Mongolian Matters

Pilgrimage in the Gobi Desert

2008-09-21T12:18:00.001+08:00

An interesting view at Danzanravjaa's Shambala Pilgrimage in the East Gobi.

Giving Garbage

2008-09-09T17:22:00.003+08:00

It is always rather pretentious to make fun of other one's language abilities, especially because i lack in them considerably in myself. But sometimes things are just funny enough to pass them on.
This picture here is the backside of the entrance ticket to a National Park, the Terelj Park in this case. It conveniently gives a list of services provided to visitors in the park. Most interesting is point 3, where it says the park is....

To provide with information, brochure booklets, warning and garbage

When we enlightened our loyal driver on the issue, he ousted one of his high shrieking laughs, opened his window again and shouted at his friend the national park ranger while pointing at the ticket: "It says: We give you garbage!"

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technorati: mongolia

Vietnamese perspective on Mongolian Invasions

2008-08-31T20:50:00.000+08:00

"At that time, the Mongolian became a super power in the world stage. By then, half of the world already felt into the Mongolian hands: Central Asia, Russia, Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, Iran... then China. After dominating China, Mongolian look into Vietnam. Then 30,000 troops of Mongolian cavalry -very well known at that time- crossed the border and attacked Vietnam the first time on January 17, 1258. Emperor TRAN THAI TONG -the one who wanted to be a Buddhist monk - now commanded the Vietnamese army to fight back. It took about 2 weeks, the Mongolian was defeated.

Angry over the defeat, the Mongolian took the revenge. The second invasion was well prepared, began on August 1284, with 200,000 strong troops under the command of a Mongolian prince. This time, the commander of Vietnamese army was Emperor TRAN NHAN TONG, also a devout Buddhist. The second invasion was not luckier than the first time. After 6 months that both sides had engaged into the fierce battles, the Mongolian was defeated and there was only a few thousands survived to back home.

For Mongolian, especially Emperor Koubilai, the defeat was so unbelievable and unbearable. It's too shameful for the Mongolian empire, therefore, only two months after the defeat, Koubilai giving the order to mobilize all of his best units, ready to take the revenge. On December 25, 1287, 500,000 Mongolian troops under the command of the same Prince, one more time, crossed the border to invade Viet Nam the third time. Again, Emperor TRAN NHAN TONG led the Vietnamese army to fight back and defeat the Mongolian. This time it took for only 4 months. Like last time, there were only few thousands Mongolian survived to comeback. After the third try, the Mongolian quitting the idea to invade Vietnam. Vietnam then began enjoying the peaceful time for about two centuries."

Mongolia Wins Second Gold Medal At Olympics

2008-08-24T16:22:00.003+08:00

North Korean Embassy Censored Air Conditioning

2008-08-22T12:56:00.002+08:00

It is a bit a crappy mobile picture, but those with good eyes might be able to distinguish the North Korean state emblem on this wall of their embassy in Ulaanbaatar (clcik on the image for a larger size). But the interesting thing in this picture is the box below. Yep the airco. Nothing special right. Well, look again. This bright square there is where the branding used to be. But the embassy decided to painting it over. Why? The manufacturer is South Korean LG. Of course they are too proud to have a symbol of South Korean kapitalism on their walls.
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technorati: mongolia north korea censor

Mongolia 3rd in Olympic medal count

2008-08-19T08:14:00.002+08:00

That's an unexpected number. So what About the US, China, UK? Well they do really well, but if you translate the number of medals to the population of the country, they are nowhere to be seen in the top 10. That is the conclusion that the La Times draws. Their Top 10 of medals per capita is as follows:

1. Armenia (4) - 742,147
2. Australia (16) - 1,287,554
3. Mongolia (2) - 1,498,041
4. Georgia (3) - 1,543,614
5. Switzerland (4) - 1,895,380
6. Cuba (6) - 1,903,992
7. Slovenia (1) - 2,007,711
8. Azerbaijan (4) - 2,044,429
9. The Netherlands (7) - 2,377,902
10. Hungary (4) - 2,482,729

No over billion Chinese that can change a thing about that. Reminds that India must be at the very bottom of this list. They might be very proud on their gold, but one medal on a billion is ultimately not al that impressive

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia Celebrates Olympic Gold Medal

2008-08-15T11:58:00.001+08:00

On Thursday evening in Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar people went en mass out to the streets to celebrate the first Olympic gold medal in its history. Judoka Tuvshinbayar became first in the category under 100 kilo, beating his rival Askhat Zhitkeyev from Kazakhstan 120 to 10. Mongolia is famous for its wrestling both in its native form as well as in the Japanese Sumo competition which has been dominated by Mongolians in recent years. During the match load cheers were heard all over town from the public screenings of the match. Four tv channels had live broadcasting of the event that marks a highlight in Mongolia's sports history.
The celebrations culminated in a surprising display of unity amongst the stark divided political forces. President Enkhbayar came down the stairs of the Government house holding hands with acting prime minister S. Bayar to his right and Democratic Party (DP) leader Elbegdorj holding his left hand. It was an unimaginable scene bearing in mind the still lingering conflict that sparked the July 1st protests which left 5 people dead. Mining and in particual gold mining was the big theme of the election on June 29. When a victory for the MPRP was announced the DP and other parties sparked a protest with accusations of vote rigging that led to the fatal riots.
But while it was the large quantities of gold that divided parties in the election turmoil, a particulary small amount of the commodity was able to unite people from the three key figures on the square to every man in the street. Again army personal had to come rushing to protect the government house from a wild crowd, but this time there were no ill motives. Singer Javkhlan had become the center of the crowd's euforie and he was mangled from the one side of the square to the other, where on the roof of his car he sang one of is famous songs. People greeted and hi-fived strangers, cars were driving past with passengers holding flags while screaming and yelling of joy. From high government officials to street kids, everyone joint in one of the most overwhelming displays of celebration in Mongolia's recent history. The Genghis Khan statue was looking motionless over the crowd that celebrated until deep in the night for their new national hero.

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technorati: mongolia

The Buddhist and The Christian

2008-07-25T02:14:00.003+08:00

While having posted on the bizar joint listing of Christians and Shamanists in religious statistics some time ago, the last weeks have seen a frontal confrontation of some senior Buddhists with the American director of the News/Christian channel "Eagle TV". The fire was sparked off by a letter of Norwegian Buddhist Federation President Egil Lothe to the UB Post and Mongolia Web News. User comments, another letter by Lothe and a reaction from the head of FPMT Mongolia express a vocal irritation with practices and arguments of the Eagle TV director. He himself seems "not amused" with Lothe's arguments, reflecting in a blog post called "Responding to Dishonesty".
But any illusion of an open discussion is smothered as Mr. Minder's request for mutual respect is answered by a short post on the blog of the Eagle boss

....It's a little quote from a guy in Myanmar who was helped by missionaries after a cyclone all but destroyed that country.

"Buddha did nothing while we were suffering. But your Jesus loves us."

And that pretty much says it all.

No further comments...

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technorati: mongolia

Looking Back: Mongolia State of Emergency

2008-07-17T12:52:00.005+08:00

I haven't bothered to keep track of the news here during the last weeks as there are more and more sites out there (like Mongolia Web News, News.mn and Montsame), but now as the dust settles, lets have a look at what has happened.

An overview of events is seen at OpenDemocracy:

There is an echo here of the events of January 2006 when a similar demonstration had led to forced entry into the MPRP building. Then, the same Elbegdorj had just lost his job as prime minister in a reshuffle prompted by the MPRP leadership's desire to form a new cabinet with a range of other political leaders. The MPRP was accused of hijacking democracy, and popular protests led to occupationof and serious damage to its headquarters. Elbegdorj said at the time that "there was no risk of the situation escalating into unrest" (see "Mongolia's democratic puzzle", 18 January 2006).

But this time it went haywire exploding into destructive violence. But was this still a political protest? Most believe it had turned into vandalism possibly routed in unrest but definately not in election claims. Talking about those claims. The Asia Foundation releases their report on the election producure:

In 6% of the stations, observers identified individuals seemingly trying to influence the voting behavior of others. Most of these cases occurred in the Bayanzurkh district, and involved middle-aged adults. When queried at one station, the individuals denied any involvement in voter manipulation or influence, and they did not disclose their party affiliation.

In 86% of the station visits, there was no loitering near the station by local government or party officials. However, in 18 of the station visits, party officials and candidates were observed 4 times in different stations in Khuvsgul Aimag, and in 5 discreet stations in the Bayanzurkh district.

Irregularities, indeed. But seemingly not at the scale as the opposition have claimed. Now what is the effects of all this. For some more analysis have a look at Michael Kohn's Ulan Bator Battles:

The electoral uncertainty comes at a particularly bad time. Foreign investors were excited by the prospect of a one-party majority, rather than a "unity" government, which was often mired in political infighting. The mining law, in particular, needs to be changed to ease heavy taxes -- mining companies are eager to get new projects off the ground.

Now, investors are stuck in a "wait and see" mode until the country's political strife dies down. Both Prime Minister Sanjaagiin Bayar and President Nambaryn Enkhbayar have called for calm in their respective addresses to the nation last week. But it will be Mr. Elbegdorj's moves that matter most.

Reuters provides some background on the Mining controversy that has at least amplified the unrest:

The current law gives the state either a 34 percent stake or a controlling 51 percent stake in mining projects. An investment agreement with Ivanhoe Mines (IVN.TO: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Rio Tinto (RIO.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)(RIO.AX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) for the Oyu Tolgoi project, still under negotiation, would be the first such deal.

