,
quickly became unpopular. In 1928, Horloogiyn Choybalsan rose to power. Under his administration, forced
collectivisation of livestock was instituted, and the destruction of Buddhist monasteries in 1937 left more than 10,000
lamas dead. During the Soviet-Japanese Border War of 1939, the USSR defended Mongolia against Japan.
Mongolian forces also took part in the Soviet offensive against Japanese forces in Inner Mongolia in August 1945
(see Operation August Storm). The (soviet) threat of Mongolian forces seizing parts of Inner Mongolia induced the
Republic of China to recognize Outer Mongolia's independence, provided that a referendum was held. The
referendum took place on October 20, 1945, with (according to official numbers) 100% of the electorate voting for
independence. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, both countries re-recognized each other on
October 6, 1949. After Choybalsan died in Moscow on January 26, 1952, Yumjaagiyn Tsedenbal took power. In
1956 and again in 1962, Choybalsan's personality cult was condemned. Mongolia continued to align itself closely
with the Soviet Union, especially after the Sino-Soviet split of the late 1950s. While Tsedenbal was visiting Moscow
in August 1984, his severe illness prompted the parliament to announce his retirement and replace him with Jambyn
Batmonh.With the fall of the Soviet Union, Mongolia lost its only major source of aid, but began political reforms.
Mongolia held its first direct presidential elections on June 6, 1993.
Sources: Wikipedia History of Mongolia
Click on map for larger view
Click on flag for Country Report
Batbold Sukhbaatar
Prime Minister since 30 October 2009
Prime Minister since 30 October 2009
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
U.S. State Department cites some examples of international trafficking of persons in their 2009 annual report of
human rights
human rights
Norov Altankhuyag
First Deputy Prime Minister
since 20 September 2008
First Deputy Prime Minister
since 20 September 2008
