Post election conflict in Ulaanbaatar

Many of you have heard about the riots Tuesday night following Mongolia’s democratic elections on Sunday. The Communist Party has won a majority of seats in consecutive elections, this time 46 seats to the 26 won by the Democratic Party, giving the Communist Party more than half of the seats in Parliament. What appears to be at stake here are the rights to substantial mining resources, the most significant of which will be the mine at Oyu Tolgoi, developed by Ivanhoe and Rio Tinto, that is likely to be perhaps the largest gold and copper mine in the world. The mining law is currently under revision and will very probably be changed to give Mongolia a controlling interest, up to 51%, of mineral deposits that were discovered using State funds. While my understanding of the mining situation is admittedly limited, it appears that the contentious issue between the two parties revolves around whether the government will own 51% stake in the mine, preferred by the Communist Party, or whether that stake will be allocated to private companies, preferred by the Democratic Party. The more pressing underlying issue is the widening gap between the newly wealthy here and those who continue to eke out a meager existence, some on less than the equivalent of $2 per day. Although it would take an infinite leap of imagination to believe that things will change substantially depending on whom, in Mongolia, owns that 51% stake, the rioting and looting are essentially a symptom of the growing chasm between those Mongolians who have and those who have not. No question the mining industry will bring unimagined riches to this sparsely populated country. How those riches are allocated is a different question.

So, the rioting, burning, and looting are essentially symptomatic of the growing displeasure and disenfranchisement of a large proportion of the people. The election itself was overseen by a number of international observers and was probably fair enough. Politics are politics and I suspect that behind-the-scenes attempts to sway an election were no less common here than they are elsewhere. Tuesday’s rioting took place several blocks from my apartment and I could see the smoke from the fires and hear the sirens. The next day was business as usual with everyone out on the streets doing their shopping, going to work, eating in restaurants. The only telltale signs of conflict were a sparse scattering of tanks and armored cars, as well as small clusters of police in riot gear. It could be my overactive imagination, but I did sense an undercurrent of tension and unrest. Last night, after the imposed 10 p.m. curfew, the streets were eerily quiet.

I feel utterly safe. I am no judge of governments, least of all my own, but the ruling party here is not awful. Mongolia is having a difficult time making the transition from soviet occupation and domination to a free, democratic society. There are bound to be problems and people are finding the change difficult, much like what happened throughout Eastern Europe. It would be nice to see this done well somewhere, but I don’t get a sense of tyranny or oppression here. I have met many Mongolians who say they preferred their lives under Soviet rule and I find it a little distressing that we in the “free world” don’t do more to facilitate these transitions. It seems we are more focused on imposing democracy on others than on ensuring that people are actually moving on to something better.

My friend and colleague, Joscha, took these photos the day after the riot just a few blocks from where I live.. And here is the rest of it.