"I don't think ownership stakes are a good idea," said Julian Dierkes, a specialist in resources and public policy at the University of British Columbia.

"I wish the government would just collect cash and throw it in postal savings. If they make 3 percent on it, they're set."

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia: democracy despite emergency

2008-07-17T11:51:00.002+08:00

OpenDemocracy.Net Reports: A violent post-election protest casts light on how Mongolia's growing social divides are creating new political strains, says Guido Verboom in Ulaanbaatar.

The events in Mongolia of 1 July 2008 - when, after an election won by the ruling Mongolia People's Revolutionary Party, demonstrations in Ulaanbaatar escalated into a wider confrontation in which at least five people died and a state of emergency was declared - have cast a shadow on the country's bright prospects. What happened, and how was it possible?

The election scheduled for 29 June 2008 was set to be an exciting and closely fought one. This young democracy has had a colourful if uneven history since Mongolia acquired full independence from Soviet tutelage at the start of the 1990s. In the 1992 elections the former communist Mongolia People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) was rewarded for the smooth transition it had overseen by a victory in the parliamentary elections. But by 1996, people had become disappointed with the actual results of the transition period, and in overwhelming numbers voted for the opposition parties. Their record in power was equally flawed, however, and the pendulum swung back four years (and as many prime ministers) later when a reformed MPRP secured seventy-two of the parliament's seventy-six seats in the 2000 elections.

The pattern of alternating landslides was broken in 2004, when the MPRP and an opposition coalition were almost tied (with the MPRP winning thirty-nine seats). The "draw" heralded problems of a different kind, however. In parliament there was gridlock, with decision-making slow or simply impossible. This caused particular discontent at a time when Mongolia's growing social divide had made many citizens worry about their livelihood and security.

A tough transition

The biggest political issue during the post-2004 years has been mining, and the granting of rights to foreign companies to explore and produce Mongolia's rich deposits of coal, copper and gold. This raised both nationalist discontent and - as essential agreements stalled - frustration among the local and foreign business community. A bill presented to parliament in March 2008 contains the provision that at least 51% of the total capital funds in sectors where foreign companies are involved must be in Mongolian hands. Pete Morrow, departing chairman of the Business Council of Mongolia, expresses investors' hope for clarity: "While we are not political, for most foreign investors it is important that one party or the other have a clear mandate to form a government and do the people's business. Everyone has suffered from the deadlock of the last four years."

The introduction of a new voting system added to the absorbing uncertainty surrounding the 29 June election. The shift from single-member constituencies to a selection of three or four favoured candidates in larger constituencies could in principle have benefited smaller parties (as a third-placed candidate could now qualify for a seat). In reality, however, the change helped the larger parties, thanks to their greater resources and the fact that the minor parties had only one candidate.

The reform created a new challenge in the shape of the counting procedure: no more convenient piles of ballots-per-candidate, but more complicated procedures that are more prone to mistakes - and public doubts.

The 2008 campaign was relatively short, but the promotional materials were as lively as ever (one candidate distributed an entire book, accompanied by a $100 bill - with his own face replacing Benjamin Franklin's - and a roll of toilet-paper with his name printed on every sheet). The main issue was the country's increasing inequality and how the profits from mineral wealth could be distributed to alleviate it. The contract between voting and monetary incentive in the campaign was reflected in the Democratic Party's promise to people of a 1 million tugrug ($850) share in the forthcoming bonanza; the MPRP simply responded by offering 50% more.

This agenda reflects a shift in Mongolians' popular perceptions. The communist years left people with a general distrust of any state-directed system, but part of their inheritance that people valued was a sense of equal opportunities - where, for example, herder boys from remote areas could become leaders of the country. Now, the opportunity for this Mongolian equivalent of the "log-cabin-to-White- House" route seems to have diminished: politicians in their shiny four-wheel-drives are seen to care more about their own wealth than the people's poverty, and have themselves become a symbol of the economic divide rather than a means to narrow it.

The social effects of Mongolia's economic and political transformation are visible in other areas. A collapse of the educational system has resulted in a surge of commercial schools; and the media has become both money-driven and partisan, as newspapers and TV stations become the instruments of political, economical or religious groups.

A dark night

The election process itself came and went in Mongolia's by-now familiar way. The international observers praised its fairness, even though the system-changes meant that the final results were delayed. This is where the problems began. On 30 June, the MPRP starting circulating the notion that it had won an absolute majority; Tsakhia Elbegdorj, the DP leader, reacted angrily, claiming large-scale fraud by the MPRP and encouraging people to demonstrate against the election results.

The following day, 1 July, Elbegdorj and other opposition leaders disappointed by news of the election's apparent outcome and their own performance organised protests in different parts of Ulaanbaatar. The separate groups - which included followers of the Republican Party leader Jargalsaikhan, and the Civil Movement head Magnai - then assembled in the heart of the capital, before dispersing in different directions. The largest group ended up in front of the MPRP headquarters.

There is an echo here of the events of January 2006 when a similar demonstration had led to forced entry into the MPRP building. Then, the same Elbegdorj had just lost his job as prime minister in a reshuffle prompted by the MPRP leadership's desire to form a new cabinet with a range of other political leaders. The MPRP was accused of hijacking democracy, and popular protests led to occupation of and serious damage to its headquarters. Elbegdorj said at the time that "there was no risk of the situation escalating into unrest" (see "Mongolia's democratic puzzle", 18 January 2006).

On this occasion, his words were harsher and his motivation stronger. He encouraged people to come from the countryside to Ulaanbaatar and join the protest; the appeal helped to bring the crowd around the MPRP building to 8,000.

The situation deteriorates as stones are thrown and - in a replay of 2006 - protesters make their way into the building. The police, outnumbered and ineffective, retreat. When flames whoosh out from one of the windows, fire-engines arrive but the huge numbers and their hostile welcome block their advance towards the building. The protesters take full control of the commercial units on the ground floor: an airline-ticketing office, a bank branch and a duty-free liquor store. TV images show protesters creating Molotov cocktails and burning cardboard boxes.

In the end, the fire destroyed the building - and damaged the neighbouring Central Cultural Palace too. By that time the protests had turned into a violent looting orgy. Young men could be seen stealing or destroying hundreds of paintings in the palace's modern-art gallery, costumes and instruments of several orchestras, and goods in a range of other businesses in the area.

A new reality

As parliament was not in session, the president Nambar Enkhbayar used his authority to call a four-day state of emergency - the first in Mongolia's history. All private TV and radio channels were shutdown, inconveniently reminding people of the totalitarian regime that the MPRP had maintained in a previous lifetime. By 4 o'clock in the morning the crowd and fire were under control. Ulaanbaatar was waking up to a new reality. The atmosphere was tense. Soon, however, the affected area became a bit of a tourist attraction with people taking pictures with the burned-out cars. On the second day a neighbour pointed at two police officers playing badminton. "This is the state of emergency in Ulaanbaatar", he said with a grin.

Mongolia's electoral commission has announced that the MPRP had indeed won the election, but it keeps postponing release of the official results. Elbegdorj, against the odds, continues to criticise the election process, further endangering the democratic stability the country needs so much. At the same time, election worries have already faded with the preparation of Mongolia's National Nadaam Festival which begins on 11 July in Ulaanbaatar's central stadium. The archery, horse-racing, ankle-bone shooting and wrestling competitions will attract more people than any political protest.

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technorati: mongolia

Shaman Christian Ships

2008-07-17T10:42:00.003+08:00

We heard before about Mongolia building its own marine, although with some suspicious activities. New to me is that they have a full functioning website. There is all kind of online application procedures, and if it all works correctly, there are still some good names available including simply "mongolia".
But possibly the most unexpected tidbit is the religious statistics in the "Mongolia in Brief" section.

Religions: Buddhist Lamaist 50%, Shamanist and Christian 6%, Muslim 4%, none 40% (2004)

To have only 50% for the Buddhists is slightly uncommon, but to through Shamanist and Christian together on one pile....is unexpected, to say the least. Maybe they are believed to worship "Tenger Christ", with John the Baaptist as the spirit of the river?

Although.... Once i visited the shaman ger at the bottom of the Gandan hill. In a decor of wolf skins, Buddhist iconography and images of the young Genghis Khan. The house shaman gave a lecture on religious practise to a willing crowd, that mostly reminded me of a sermon i witnessed in a evangalical church in a backroom close to sukhbaatar square a year before. The shaman was engaging the audience with participative comments (tiim ee? tiim ee!).
So maybe the ship registry is onto something here. Would the Eagle in the TV station name, be a shamanist totem afterall?

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technorati: mongolia

The Isle of Mongolia

2008-04-04T19:22:00.006+08:00

we know that most obscure domains come from far more obscure islands in big waters. the latest addition is intriguing. An American Domain Cow has the following on offering:

.MN is the one of newest domain name for the Internet. The .MN domain is an unrestricted and largely untapped domain name space on the Internet. Because this TLD is "new" to the market, there are Still Really Good Names Available. Great for Minnesota, Mobile Network, Music News, Main, Midnight. Get a .MN Domain Today. - .MN is the ccTLD of Isle of Mongolia.

P. Hulova in the Mongolian steppe

2008-03-03T20:41:00.001+08:00

...yuu bna? brought my attention to this interview with Petra Hulova, the young author of a wonderful book In Memory of My Grandmother (Paměť mojí babičce). The Dutch translation is rather a nail biting experience, and yan has some trouble with the german as well. i hope for everyone the English is a bit better experience. regardless, the book is a gem. Mostly because is it is not a tourist guide to Mongolia, it doesnt try explain everything too much, but uses Mongolia as the landscape for an intriguing family saga.

