Declaration to the Mongolian peoplePreface Just Society Front Statement
published 21th oct. 2006
Since Mongolia made the transition to democracy and a market economic system 17 years ago it has deviated strongly from initial intensions and has reached a state of deep political and social crisis. The national manufacturing industry has been brought down, human rights are being ignored and the destruction of the entire system has become a real possibility. Politicians merely work in order to do business and take bribes, businessmen have become corrupt, and the only people who are interested in politics are those who have become poor and those who are worried about the social situation. Nowadays the religion of politics encompasses corruption, deceit, violence, bribery and decadence. At the same time citizens suffer from alcoholism, are unemployed, poor, beg on the street, become ninjas and are homeless. Women prostitute themselves for career advancements or money, many live without official registration documents and children live on the streets, people are forced to earn a living by searching through rubbish, more and more people are in prison and there are many Chinese people in Mongolia.
Where is our right to life?? The previous systems of responsibility and fair play have disappeared, everything is measured in financial terms and injustices and nepotism have become the social norm. A small group of non law-abiding people, with a lot of property have entered parliament. On the other hand there are working class people who have become impoverished because the cost of living is increasing every day, so now there are an upper class and a working class.
A few privileged people who used to wear masks of democracy have become swindlers and tyrants and the democracy which people waited so long for and which was established, has disappeared. Dishonest, cunning, rich and two-faced people are living nicely, but honest people are given all kinds of bad names, fired from their jobs and separated from their livelihoods. People who tell the truth often face oppression and violence. People who don’t believe in the future have started going abroad. The current situation in Mongolia is a tragedy and the likelihood that
civil war will break out has increased.
1. The privileged class interpret the laws to suit their own purposes. 250 families and 7their relatives who are placed in high positions have acquired 98% of Mongolia’s riches though corruption, bribery etc. Only 2% of public property is owned by 99.9% of all Mongolian people. “I will do what I want”, “Only foolish people live on their salary” … etc are strange new sayings that have emerged. Society is trapped in a web of bribery and connections which makes it impossible to run a clean honest business.
2. Through their political privileges the oligarchy has abused both natural resources and public property. Eight out of 10 people are poor, and of those eight people three are extremely poor. The ruling oligarchy talk about social security, health programs, a safe food supply, unemployment, Aid and security, but do nothing. Mongolia is now rated one of the top ten most corrupted countries in the world. Average life expectancy in 1990 was 66, today it is 63. There are over 700 coal deposits whose reserves have been measured, and three of them, Oyu-Tolgoi, Tavan-Tolgoi and Tumurtei, have total resources amounting to a value of 2,000 billion dollars. If people were given 30% of the income obtained from these three coal deposits as stocks and shares it would be possible to spend 2,000 dollars for every citizen in Mongolia per year or 167 dollars every month.
3. Our country has practically become a colony and the country’s national security and independence have started being eroded because the privileged class has given our land, which had been defended by our ancestors for thousands of years,to foreigners. Foreigners own 26% of Mongolian land, privileged people own 26% by license and only 48% is now left to the rest of the population. Soon all land will fall completely into the hands of swindlers. The crooks who are in parliament have become intoxicated by their authority and property as if they had drunk vodka, they have daydreamed and given speeches about the economy increasing by 10.6% etc. They also rejoice in the celebrations of the 800th anniversary of the Great Mongolian State and a new parliament building which will be built at a cost of 36 billion Tugriks for the parliamentarians although they are rarely present there. The government is trying to turn our heads by spending money on useless things, such as 151 billion Tugriks on a monument of Tsedenbal, a Mongolian leader who oppressed the Mongolian people for 44 years. Around 100 million Tugriks was spent for one Mongolian mountaineer to be dragged and pulled and almost carried on the backs of qualified mountaineers to the top of Mount Everest. (So he could climb up the top of the mountain range with their help, that almost herder children climb up the top of the mountain and herd animals)????. This mountaineer has in turn become big headed, made many TV shows and created a personality cult … etc.
4. The privileged people have written laws so that they benefit themselves by misappropriating land and natural resources and redistributing them to vested interests. As a result of this situation lands and natural resources are in jeopardy of devastation from abuse and misuse through unrestricted mining. Due to the influence of parliament the Oyu-Tolgoi deposits have been leased at $50M for a period of sixty years. Prime Minister M.Enkhbold sold Ulaanbaatar real estate and Su.Batbold redistributed licenses for Boroo Gold’s deposits estimated at $35m. With the selling of Tavan-Tolgoi and Nariin-Suhait’s coal deposits and Tumurtei’s iron-ore deposits the new Mongolian elite are putting approximately $50.000-$100.000 in there collective pockets every day. Ts.Nyamdorj, M.Enkhsaikhan, Ch.Ulaan and D.Idevkhiten (Constitutional court), Parliament and the political parties in parliament, together with the National Security forces, have been protecting these activities.
