Anti-Government Protests in UB

Last weekend I noticed about ten Gers and a small herd of Mongolian horses set-up in Sukhbaatar Square on the way to and from school. After a few days, there also appeared a number of military personnel in the near vicinity. There was discussion whether this was due to the increase is attacks against foreigners but this theory was quickly dismissed when the following article came out. Peaceful civil protest is always a healthy part of any democracy and I especially liked the added touch of including horses in the mix.

You will notice in the pictures (I was not the photographer) the Mongolian flag, I believe their organization's flag and apparently the protestors were waving UN flags despite the complete absence of support by the local UN office here in UB. Funny.

“People’s Assembly wants “criminal” Government to go”

A civil movement Motherland and Justice organized a People’s Assembly in UB Palace on Friday and Saturday and in Sukhbaatar Square on Sunday and Monday. This adopted a 9-point resolution which included the following demands:

- Dismissal of the “criminal” MPP-DP coalition Government, which intends to amend the Constitution;

- Annulment of the present Oyutolgoi agreement and its replacement with a new agreement “that will meet people’s interests”;

- Guaranteeing Mongolian National Public Television freedom from political pressure and making it a true public organization;

- And end to the Constitutional Court’s interference in the work of the State Supreme Court;

The resolution will be placed before related State officials.

The herders of civil movements already camping on Sukhbaatar Square were asked by police to leave it for the duration of the Assembly.