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technorati: mongolia

Web Apps Resource Online

2008-01-21T17:40:00.001+08:00

There is a new resource on Web Apps and all you can do with it. Check it out!

New Community Site

2007-08-31T09:05:00.001+08:00

There is a new community site for/on/in Mongolia(n) Naiz.mn. Check it out!

Mongolia's Ambivalant Gambling History

2007-05-13T08:40:00.000+08:00

There has always been a lot of fuss about gambling in Mongolia. During the rule of the Democratic Party even an MP got jailed over the establishment of a casino. Later a law was passed that only gambling machines were allowed, which under Hungarian patronage resulted in every possible gambling machine being imported into Mongolia adding a lot of blinking lemons and cherries to the streets of Ulaanbaatar. Ultimately it created such a stir with people losing their complete family capital in a day that all game centers were closed down overnight.
Turning away from the electronics, there was some confusion about a horse track, followed by the invention of a free-trade zone near the Chinese border. And now again controversy has arisen over a gambling project planned close to the international Chingis Khaan airport. It has turned pretty much the some old thing with parliamentarians accusing each other of chasing after personal benefit in a recent UB Post article.

The draft faced strong opposition from L.Gundalai, chairperson of the Popular Party, who claimed that it was designed to favor a specific business interest group.
.....

But wait for the punch line:

The draft also authorizes the government to set up a special committee to control the working of casinos and other gambling businesses operating round the clock. Only non-Mongolians will be allowed to visit these gambling centers.
(italics are mine)

I think actually although not having casinos in any given country has its charms, having a limited restricted form might be a good middle way. But why in Chingis name would you not allow your own residents to visit these places? Why would you want to make a place in your country where your own people cant come? I don't think there is no economic benefit that would justify that. But hey, who am I? Probably just a potential client to some.
The final question that comes to mind is: will the ban include those very parliamentarians?

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technorati: mongolia

The Ultimate Google News on Mongolia

2007-05-12T10:07:00.000+08:00

To keep up to date with any news Google News seems the place to go. If your country is blessed with a customized google news (like cuba) you have it made because all news relevant for your country is automatically sorted and displayed by the big google machine. However, it seems that for Mongolia that might be some time away. Now the problem that arises from this is that you have to use search terms to actually generate some content, and that is not ideal. It means you miss out on a lot of content that IS relevant, but just doesn't feature the keyword provided. But maybe more annoying is getting articles that happen to contain the keyword but just aren't really relevant.
I am afraid there is simply isn't a cure for this ail yet, but there is a way to get a bit more relevant info instead of just typing "mongolia" in the search bar.
The first thing is that you actually want things Mongolian, which would argue for using the search term ^Mongolian^ as well. You could to that with the OR operator resulting in ^Mongolia OR Mongolian^. There is a possibility you might not want information on astronauts landing in INNER Mongolia, which can be achieved by filtering out the term ^"Inner Mongolia"^ (mind the quotes) with the [-] operator, making it all together something like:

Mongolia OR Mongolian -"Inner Mongolia"

You can add as many OR or - operators as you want like:

Mongolia OR Mongolian OR "Genghis Khan" -"Inner -Mongolia" -mining -mines

This would generate results for genghis khan, but not for items related to mining or mines. Of course it is a bit tedious to type all this in on your daily news hunt, so it might help to bookmark the page or create an email alert.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia and Brunei....

2007-05-10T00:31:00.000+08:00

Sometimes things are unbelievable, sometimes they are predictable and sometimes they are somewhere in the middle, but still take you slightly by surprise.
I heard Monaco and Mongolia started diplomatic relations, because they where simply sitting next to each other (thanks to the alphabet) in a - undoubtedly extremely boring - international meeting. The connection with Brunei seems to be more of a religious issue, where the Islamic minority in the west of Mongolia has established contact with the small Sultanate. A parliamentary visit might take no one by surprise , but the announcement of a visit of president Enkhbayar certainly did.
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technorati: mongolia

Empty Streets in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

2007-04-29T17:23:00.000+08:00

A rather unusual site at the main vain of Mongolia's Capital: A carless Peace Avenue encouraged people to go out and stroll on the middle of the street. Even Nomin decided to turn down the volume of its giant lcd billboard opposite of the State Department Store, creating a rare peaceful atmosphere in the heart of Ulaanbaatar.
As announced in several media the carless day is an initiated by the World Health Organization to increase safety in the dense urban area. Although maybe a drawback for the local economy of shops and cafes, it might give a breathe of fresh air to the polluted city center.

Update: later in the afternoon there was a student rally and concert on Sukhbaatar Square
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technorati: mongolia

Khublai Khans Pearls

2007-04-29T07:26:00.000+08:00

From the Dutch lowlands i was informed of this rather peculiar article in an Indian newspaper. While in Mongolia the quest for Chingis Khan's grave has still remained unsuccessful - to the happiness of most locals that is - , Abu Dhabi has a Mongolian treasure of its own:

A saltwater pearl insured for $5 million is due to be auctioned in May in Abu Dhabi. The 115-gram pearl is believed to have been the possession of the grandson of Ghengis Khan, the Mongol emperor Kublai Khan in the 13th century.
According to media reports, the pearl is expected to attract bids of up to $8 million. The head of a gemstone unit at Dubai central laboratory said the pearl dated back to the 12th century and originated in Mongolia

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technorati: mongolia

Unox in Mongolia - President goes cloggy

2007-04-03T00:09:00.000+08:00

Luke does it again - not only was he able to became editor's pick with his Tsataan Reindeer people, but also came home with this classic picture from president Enkhbayar wearing a "traditional" Dutch Unox hat. Bring on the Erwtensoep people!

So what does the president of Mongolia on the ice of Mongolia's solid frozen pristine Khuvsgul lake in this extreme Dutch outfit? He must have been intimidated by the 200 dutch people around him that came there for the happening of the Alternative Elfstedentocht. For more on that see yet another Distelhorst story

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technorati:
mongolia
netherlands
speedskating
elfstedentocht

Red Roses in the Snow: Mongolia Celebrates Women's Day

2007-03-09T00:46:00.000+08:00

There is another blogger out there in blogland with regular posts on what is so amazing about Mongolia. If i had a series like that, i would have had good one today. When I stepped out of an overpopulated State Department Store, i have to make my way through people selling red roses, people buying red roses, people looking at red roses, people carrying red roses and the rest probably already bought/sold/saw/carried their red roses earlier today.
And during this rose extravaganza, small white snow flakes were coming down from the sky while the mercury was still well subzero. Amazing.

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technorati: mongolia

Looking Ahead: Eclipse in Mongolia

2007-03-08T00:39:00.000+08:00

Coming out of my blogging hibernation, i get up to see: the sun is gone missing. Will is getting going to be gone missing, that is. On August 1st 2008, Mongolia will experience a total eclipse of the sun. Don Croner (no hibernation for him) has all the juicy details, including a recount of the 1997 eclipse (during which according to popular legend the reincarnation of genghis khan was born), but also a complete path of the 2008 rclipse and its path through Mongolia. And although it brings memories of Carly Simon songs to Don's head, I just can't get Bonnie Tyler out of mine.
Anyway, the really amazing bit is that a company called Sirius Travel (feel it coming?) is already offering....an eleven day tour to see the eclipse.
If you pay USD 1500 before September 2007, you can be assured to "stand in the shadow of the Moon" one year later. Well if it not so cloudy, that is.

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technorati: mongolia

Chinese version of Mongolian Buddhist History

2007-02-02T17:23:00.000+08:00

"Between 1600 and 1640, when the Great Ch’ing Empire (Daicing Gurun, Daic& ing Ulus) emerged, there were many central Tibetan priests and Tibetan Buddhist priests from Mongolia (usually called lam-a, lama,

At that time, there were large numbers of lamas in Mongolia and China, but only two of them were on the side of Ming. Both of these two lamas were invited by the Chinese military leaders in Liaotung to serve as fu k’uan. The lamas were Lama Wang (Wang lama, Sangs-rgyas Pa-sangs) and Lama Li (Lii lama, Bsod-nams Mtsho). Both of them were Chinese. Lama Wang came from the Hsuan-hua Ta-tung area and had previously engaged in negotiations with Mongolia there. His activities in Liaotung, still diplomatic work with Mongolia, were recorded from 1622 to 1629. "

Traditional use of herbes of the Mongols

2006-12-16T09:54:00.000+08:00

Mongolian Medicine: "the warriors of Chengis Khan (died 1227) took medicines like Acorus calamus (Tib. shu dag) to stop bleeding. The herb relieves pain and detoxifies the organism after consumption of contaminated food. During times of war, senior generals made their troops collect Acorus calamus when the army camped near rivers. They used the herb to purify water by placing it in the river, upstream of the camp.

Musk was also used to treat water. The Mongolians soaked musk in their wooden water carriers to provide flavour and purify the water. Aconitum richardsonianum lavener (Tib. sman chen) was used in the distillation of liquor. The herb was placed below the barrel of liquor as a precautionary measure. Garuda-5 or Khyunga (Tib. Khyung lnga), which prevents infectious diseases and relieves pain, is also very popular in oriental medical traditions. In this way, Mongolians have used different kinds of medicinal herbs to cure and prevent human and animal ailments."