5. With $10 billion, it is possible to establish a city like Ulaanbaatar. Just nine people (eight parliamentarians Su.Batbold “Altai Trading” , D.Idevkhiten “Tug San” Ts.TSengel “Hasbuu” T.Badamjunai “Mercury” vice-premier M.Enkhsaikhan “Mine-info” S.Bayartsogt “MCS” 30%, G.Batkhuu “Sunkhlai” Batj.Batbayar “Tuul cashmere” and ex-president P.Ochirbat “Tengeriin Tsag” ) have managed to obtained a mining license for the Tavan-Tolgoi coke-deposit. This was an abuse of their power and positions. The deposit at Tavan-tolgoi may be worth as much as $1,200 billion, which would be enough to establish 120 cities like UB. Once the cost of extracting the Coke from the deposit is substracted and the remainder divided by nine, each of the nine men could receive as much as $90 billion. This would mean that the nine richest men in the world would soon be from Mongolia and Bill Gates, who is currently the richest man with $50 billion will be left far behind. It seems the story that a burgler who steals Tgs 50.000 can be sent to the “Gants Hudag” prison, but a burgler who stole Tgs 500 million continues to work in the Mongolian government building is true .
6. In our country methods of winning people over by giving them jobs in high places, awards and medals are being used very effectively. There is no difference in the ethics of the leader of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party M.Enkhbold, the leader of the National New Party M.Enkhsaikhan, the leader of the Motherland Party B.Erdenebat, and the leader of the Republican Party B.Jargalsaikhan and they all work only in their own interest. Ordinary honorable members of all parties also think this is the case. Mongolians are tired of the parties, the leaders and some members, who use vain words. People are looking for a just society and honest parties. Tenders, sports competitions, wrestling, horse racing, concerts, poetry etc are all becoming part of the games being played by the holders of power in order to keep their positions.
7. The main culprits of all of this are the administrators, who have no morality but who have sold the country, the land and its people to the highest bidder. They have also deserted the interests of the people. Their greed has become boundless and they have created a web of bribery so Mongolia has reached the edge of a crisis and stands on the edge of ruin. They have started using many methods to keep their authority and maintain their positions of power such as destroying or spying on political movements, driving wedges between people, buying loyalty, limiting the rights of citizens to make speeches or publish stories about the leaders’ mistakes, dissolving public meetings, and banning political and other rallies from taking place etc. Now it’s time for us to struggle together to push out the greedy leaders who have sold the country and its people, and to call them to account and demand that they establish a right, just, open and patriotic state. So many people now understand about the leaders’ and parliamentarians’ dishonest activities that justice can be established.
Principles of Just Society Front Movement 1. To be independent from self interested political and economic groups.
2. To be based on public support and members of any political party.
3. To be committed to and consistent with public interest and the fight for a just society.
4. To be based on the donations and support of large numbers of people.
5. To have good relations with political parties, movements and individuals.
Just Society Front’s Demands1. To separate politics and business, first the president who has created a web of bribery and brought the country to a state of economic crisis must be removed. Parliament, where bribery has become commonplace must also be dissolved. Once the Electoral Commission and Electoral Law, which currently benefit the most dishonest leaders, have been changed, an extraordinary meeting must be organized.
2. The interests of Mongolian citizens must be protected and a system must be created to ensure equal rights to benefits arising from the exploitation of natural resources. This could be through the distribution of stocks, profit sharing, a specialized fund or other methods. It is also important to ensure that items such as mining licenses and stocks cannot be resold either internationally or domestically.
3. To cancel contradictory or unlawful mining licenses for mineral resources and allot not less than 50% of all income from extractive industries to the Mongolian public,and create this system so that it will be under public control. In order to give the people of Mongolia control over all strategic meaningful deposits found in their country, they must all be brought under the control of the government.
4. The most significant problems in Mongolia include the following: Oyu-Tolgoi, Tavan-Tolgoi and Tumurtei’s deposits, the Boroo Gold mine, the national debt to Russia, the privatization of the Trade and Development Bank and the Chinggis Hotel, money laundering by the Bank of Mongolia, nuclear waste, the sale of Ulaanbaatar real estate, the Ulaanbaatar Bank, the Ulaanbaatar Foundation, the Savings and Loans Co-operatives, TV-9 and Mongolian National Broadcasting. In addition, the corruption of the customs department and widespread smuggling, the financing of the MPRP, the death of many honest patriots and other serious problems will be examined and the people who have committed crimes must be brought to justice according to the law. These people’s assets will be scrutinized and where it is found that they have been obtained by dubious methods, their property must be confiscated.
5. To confiscate the MPRP’s property and to prohibit the kind of MPRP activities which have obstructed the social development of Mongolia like a boulder. Also to monitor the activities of the leaders of the MPRP and hold them politically responsible . If you want to fight for your country and your children’s future, then give your strength selflessly and unite with us! The time has come to fight resolutely to become masters of our own country, the land and the natural resources and to save the country.
Enough is enough – we are losing our patience. The time has come to get rid of the swindlers and dishonest leaders in the government. Let’s revive the fight of the 1990s. Victory belongs to the people. Mongolians – take a stand!
Let’s wake up! Let’s stand up! Let’s fight! G.Arslan ,Central Post Office POX-884 2008.4.08 Ulaanbaatar, Shifmn@yahoo.com 9984-6321, 5005-1959
President of the Russian Federation (RF) D.Medvedev sent a letter to his Mongolian counterpart N.Enkhbayar last month.
Prime Minister of Mongolia S.Bayar is continuing his work visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). CPX Tianjin Committee Secretary Zhang Gaoli and Mayor of the city Huang Xingguo called on the Prime Minister S.Bayar to share opinions on their cities and the relations between Mongolia-China.