WRITTEN QUESTION E-3391/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(28 November 2002)

Subject: Repression of peaceful demonstrations in Ulan-Bator (Mongolia)

On 13 November 2002, after ten days' peaceful assembly on Sukhbaatar square the central square of the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar (Ulan-Bator) by tractor drivers protesting against the land ownership law and calling for a fair system of land privatisation, a unit of more than 500 policemen moved in to repress the demonstration at night. According to reports from the Ulan-Bator Liberty Center, more than 50 people were arrested in the first two hours of the police operation and dragged away from the place where they were demonstrating to the identification centre in Denjin Myanga (in the northern part of the city), while 11 other activists were blocked inside the building in which the Democratic Party has its offices (next to the square) and 30 other tractor drivers were blocked inside the Lucky shopping centre. Those arrested included mainly Democratic Party activists, who had been hemmed in by police at the party headquarters. It would seem that Mr Erdene, local leader of the Democratic Union the first non-Communist NGO founded in 1989 was also arrested. No news has yet been received of the whereabouts of Mr Bat-Uul, leader of the Movement for fair land privatisation.

What information has the Commission received on the events which took place over more than ten days before the police repression? Does it have details of what happened after the demonstrators were arrested? More generally, what is the Commission's assessment of the current situation in Mongolia?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2002)

The Commission is aware of the demonstration held on Sukhbaatar Square in Ulan Bator. The Member of the Commission responsible for development and humanitarian aid raised the matter with Mr Chultemin Ulaan, the Mongolian Minister for Finance and Economics, during talks in Brussels on 21 November. He stressed the Commission's concern at the manner in which the demonstrators had been arrested and forcibly removed to an identification centre. Mr Ulaan said that the demonstration had broken the law forbidding demonstrations on Sukhbaatar Square and insisted that his Government had negotiated with the demonstrators to encourage them to move. In the face of repeated refusals, the authorities had been obliged to enforce the law. The demonstrators had not been maltreated and the police regulations had been applied in strict conformity with the legislation in force.

The background to the demonstration involves a plan to privatise plots of land surrounding yurts in the suburbs of large towns, including Ulan Bator. A new law adopted on the subject this summer by the Mongolian Parliament is due to enter into force on 1 May 2003. The law has alarmed farmers even though they are not directly concerned as it specifically refers only to plots with an area of 0,03 hectares.

The Commission will continue to monitor this situation closely. However, it does not believe this to be a case of a serious failure by Mongolia to meet its commitments on democratisation and human rights. Mongolia can still be considered as a model for the transition to democracy and a market economy. Despite numerous structural handicaps (severe climatic conditions, landlocked between two large neighbouring countries, small population scattered across a vast territory, lack of transport and communications infrastructure, etc.), Mongolia is making progress. Human rights are respected in spite of the problems caused by underdevelopment. The democratic elections of July 2000, which saw power change hands, prove the point. A further illustration is the recent visit to Brussels by Mr Sanjbegziyn Tumur Ochir, Speaker of the Mongolian State Great Hural, as he was accompanied by Mr Janlavyn Narantsatsralt, leader of the opposition and head of the democratic party involved in the demonstration. Mongolia is a member of the World Trade Organisation and, in July 2002, organised a meeting of international donors who gave their backing to the ongoing economic reforms. The privatisation of public-owned enterprises is proceeding, for example, even though the pace is slow. The restructuring measures required to attract investors to these companies, all cumbersome former state-run structures, must be adopted before embarking on this process needed for the market economy to function properly.