In Memoriam Tsog Shagdarsuren

2006-11-29T02:04:00.000+08:00

In reaction to the sudden passing away of Tsog Shagdarsuren I received the following from Lyn Coffin

I remember him as being one of those rare people who are imaginatively or empathetically tolerant. He really seemed able to put himself into someone else's mindset, even if that person was of the opposite sex, and from the U.S. Here's the (revised) poem I dedicated to him. He liked the poem, and translated it into Mongolian; that pleases me.

The Silver Tree

for Tsog

Tsog, my new Mongolian friend, pointed

to the fountain ahead of us. “It’s a copy

of ‘The Silver Tree’,” he said. “It stood

in Ancient Kharakoum. The mouths of

the dragons pour out water now, but then

they gave forth airag, wine, and honey,

and another drink I don’t remember.”

After the reception, I walked alone in

the courtyard, tasting what drink the dragons

had to offer. Airag presented

the bleak wisdom of living in the body,

moving with herds across the grassy steppe. Wine

suggested the joys of living in the mind,

cities clustered like grapes on tangled vines.

Honey reawakened the taste of

living in the spirit: sweet meditations in

monastic rock. These three spoke eloquently

of body, mind, and soul. But the fourth tasted

of all and none of that; tasted of love and

death, the touch of the god that wipes our

blank slates clean, then graves itself on stone,

its name too sacred ever to be spoken.

Genghis Khan On Sukhbaatar Square

2006-11-28T17:57:00.000+08:00

Chinggis Khaan (Genghis Khan) has finally fully claimed his thrown again on Sukhbaatar square where this weekend the impressive gallery was revealed. Already during Nadaam time many dignitaries came to pay respect to Chinggis Khaan, including international princes and prime-ministers, but only recently the construction was entirely completed. At last the sizable Chinggis can confidently oversee his people, including a lone horse rider on the middle of the square.

Genghis Khan Craze 132800 - Punky Chinggis on the new 20.000 banknote

2006-10-21T00:47:00.000+08:00

The new Mongolian Tugrug note of 20,000 features a purple and green Chinggis, adding a new coulour scheme to the series of notes. The bank notes were recently launched and started circulating in the regular currency traffic. The 20,000 note now is the one with the highest value in circulation in Mongolia, with a value of around USD 17. The cover image is the same as the five hundred to ten thousand notes, but on the rear side an image of the national white banners is featured.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia's Prince Ganjuuryn Dschero Khan

2006-09-11T12:00:00.000+09:00

Recently we received an online inquiry about Prince Ganjuuryn Dschero Khan (see image), a person of Netherlands and Taiwanese origin that was:

born officially at 28.08.1928 in Ulan Buha in the aristocracy lineage of the Bordschigin from the trunk of the Koko Mangchol in Mongolia. As one says, with blood at the hands.

This reaches the level of eccentricity of the paronoid Sheikh falcon hunter by the name of Parrot

Bad Borrower Bill Gates Reported in Mongolia

2006-09-07T11:13:00.000+09:00

The Mongolian Bankers Association reports on "bad borrowers" in Mongolia. A slight surprise to see the name of Bill Gates pop up on top of their list. We actually tried calling his phone number listed, but - to no surprise - he didn't pay his phone bill.

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technorati: mongolia - bill+gates - billgates

Rare portrait of Genghis Khan discovered in north China temple

2006-08-25T12:24:00.000+09:00

Zee News - Rare portrait of Genghis Khan discovered in north China temple: "Rare portrait of Genghis Khan discovered in north China temple
Beijing, Aug 24: A rare Thangka portrait of legendary Mongol leader Genghis Khan has been discovered in a Tibetan Buddhist temple in north China`s inner Mongolia autonomous region, a local cultural heritage official announced.

The painting was drawn by a Late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Mongolian artist, probably in the nineteenth century, Wang Dafang, an official with the Cultural Heritage Bureau of Inner Mongolia said.

The portrait is painted on a piece of cloth 28.5 cm long and 21 cm wide. The painting shows Genghis Khan in martial attire, riding a white horse and holding a banner in his right hand, with a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back, according to Wang.

Thangka is a Tibetan art form that dates back 1,000 years and which mainly depicts images from Tibetan Buddhism, Wang was quoted as saying by a news agency. "

Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Google Earth/Maps - Improved Satellite image

2006-08-12T17:32:00.000+09:00

Google maps and Google earth have improved their satellite images. It gives quite an amzing view on Mongolia and especially Ulaanbaatar.
The circus seems to have been designed to see from the sky, the overcharging city taxis are waiting in front of the State Department Store, the Government palace can be clearly seen, and of course the mondriaan of ger areas.

Thanks to Robin.

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technorati: mongolia

Genghis and the airport

2006-07-15T20:18:00.000+09:00

While most of the world is looking with a slight bewilderment at the images and other display of Chinggis Khaan during the recent celebrations it is somehow the airport that still can bring people from miles and miles away to emotional outbursts, as in The Guardian:

"Sombre news from Ulan Bator. In honour of Mongolia's 800th anniversary, its airport has been renamed after Genghis Khan. This reflects the newly assertive stature of the former communist state. ...

[Genghis] is credited with a belief in meritocracy, decimalisation, female emancipation, freedom of religion and flat taxes (after a fashion). He also specialised in mass slaughter, razing cities to the ground (saving only the engineers and artists), and pouring molten silver into the ears of insurgent leaders or, if they preferred, suffocating them under his table while he ate dinner. Neoconservatives still often declare themselves 'well to the right' of him.

How all this will play with tourists landing at Ulan Bator airport is not clear. Genghis Khan told his generals to treat foreign foes by 'robbing them of their wealth, bathing their loved ones in tears,"

Apperently, while here it seems an innocent rename to a local hero, for some the link between the brutal Genghis Khan and an airport seems to be a hounting one.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia's Genghis Khan Craze #1156: A Cunning Can

2006-05-31T00:07:00.000+09:00

We know in beers there is Chinggis, Khan Brau and since recently Mongol. There is Khaan coffee, Chinggis Khaan Hotel, Chinggis Khuree, Chinggis Khaan International Airport. But the very last innovation is the one and only Genghis Khaan Energy drink.
Drinking this certainly makes you feel you can conquor the world...

Learning Mongolian?

2006-05-18T10:17:00.000+09:00

The Mongolian version of Lexicarry: Pictures for Learning Languages is now being published by Pro Lingua Inc. Lexicarry, available in multiple languages, is a picture dictionary, vocabulary builder and book of cartoon dialogues designed for the beginner to advanced language learner. The Mongolian version by Roger Cohen and Tumenjargal Budragchaa also contains an extensive section of Mongolian proverbs.

The book can be ordered online from www.lexicarry.com The Mongolian word list can now be purchased in hard copy, and will be available for free download in several weeks.
technorati: mongolia

Luke is back

2006-04-29T10:47:00.000+09:00

The Mongolia News blog these days certainly is Luke Distelhorsts Mongolia NewEurasia. After some wel deserved holiday he is back on the track, with a couple of posts on:

US Deputy Assistant Secretary Of State In Mongolia (is that the assistant of the deputy of the assistant secretary, the assistant of the deputy secretary or the secretary of the deputy assistant?)
Spring In The Mongolian Gobi (Dornogovi Aimag) - excellent images and info
Land in Ulaanbaatar Designated For Schools - pressing issue

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolian language documents in the vatican archive

2006-04-29T10:11:00.000+09:00

Stumbles across an interesting site of the Vatican Archives, where several Mongol Bichig documents are still kept. The story that I know, that isn't mentioned here is that of Raban Sauma, who travels from the Mongolian Court in Beijing all the way to the Vatican and delivers a letter.

On the Vatican site they have some information on the Ilkhans of Persia:

"The three documents written by the chancery of the Mongolian Ilkhans of Persia are respectively: a safe-conduct of 1267 (or at latest of 1279) issued by Abaya to a papal embassy on his way back to the West; a letter by Aryun to Pope Nicholas IV «the fifth day of the new moon of the first month of the Summer of the year of the Tiger » (14th May 1290) and a letter by Gasan to Pope Boniface VIII of 1302 on the negotiations for the common attack plans against the Mamelukes of Egypt, who then were also the lords of Syria."

Mongolia TV5 as online pay TV

2006-04-19T23:41:00.000+09:00

MediaZone presents TV5:
The Mongolian TV channel TV5 is now available for online viewers through a anual subscription of about USD 100 a year. Already their news programme had the name "internet news", but it had not much to do with this ever expanding medium, as they used mostly footage that was taken from the BBC or other international channels

Online dispute on Mongolia's politicians

2006-04-17T23:14:00.000+09:00

Since some time there has developed a lively dispute on the entries of Mongolian politicians in Wikipedia. Especially posts on current prime minister
Miyeegombo Enkhbold and previous prime minister Tsakhiag Elbegdorj have been subject to some severe mud throwing their discussion pages (see Enkhbold and Elbegdorj)

The players in the discussion are one person under the name of Latebird, who by others is "proven" to be the son of Enkhbold; the main opponent is a New York based Mongolian/Brit under the name of Lemonhead who "doesn't like corruption". Academic challenger is supposed to oversee the battlefield, but doesn't completely stay out of the line of fire.

The discussion gets rough when lemonhead ("I contribute to wikipedia only fact based verified information") depicts Enkhbold as "Mongolia's corrupted Prime Minister of non-military junta government".

