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Events
Youth Protest Stretches Into Day 2 in Mongolia www.thediplomat.com
Between April 7 and 8, young Mongolians with no political affiliation gathered at Sukhbaatar Square in the capital of Ulaanbaatar for a peaceful protest, demanding the current government change a number of policies. Their messages varied from concerns about the economy to general social dissatisfaction with taxation, job opportunities, allocation of resources, inflation, and an independent judiciary that can provide checks-and-balance for parliamentarian’s financial report.
According to some of the protesters, after the peaceful protest disbursed on April 7, about 20 individuals were caught by the police and beaten. This happened around 4 a.m. Pictures of multiple police officers stomping on an individual went viral, sparking social media outrage. Participants in Mongolia’s youth movement do not believe that the police should use violence to maintain order, especially in a democratic society.
On April 8, more protesters turned out to oppose police brutality, marking one of the biggest peaceful protests among Mongolia’s youth since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the crowd, including thousands of students, represents a variety of messages, it’s likely that the older generation will begin to join this developing movement, since many of the economic concerns touch all generations. One protest message stated, “Want to become a producer country not an importer.”
While the youth movement was taking place, the government was organizing an economic forum, which has been canceled two years in a row due to COVID-19. The timing of the two events is serendipitous; however, the government is not taking the youth dissatisfaction lightly. As the protest crowd on April 8 surpassed the previous day, Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai spoke to the youth and agreed to convene an extraordinary session to meet their demands.
Thirty years into democratization, Mongolia has experienced a number of pop-up protests, decrying issues ranging from air pollution, election, mining, economy, and inhumane treatment of civilians. In one of the most notable recent incidents, protests against mistreatment of COVID-19 patients resulted in the shock resignation of the prime minister.
This current protest marks a potent force, because the youth taking to the street are nonpartisan, without any specific political agenda. Many of the protesters simply feel the government is not fulfilling its duties, such as providing economic prosperity, equal job opportunities, health, and wellness for its youth. An overriding demand is to alter government policies in order to promote and support the youth as opposed to the conglomerates that have benefitted from the government for decades.
The voice of the youth and their peaceful protests have historical resonance for Mongolia’s democracy. On April 8, as the sun set on Sukhbaatar Square – where once upon a time, thousands gathered to overthrow socialism in Mongolia – the younger generation of Mongolians sang the national anthem, waving their arms in a peaceful protest.
GUEST AUTHOR
Bolor Lkhaajav is a researcher specializing in Mongolia, China, Russia, Japan, East Asia, and the Americas. She holds an M.A. in Asia-Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco.
Published Date:2022-04-09
