On December 6, the protests held in Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar entered the third day. According to local media reports, the protests targeted the country's suspected corruption in coal exports and theft of coal. According to various sources, losses caused by misappropriation range from $1.8 billion to $12.9 billion.
This round of tour demonstrations in Ulaanbaatar began on the 4th and turned into riots on the afternoon of the 5th. On the same day, thousands of people held a demonstration at the Sukhbaatar Square in the center of Ulaanbaatar, trying to attack the government building " National Palace ", demanding the punishment of corrupt officials and the dissolution of the Mongolian Parliament. But then the police controlled the riot.
AFP said protesters believe lawmakers related to the coal industry "stealed" billions of dollars in coal gains, and on the other hand they were dissatisfied with Mongolia's weak economy. After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Mongolia's inflation rate has soared to 15.2%. As corruption scandals continue to ferment, people are demanding that the government take action against soaring economy and inflation.
In fact, last month, Mongolian anti-corruption agencies announced that more than 30 officials, including the CEO of state-owned coal mine company Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi (Mongolia ETT), are under investigation for corruption charges, suspected of using coal mines to illegally make profits. ETT is one of the largest coal mine companies in Mongolia, and the mined minerals contain 7.5 billion tons of coking coal. This is an important part of Mongolia's exports.
According to the "Diplomatic Scholar" report on December 6, this is the second time that the Mongolians took to the streets to express their dissatisfaction with the government this year. In April this year, the main force of the protests was mainly young people who were disappointed with the government, and this round of protests was triggered by the exposure of major corruption.
On December 6, Mao Ning, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presided over a regular press conference. At the meeting, a reporter from TASS asked: Yesterday, protests occurred in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The protests targeted the suspected corruption of Mongolia's coal exports to China and theft of coal. What is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ response to this?
Mao Ning said: "I don't know the background of the matter you mentioned. As a friendly neighbor, we believe that the Mongolian government will investigate and handle the relevant incidents well. If Mongolia makes a request, the relevant Chinese departments will provide necessary assistance in accordance with the law."
Source | Comprehensive Russian Satellite News Agency, The Paper
Editor | Cold and Sweet
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