For those not so familiar with Wiki-slang: (N)POV = (Neutral) Point Of View

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this post is dedicated to another E., sorry to have made you wait so long

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technorati: mongolia

The Mongolian Hats at the Olympics

2006-02-28T22:49:00.000+08:00

There was a lot to do about the fur hats of the Mongolia Olympic team. So much even that today I recieved an e-mail:

I would appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.
Along with the rest of the world I was very impressed with the winter wear worn by the Mongolian Olympic Team. (especially the hats...that were noted in several news articles published during the games)

After exhausting my contacts within the Canadian Olympic team I am still unable to identify designer, manufacturer of source for these hats. I was hoping it might be possible to trade (equivalent value) for items uniquly Canadian (2006 / 2010 Olympic wear or other. No such luck).

If anyone does have a spare Mongolian 2006 Olympic Suite, do feel free to leave a comment.

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technorati: mongolia

Japan's Genghis Khan Craze #1154: Shall we do a movie?

2006-02-23T22:27:00.000+08:00

Japan is preparing another movie on Chinggis Khaan. Arrangements have been made with the Mongolian side, who will contribute as well. To make it a little more easy to look authentic they will film during the high season in the most touristy places.

New Peter Brosens film in production

2006-02-18T16:45:00.000+08:00

Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth are shooting a new film in Mongolia. After international success with movies like State of dogs and Poets of Mongolia, the new project is called The Colour of Water, and has already been awarded "Best Screenplay" by the Berlin-Brandenburger film fund. A synopsis:

Set in the frozen steppelands of Mongolia, The Colour of Water tells
the magical story of Bagi, a 17-year-old herdsboy faced with his destiny to become a shaman.
When a plague hits the land, all the animals are killed and the nomads are forcibly relocated to mining towns.
Bagi subsequently learns that that the plague was a lie.
With the help of a beautiful young coal thief, he provokes a revolution.

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technorati: mongolia

Shangri La Mongolia Update: No Hotel

2006-02-17T12:36:00.000+08:00

This is the latest version of what will be build next to the opera building. It still says Shangri La, but apperently it will not be a hotel anymore, but just office facilities. The former printing house, more to the north of the square is being torn down apperently to make place for a... hotel.

Mongolia's Genghis Khan Craze #1153: Shall we build a Statue?

2006-02-15T23:11:00.000+08:00

Plans were announced to build a 40-metre high statue on Tsonjin Boldog hill, 53km outside
Ulaanbaatar. The steel statue of Chinggis Khaan, holding a golden whip, is to be financed by the Genco Tour Bureau.

(to put things in perspective, the dots on the white part are actually people)

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technorati: mongolia

Ulaanbaatar heading for the cold

2006-02-01T09:10:00.000+08:00

The mecury shows -36 C (-33 F) this morning and weather.com predicts a lowest temperature for today of -46 C (-51 F)

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolia Government Developments Overview

2006-01-31T13:35:00.000+08:00

Alan Cordova made quite a complete overview of the recent developments in Mongolian politics

Cabinet Shuffle

2006-01-28T12:23:00.000+08:00

There has been quite a few surprises in the proposed new cabinet members especially on the MPRP side. Hardly any minister remains on his post. Surprises include U. Barsbold no longer being minister of environment.

Mongolia's Genghis Khan Craze #1152: Airport renamed

2006-01-24T18:21:00.000+08:00

Now that even the airport is being renamed Chinggis Khaan, I suppose it is only a matter of time before Ulaanbaatar will turn into Chinggis Khot.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolian Crisis: the other side

2006-01-21T10:17:00.000+08:00

The UB Post:

Last Friday, 39 of 76 parliament members voted to accept the resignations of MPRP party ministers, leading to the end of the current government. Most of the Democratic Party members abstained from voting. In addition to the 29 MPRP votes, the Democratic Party: M.Enkhsaikhan, J.Narantsatsralt, J.Batkhuyag, and M.Sonompil, the Republican Party: B.Jargalsaikhan, the People's Party's L.Gundalai, and the Motherland Party's S.Otgonbayar, B.Erdenebat, Ts.Jargal and B.Tserenbaljir voted yes. (emphasis mine, gv)

I have to confess I didn't notice before, but when I read this passage in the UB post yesterday it suddenly dawned on me that actually all presidential candidates of last years election - except the one who won, of course - vote in favor of the new cabinet (indicated in bold). Also the one that was going to "crush" corruption. All parties previously united in the Motherland Democratic Coalition - except of course the always straightforward Civil Will Party - have people voting for the new government. Even more surprisingly MP Gundalai (indicated in bold, italic) joined them as well. For those who have been around for sometimes, they might remember this rebellious member of parliament always provoking with mediagenic protests against the MPRP.

It seems Elbegdorj was not stabbed in the back by the MPRP, but by his own democrats. It reads there were only 29 MPRP votes (out of 38), which means they never were able to pull it through without the 10 votes from the democrats, and of course the MPRP would have never started the whole thing if they would not have been sure they would pull it through.

In the end it is what Yan pointed out in a comment to the previous post:

I personally think a major stimulus behind the recent developments was self-interest - another common feature of Mongolian history.

Yan also made me aware of the comment of Chris Kaplonski

While ... the move by MAHN (MPRP -gv) goes against the spirit of democracy... we shouldn't see this as a return to communism or anything, as I've seen one or two of the more hysterical commentators suggest. (link mine - gv)

technorati: mongolia

Does Mongolian government crisis help mining?

2006-01-20T02:12:00.000+08:00

The site Mineweb belevies that Mongolia's Government Woes may Help Mining.
A scary thought, but it might at least partly be a mine company in Mongolia being desperate to spread some good news.

Through Mongolian Artist

openDemocracy article

2006-01-19T16:52:00.000+08:00

The openDemocracy website is a platform for news and views on democracy from all over the world.

They asked me to write an article on the current political developments:

Mongolia’s democratic puzzle

Anniversary of Danzanravjaa

2006-01-19T16:28:00.000+08:00

Today marks the 150th anniversary the death of Danzanravjaa – the “Fifth Wrathful Noble Saint of the Gobi”, one of the greatest literary figures and educators in Mongolian history. Born in 1803, Danzanravjaa produced a remarkable output of songs, poems and teachings, in addition to founding Mongolia’s first museum, theatre, and mixed school.
The anniversary is to be commemorated on an international scale, with a program of special events to be held throughout the year. Danzanravjaa is one of 42 historical figures whose anniversaries will be celebrated in 2006-2007 by UNESCO.

Among the actions to commemorate this anniversary:

The Arts Council of Mongolia is implementing a one-year project to improve facilities for the conservation of the unique and historically important cultural artifacts of the Danzanravjaa Museum in Sainshand, and to ensure appropriate maintenance of the museum's collection of objects and books through museum staff training (http://www.artscouncil.mn/marketing_program4.html). This one year project was awarded by the US Ambassadors Cultural Heritage grants fund in competition with countries from all over Asia and started its implementation in July 2005.
Restoration of Khamar Monastery in the East Gobi, former seat of Danzanravjaa, is to continue throughout 2006, with the completion of the “Shambhala Land” complex of 108 stupas and the improvement of the monastery’s circumambulation path.
Ten young monks have been sent to India with the sponsorship of Miserior (www.tilopa.net) and the US-based Kunzang Palyul Chöling (www.tara.org). It is hoped that these young monks will return to help re-establish Khamar Monastery as a leading centre of Mongolian Buddhism.
INMongolia Consulting Ltd. is to release a CD of songs by Danzanravjaa, performed by leading Mongolian artists. The release will coincide with events held to commemorate the anniversary of Danzanravjaa in summer 2006. Danzanravjaa’s songs continue to enjoy considerable popularity throughout Mongolia today, with “Ulemjiin Chanar” and other works taking an important place in the folk repertoire (www.inmongolia.com).

Further biographical information can be found at www.danzanravjaa.org.

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technorati: mongolia

The Merchant Marine of Mongolia

2006-01-19T02:50:00.000+08:00

I was amazed to see in the CIA - The World Factbook
that the merchant marine of Mongolia consists of 65 ships with (another?) 38 ships foreign owned. The Khuvsgul lake must be cramped!

For those who are not aware a few other quotes from the same factbook:

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Waterways:580 km
note: only waterway in operation is Lake Hovsgol (135 km); Selenge River (270 km) and Orhon River (175 km) are navigable but carry little traffic; lakes and rivers freeze in winter, are open from May to September (2004)

As a reference the tiny country of Netherlands (40 times smaller than Mongolia) has 5,046 km waterways.

Mongolia Govertment Crisis update

2006-01-18T00:39:00.000+08:00

What happened today?

Enkhbold was put forward by the MPRP as new prime minister
groups of protesters for democracy, against the former communist party, protested by singing a song from the communist revolution in 1921, while one of the major groups announced it will now hold protests until Tsagaan Sar (January 29th)
MPRP announced Mongolia will keep its forces in Iraq and Afghanistan
I saw the vodka drinking olifants, their eyes looked a little red, but they did their tricks alright
There is an angry proffesor in New York

UPDATE:
Interesting posts in blogworld

Yan has the translation of an olloo survey on the current political situation among 600 people.
Chris thinks "The foreign accounts of the situation tend to be much more dramatic and negative "
again from Yan the following thought:

the whole mess still looks more like a power struggle than a struggle between democracy vs. authoritarianism (as implied by the democrats) or competent managers vs. incompetent dreamers (as implied by the MPRP), or corruption vs. honesty (as implied by both).

UPDATE 2:

The Vodka Drinking Elephants performing
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technorati: mongolia

Mongolian party calls for 'national unity' coalition

2006-01-16T11:50:00.000+08:00

The Financial Times reports: "The Mongolian People's Revolutionary party has called for a 'government of national unity' following parliament's dismissal of the Democratic party-led coalition of Tsakhia Elbegdorj, the prime minister."

A strange move, first forcefully end a government that consists of almost all parties, and then reunite them all. Why?

Protests have been announced by civil movements and the police has gathered in big numbers around the government palace. The protesters will demand new elections for both parliament and president.

Update:
More on the MPRP internal struggles and the demands of of the protesters

Prime Minister's reaction to the dismissal of his Government

2006-01-14T22:15:00.000+08:00

Prime Minister Ts. Elbegdorj’s Government was dismissed by the Parliament of Mongolia just after midnight on January 14, 2006. With members of the Democratic Coalition abstaining from the vote, all 39 members present voted in favour of the resolution to dismiss the government.
Mr. Elbegdorj’s angry reaction to his dismissal:

This was the first time in Mongolia’s history that we established a coalition government. This Government showed that the Mongolians are capable of working together. Just as there were problems in working with such a Government, there were also advantages. I do not accept the foundations for the dismissal of this Government. Doing so would mean refuting everything that we have accomplished during this period [in power]. I have seen the secrets of this State and I have seen it all. I will return to power. But I will not return alone. . . .

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technorati: mongolia

The Political Crisis in Mongolia Continues...

2006-01-14T14:22:00.000+08:00

The political crisis in Mongolia continues, with the Parliament of Mongolia holding an all-day plenary session on Friday, January 13 to discuss the recent mass resignation of ministers from the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP).
Ten MPRP Ministers resigned on Wednesday, alleging that the existing government had demonstrated incompetence in reducing poverty and accelerating economic growth.
The MPRP had formed a grand coalition government with their Democratic-Motherland Coalition rivals following protracted negotiations in 2004.

The Prime Minister of Mongolia, Ts. Elbegdorj (Democratic Party), expressed harsh criticism of the mass resignation, yet asserted that Mongolia had fully embraced democracy in the past 16 years, stating that he was confident the political crisis could be resolved by peaceful means. In a meeting with reporters he declared that there was no risk of the situation escalating into unrest similar to that experienced during last year’s "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine.

According to article 43.2 of the Constitution of Mongolia, the Government must step down in its entirety upon the resignation of the Prime Minister or if half of the members of the Government resign at the same time. The decision to dissolve the Government must be made by the Parliament within 15 days of receiving notice of such a resignation.

The President of Mongolia, N. Enkhbayar, told Parliament that "it is clear that Mongolia must not allow a single day to pass without a legally-constituted Government", and urged the Parliament to seek an urgent resolution to this crisis.
It remains unclear whether the recent withdrawal of the MPRP from the Government will lead to fresh elections.

Meanwhile demonstrations by MPRP supporters continued on Friday in Sukhbaatar Square outside the parliament building, following upon a protest rally the day before in which the MPRP building had been briefly occupied by demonstrators.
Mongolia’s television media have offered biased coverage of the crisis, with approximately 80% of those polled by Eagle-TV expressing criticism of the resignation, and 100% of those polled by TV5 and TV9 demonstrating their support of the MPRP ministers’ decision.

The cabinet ministers who have tendered their resignations are:

Deputy Prime Minister Ch.Ulaan,
Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, S.Batbold
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ts.Monkh-Orgil
Minister of Nature and Environment, U.Barsbold
Minister of Defense, Ts.Sharavdorj
Minister of Fuel and Energy, T.Ochirkhuu
Minister of Industry and Trade, Su.Batbold
Minister of Food and Agriculture, D.Terbishdagva
Minister of Health, T.Gandi, and
Minister of Emergencies, U.Khurelsukh

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technorati: mongolia, politics

Government Crisis

2006-01-14T12:15:00.000+08:00

Mongolia Web reports on one protest organization running from one protest to the other.

And it seemed for sometime they might actually be successful: the MPRP seems to reconsider continuing the government with the democratic parties, it is questionable whether there is still enough trust within the grand coalition to continue.

But by now it is clear the government will dissolve.

Meanwhile the news has even reached Ghana, while Tom Terry reports from Eagle TV, a good news channel but with a hidden Christian mission.

Nathan at Registan is as always ready with a good overview

UPDATE 1: Yahoo News has interesting quotes:

"It's highly likely the government will be ousted," Sanjaasuren Oyun, the leader of the minority Civil Will Party and a member of parliament, told AFP. "The MPRP has enough votes."

But with most MPs wanting to express their opinions during Friday's debate, a vote may not occur until late Friday night or next week, Oyun said.

The move by the MPRP is a bid to regain total control of the government, Oyun and political observers said.

UPDATE 2:
The situation was exept on CNN, just now covered on BBC world as well.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolian party building occupied

2006-01-12T22:52:00.000+08:00

The MPRP (Mongolian People's Revolutionairy Party) building has been occupied by protesters. While some international press speak of opposition and ruling party, but it is actually two parties of the same coaltion that are in conflict. As mentioned below the MPRP tried to leave the coalition yesterday, which led to the current protests.

People in the street seem to be upset with the current situation. "Politicians seem to live in the heavens and don't care about the people down on earth" according to a young teacher Mongolian, possibly refering to the Ikh Tenger (Big Heaven) complex with the state residencies.

AP reports on the MPRP pull out:

In comments also broadcast on television, Elbegdorj responded, "I don't think these reasons are enough to dismiss the government."

The MPRP said it would try to form its own government but didn't say who might join. The party has 38 of 76 seats in Mongolia's parliament, the Great Hural, short of the 39 required to take power.

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technorati: mongolia

Mongolian coalition cabinet falls

2006-01-11T19:02:00.000+08:00

The MPRP ministers in the cabinet have offered their resignation.

UPDATE 1
From the communist Indian State of Kerela the first report comes in:

''This is not coming out of the blue,'' Tjalling Halbertsma, adviser to the office of Mongolia's president, told Reuters.

China follows:

"The government has no legal foundation or capacity to exist. A political vacuum has been created in Mongolia," the MPRP said in the statement.

For even more entertainment a new lottery will be launched.

UPDATE 2
Demonstrations are announced for today on Sukhbaatar square.

UPDATE 3
Mongolia Web reports on the Minister resignation and the MPRP press conference.

UPDATE 4
People have gathered around the MPRP building to demonstrate against the current political developments. The army has been called in to control the crowd.

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technorati: mongolia

What does Genghis Khan have to do with a hamburger?

2006-01-06T17:04:00.000+08:00

Mongolianartist.com and Mongolia Web quote Ask Yahoo! on the hamburger:

The fast food favorite took a long, slow trip from Genghis Khan through Russia and Germany before arriving at McDonald's.
...
In the 1200s, Genghis Khan's Mongol armies ate patties of raw lamb scraps, which were tenderized under the soldiers' saddles.

Doubtful if this is historically correct, but a good story nevertheless.
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technorati: mongolia hamburger genghis khan

Oops. Wrong Country

2005-12-08T16:29:00.000+08:00

There is a lot of misunderstanding about Mongolia. But the New American is really confused. William F. Jasper comments on the President's visit in:

President Bush Showers Mongolian Reds With Praise, Aid

Jasper describes a country where the president is

head of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party, which is the renamed and (supposedly) reformed Communist Party of Mongolia

But isn't it impossible for a president to be member of a political party? And the MPRP is still the original name, isn't it? And the communist party?? The mist thickens but soon fades:

...the United Nations and the U.S. government (along with the rest of the world’s nations) pretend that Mongolia is now truly independent of Beijing’s communist control

Indeed: wrong country. One more time: Inner Mongolia is located in China, Outer Mongolia is the indepenent country Mongolia.

Bush Mongolia Pictures

2005-11-22T22:51:00.000+08:00

Iwan Baan was one of the photographers that had access to President Bush`s visit to Mongolia. Again he has made some striking images, available at iwan.com.

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technorati: mongolia bush

On the Web: Bush in Mongolia

2005-11-22T18:07:00.000+08:00

Registan mentions what is in the blogs about the visit and he also includes the "Wapo" article. But there is more.
The UB Post come up with quite some interesting content. There is the full transcript of the speech in parliament and videos (but dubbed in Mongolian): video 1 and video 2 (choose "download link as...")

UB Post also links to the Joint Statement of Bush and Mongolian President Nambar Enkhbayar

If you are interested in lot's and lot's of comments see the Huffington Post

Time Magazine quotes from Bush's speech:

"Like the ideology of communism, the ideology of Islamic radicalism is destined to fall because the will to power is no match for the universal desire to live in liberty,"

The Times of India, however, found out what is really important:
Bush finds Rummy's Montana in Mongolia

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technorati: bush mongolia

Mr. Bush: What did you promise Mongolia?

2005-11-21T18:22:00.000+08:00

USA Today tells us:

The Mongolians have been rewarded with $11 million in U.S. aid to improve military forces.

Gee - what would they need that for? Trying to invade China? Conquer Siberia? Or maybe help some criticized US president in a desert war?

In China they had the same message. Another article on China reads that:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that "one has to be concerned" about China's modernization of its 2.5 million-member army. "There's a question of intent," she said.

2.5 million that is the total population of Mongolia.

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technorati: mongolia bush

Bush Mongolia Visit

2005-11-21T14:05:00.000+08:00

The first video footage comes from a blog , but both Reuters and AP have pictures up already, one in the Laura Bush picture gallery and the other in a Iraq war gallery. That's all that seems to matter. But impressive how fast they get it out on the web (see also previous post).

The Headlines
The headlines in Google and Yahoo: are quite clear:
Bush thanks Mongolia for its help in Iraq, Bush thanks Mongolia for support in Iraq, Bush thanks Mongolia for Iraq presence, Bush to thank new ally Mongolia for Iraq help etc.

One headline stands out: "Mongolia: Moving Mountains" And it appears to be a Washington Post article written by the current prime minister of Mongolia Ts. Elbegdorj. The article is maybe not as outstanding as the title, though.

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technorati: mongolia bush

Mongolia gets ready for Bush, CNN gets it wrong

2005-11-21T11:39:00.000+08:00

While Mongolia prepares for The Big Day, CNN seems happy to portray Mongolia as weak and dependent on Big Brother US:

Remote country looks to U.S. to counter sway of giant neighbors

Meanwhile the rumours here get wilder and wilder. The latest one is that the complete mobile network will be shut down this afternoon. People around the main square yesterday got a visit from the police saying they shouldn't stand in front of the window, implying they might get shot if they would.
Already roads have been completely blocked and police is present every ten meters on the main route. In the end it seems not all that save however. If he does come through the main route people could have prepared for days to have something nasty in place - if he doesn't: there is no police present to actually check what is happening at the moment. It is amazing that they had to send hundreds of US staff taking over a complete hotel for six weeks to come up with such a simple plan. For a five hour visit.

A monk looks at all the police that have gathered on the sukhbaatar square
This picture was taken an hour before the arrival of Bush - and nobody seemes to get really excited.

UPDATE 1:
News is out that the visit is completed, while Bush only just entered the Parliamnet Building.

UPDATE 2:
But the News does travel fast these days, within half an hour the pictures are on the web:

U.S. President George W. Bush (R) reviews an honor guard with Mongolia's President Nambariin Enkhbayar at Government House in Ulan Bator November 21, 2005. Bush became the first U.S. president to visit Mongolia on Monday, coming to thank the country for helping in Iraq and to compare Islamic radicalism to the yoke of communism that Mongolians threw off. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
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technorati: mongolia bush

Bush Mongolia Round up

2005-11-19T17:32:00.000+08:00

Life is full of surprises as New Mongols discovers. I think all that is feared here is a surprise.
There was a demonstration of students who announced they would do the same on The Big Day.
In the meantime all the preperations continue. The ground floor of the Ulaanbaatar Hotel is being tranformed into a huge press center with 150 internet connections through satelatite, the ger in the Government House has been redecorated and the police is practising to stand still in the cold.

UPDATE:
For a, let's say, mildly critical impression of Mr. Bush see Dreaming of Danzan Ravjaa

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technorati: mongolia

Aid in Mongolia

2005-11-14T00:24:00.000+08:00

There is a lot of donor money going into Mongolia. The question is whether it is good to have so much aid coming your way and whether the aid that comes is actually good in itself. Morris Rossabi recently wrote a book “Modern Mongolia: From Khans to Commissars to Capitalists” in which he argues that foreign donors actually have seriously disrupted Mongolia, rather than helped the country.

I think in general aid is something to be highly critical of. It often lacks efficiency and effectiveness. But maybe the picture that Rossabi paints is a bit too dark. That – at the least – is the opinion of Bill Bikales. Currently a principal economist for the Asian Development Bank, Bikales has worked in Mongolia for many years. And there is no doubt he doesn’t like the book. His review starts with “People beware...” and he claims the book to be a diatribe. But what he says actually makes sense:

“The book’s exaggeration of the role of the donors obscures one central fact: Mongolia has emerged as a truly self-governing and independent country for the first time in centuries.”

Whether you agree or not, the review is an interesting read and gives some good insights in foreign aid Mongolia. You would have to read the book to see if Bikales is right.

The complete review is available online

UPDATE 1:
Reaction from Bill Bikales

I have no problem at all with criticism of aid. I have been a strong critic of it myself, and I am on record as saying that bad foreign aid is the greatest threat to Mongolia's future. But Rossabi's book is much more than a criticism of aid -- he presents a very bleak picture of what is happening in Mongolia, repeats gossip about individual Mongolians and about events that are inaccurate and unfounded. I deliberately avoided trying to defend foreign aid in my review, because I felt it was far more important to point out that Mongolia is doing much better than he suggests. My review is NOT about foreign aid, it is about Mongolia!!!

UPDATE 2:
In the Blogs: New Mongols

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technorati: mongolia

Mr. President: Why Mongolia?

2005-11-10T09:12:00.000+08:00

New Mongols ask an interesting question, and actually get an answer. Why does George Bush come to Mongolia? The answer, however, is not all that revealing.

I heard the joke that he is jealous at Rumsfeld for getting a horse, and wants one too. A more serious rumor I heard is that he might promise import tax exemptions for Mongolia, what could potentially mean a boost for the Mongolian economy. The return favor being most probably continued support in Iraq, because the official statement doesn't make much of a secret about that being the most important topic.

Meanwhile the preparations are going on. Around 150 members of staff came from the US, taking over the Khan Palace Hotel and settling there for five weeks, to organize a visit of a couple of hours. There is hardly any information on what the programme will be. The revelation of a ger visit in the White House answer is for now the only official notification.

UPDATE: Programme
The Programme does not make mention of any ger visit - or it should be the ceremonial ger in the government house garden

In Mongolia, the President and Mrs. Bush will be greeted with an arrival ceremony at Government House, and then the President will meet with the President of Mongolia, and following that, with the Prime Minister.
That afternoon, the President will deliver remarks at Mongolian Government House. And following those remarks, the President and Mrs. Bush will visit Ikh Tenger and then participate in an embassy event at the airport. They will then depart en route Andrews Air Force Base.

New Lonely Planet Mongolia. What do we think?

2005-11-05T11:26:00.000+08:00

For many years the Lonely Planet Mongolia was the only English guidebook on Mongolia, but not everybody was too happy with it. Comments varied from:

This is the first guidebook I read that basically tells me not to go there

to:

This is a history book, it's completely outdated

But last year good old Michael Kohn, took up the job to revise the lonely planet. He traveled all over the place and incorporated everything in lp's new set-up.

By now it has survived its first summer, it's time to evaluate. The comments on amazon definitely changed for the better. For me the new lay-out works. Good cover, the maps are more easy to read and it seems generally more easy to use. The extended list of gps locations is probably nowhere as useful as here in Mongolia. One Amazon reviewer remarks that there could be simply more info, and with less than 300 pages, I am sure there are city guides that are bigger than this one. And of course Mongolia changes too fast for something as static as a printed publication to keep track of that. Restaurants have moved, flight schedules changed etc. But it seems to have improved a lot and in the end it seems to be the most useful guide around. The competitors that have sprang up - the Odyssey guide, is more a coffee table book; the Bradt guide has good background, but lousy practical information - have something to focus on.

UPDATE: A review of the new version is available at Danny's Reviews:

For independent travellers without preplanned itineraries the Lonely Planet is the better choice — as well as focusing more on practical information, it's more recent and noticeably lighter and more compact. Those doing an organised tour and less concerned about practicalities may lean towards the Bradt's more extensive background information. And its personal stories may be more helpful for those deciding whether or not to visit Mongolia. I found both books useful, both before and during my trip, and any sizeable group will want both.

Classification of Mongolian Livestock

2005-11-01T11:13:00.000+08:00

María E. Fernández-Giménez has published several articles on the ecological perception and management decisions of Mongolian herders. In The role of Mongolian nomadic pastoralists’ecological knowledge in rangeland management she quotes Holechek et al. on the classification livestock and their khamar (translated as muzzle but literally nose):

The five types of Mongolian livestock are similarly classified as cool-muzzle (seruun khamar), hot-muzzle (khaluun khamar), or intermediate animals. Cool-muzzled animals (camels and goats), must graze in "hot" territories, whereas hot-muzzled animals (yaks and horses) are best suited to "cool" territories. Sheep, traditionally the backbone of the Mongolian pastoral economy, are adaptable to both
types of habitats. This classification of livestock and their foraging habits corresponds closely with theWestern classification of range animals as grazers (warmmuzzled animals), browsers (cool-muzzled animals), and intermediate feeders (Holechek et al. 1989).

Lost dinosaur egg shows up

2005-10-22T10:09:00.000+08:00

UB Post reports that the dinosaur egg that was stolen from the Natural History Museum might have been found.
The costums simply found it in a bag in the trunk of a car. Quite a goose egg for the robbers.

A collection of round-shaped, rough-surfaced eggs of an unidentified dinosaur

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technorati: mongolia

Bush is coming to Mongolia

2005-10-17T22:23:00.000+08:00

In November the President of the United States of America will come to Mongolia, I think it is the first president ever. In 1944 Vice President Wallace came for a visit.

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See for more info the following posts:

Mr. Bush: What did you promise Mongolia in the end?

Bush Mongolia Visit

Mongolia gets ready for Bush, CNN gets it wrong

Bush Mongolia Round up

Mr. President: Why Mongolia?

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technorati: mongolia, bush, usa, politics

New book on Mongolia, with a disturbing edge

2005-10-17T08:13:00.000+08:00

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The Ninth Khalkha Jetsun Dampa

2005-10-16T16:57:00.000+08:00

Zanabazar was the first. Number eight kicked the Manchu's out and number nine lives in exhile in India. Recently a big bilboard was put up near to the Tengis Kino Theater to remember the Ninth Khalkha Jebtsundamba Khutughtu, or Bogd Gegen.

See also his Biography

The billboard with the Ninth Bogd Gegen

Political Parties

2005-10-13T23:25:00.000+08:00

Ran into a list of (no doubt a selection of) the Political Parties of Mongolia. This is what you call a multiple-party system. The most striking entry is probably the Ethnographical Party, whatever that may be. To be clear, the communist party that is listed here is not the party that reigned the country for seventy years as a communist party, because that is the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), which are now Social Democrats and member of Socialist International, unlike the Democratic Socialist Party or the New Social Democratic Party. Of course.
No need to point at the frequent use of the country's name in the party listings.

Overview of Mongolian Political Parties
Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party
Democratic Party
Mongolian Green Party
Mongolian People's Party
Mongolian Republican Party
Mongolian Workers' Party
Mongolian Traditional United Party
Mongolian Solidarity Party
Mongolian Party for Tradition and Justice
Mongolian Democratic Socialist Party
Mongolian Youth Party
Mongolian Liberal Democratic Party
Mongolian Democratic New Socialist Party
Mongolian Communist Party
Mongolian Local Development Party
Mongolian Civil Democratic New Liberal Party
Mongolian Civil Courage Party
Mongolian New Social Democratic Party
Mongolian United Ethnographical Party

Culture: Premiere of a new Mongolian ballet

2005-10-05T10:31:00.000+08:00

The Arts Council Of Mongolia announces in their monthly newsletter:

The Opera and Ballet Theater has added a new ballet The story of Choijid dakini on October 29. Choreographed by D.Jamiyandagva, one of the most talented and experienced choreographer of the Opera and Ballet Theater, this ballet is a mixture of modern and classic techniques. The story behind is about Choijid dagini’s journey to hell and she tells people about the consequences of living good or bad life after her comeback from hell. Both idea and composition of this new ballet will be extremely interesting, thus join the performance and enjoy.

Premiere of Story of Choijid dakini, a new Mongolian ballet
Opera and Ballet Theater
October 29, 2005
Tickets available at the Opera and Ballet Theater ticket office, 322854.

Mormons in Mongolia

2005-10-02T11:35:00.000+08:00

Thanks to Howard M. Friedman I stumbled into this article in the Salt Lake Tribune - probably not a coincidence - giving an impression of missionaries in Mongolia. The probably largest mission belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Mormons. They bring in groups of young people often excellently trained in Mongolian language.

As Friedman observes dryly:

Mormons are particularly visible as they travel from house to house.

But also a growing group of Korean missionairies are active in Mongolia. They organise big seminars and build churches in the ger areas. Also, they are said to give money or other insentives to the attendees.

These missionairies are not always welcomed with open arms. Although Mongolia has a long tradition of religious tolerance - dating back to Chinggis Khaan -, many people disaprove of the aggresive methods of some of there missionairy groups.

An interesting perspective mentioned in the Salt Lake Tribune article comes from outside of the city:

''We have been Buddhist all along,'' said Megmar, a sheep herder. ''The younger people are interested in Christianity because they like to be together and one friend brings another friend. I think Buddhism is enough for me.''

One of the young Mormon missionaries is keeping a blog on his whereabouts

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Pictures: Official Ceremony at Bakula Rimpoche Monastery

2005-09-30T23:31:00.000+08:00

On Friday September 30th a ceremony was held at Pethub Monastery, better known as Bakula Rimpoche Monastery, in Ulaanbaatar. President Nambar Enkhbayar attended and visited the newly erected Namgyal Stupa, the eight golden Desheg Stupas and a new statue of Bakula Rimpoche, all created by Ven. Purevbat.

A monk looks at the new statue of Bakula Rimpoche, while people line up to venerate.

Ven. Lama Purevbat explains to president Enkhbayar and his spouse Mrs. Tsolmon

A crowd at Pethub Monastery awaits the ceremony

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technorati: mongolia buddhism bakula rimpoche

Shangri-La Hotel Mongolia: Construction starts

2005-09-30T14:08:00.000+08:00

The hotel chain Shangri-La is coming to Mongolia. It was announced somewhere last year, and that might be good news for Mongolia. But, the bad news is where and how it will be build. See image on the right. The construction has recently started next to the opera building at the Sukhbaatar square. Although Chris Miller informed us of a more amusing feature of the hotel, the location and the huge size make it hard to see this a contribution to Ulaanbaatar.

The press release reads:

A joint venture between Shangri-La Asia Limited and MCS Holding, Mongolia, the 190-room hotel will be a part of an office, retail and hotel complex, which is located at the east side of the Sukhe-Bator Square, between the City Theatre and Peace Avenue, in the centre of Ulaanbaatar city.

Construction work has started

The Shangri-La Hotel in comparison to the Opera building

Mongolia Film Festival in Paris

2005-09-28T11:00:00.000+08:00

From October 19th to 23rd the Ethnographic Film Committee and CNRS Images organise the Mongolian Compared Gazes Film Festival from Steppe to the City Nomadism and Shamanism. These "Compared Gazes" involve themes like the New Economy, Music, Buddhist Revival, Nomadism and more.

See also the UB Post

Ulaanbaatar Satellite Image - Google Earth

2005-09-28T01:26:00.000+08:00

This is what Google Earth makes of Ulaanbaatar. Click on the image to see a larger overview.

On the map you will find indicated: the State Department Store (Ikh Delguur), Sukhbaatar Square and Gandan(tegchenling) Monastery. Although there is room for improvement - it is quite amazing how searchable the world has become.

See update
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on Google Earth/Maps - Improved Satellite image

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technorati: mongolia

Definition of Taxable Income of a Private Cattle-breeder

2005-09-26T07:08:00.000+08:00

Personal Income Tax Law of Mongolia: "

Taxable income of a citizen from livestock production, who has private cattle's is defined by shifting herds of livestock to cattle herd.

A cow, a horse, a camel is each equal to a cattle herd; and 9 goats and 7 sheeps are equal to a cattle herd."

Photo Gallery of Mongolian Elections

2005-09-25T14:04:00.000+08:00

Iwan Baan - a Dutch photographer - was the only journalist to have full access to the presidential election campaign this year. His images give an amazing look inside the whole process: from the campaign with military bands and a ger on top of the party building, to the remote voters and the black mark on the finger, until the cheers and balloons of victory.
His website features also intriguing pictures of a Mongolian chopsticks factory, the tough life of illegal ninja miners and Russians: the ones that were left behind.

On the Web: Ulaanbaatar Subway

2005-09-20T12:21:00.000+09:00

Not many people know about it and especially pictures are rare. But there is one enthusiast who has dedicated a web site to the Ulaanbaatar Metro, or Metroo as it is called. Here is a picture of the Zuun Urt station that is featured on the website, but also a subway map is digitally available. The guestbook is another feature on the site, with some interesting comments from both believers and non-believers.

!! - For those not so aware of the public transport situation in Mongolia - there is reason to doubt the actual existence of the subway.
The website on the purely fictional UB subway is made by Yumzhagiin Oodarghal and as can be seen in the guestbook many people found it realistic enough to believe it, while others took amusement in continuing the joke - !!

Wedding day - Mongolian words:　хурим　(khurim）

2005-09-20T00:57:00.000+09:00

хурим　(khurim） means wedding but also just feast. Гэрлэх ёслол (gerlekh yoslol) is a more general word for a marriage. Anyway, today there was a lot of weddings and feasts, as it was an auspicious day in the Buddhist calendar: Baljinnyam and Dashnyam coincide only once a year and it is traditionally the very best day to get married. From the early morning until late at night couples and their families were lining up for marriage ceremonies at the Wedding Palace. Odriin Sonin reports that from 2.00h in the morning until 21.00h a total of 108 couples got married in ceremonies of about 20 minutes (although the math of that doesn't really seem to work out).

UPDATE: See more images of one the wedded couples on this day: Roeland an Suvdaa, in their Suvdland

Pictures: Agricultural Market in Ulaanbaatar

2005-09-18T23:10:00.000+09:00

This weekend was the start of the annual agricultural market in Ulaanbaatar, named Altan Namar or Golden Autumn. Hundreds of farmers came from all over Mongolia to the capital to sell their products. It is a rare collection of fresh vegetables that reach the city: eggplants, pumpkins, corn and many more. Students of the faculty of law carried out a survey on the origin and background of the salesmen and -women as part of the Mongolian Nomadic Society and Land Ownership - A Comparative Study of Land Privatization in Transitional Countries, organized by the Center for Asian Legal Exchange (CALE) and the Graduate School of Law, Nagoya University, Japan.

The main market was at the liberty square near the Tengis Movie Theater and an additional market was at the Sky Shopping Center. Both will last for about another week.

Family with their products at the agricultural market in Ulaanbaatar

UPDATE: UB Post reports on the struggels of the farmers, and the problems with cheap impost products.

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technorati: mongolia - agriculture

Baron Ungern’s Mongolian Connection

2005-09-17T17:37:00.000+09:00

N. Khishigt (Ph.D.)
Associate Professor
Institute of History, Mongolian Academy of Sciences

Just as there are those who, through the honours they achieve and the deeds they perform, exercise a considerable role in the destinies of others, and thus cause their names to be immortalized, any nation or people can likewise inscribe the name of any person in history. Such is the case of Baron von Ungern Sternberg. His name was made familiar around the world through his association with a short yet extremely complex period of Mongolian history at the beginning of the 20th century.
The Chinese military had overthrown the “Autonomous government”, Mongolia’s last hope for independence, and established its own cruel regime; in this situation the Mongolians were searching in every way for a means of escape from their foreign oppressors. Just as Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) representatives S.Danzan and D.Chagdarjav were returning from their mission to Russia with assurances of support from the Soviet government, a division of the Russian White army, pressed back by advances of the opposing Red Army, crossed into Mongolia – thus changing the political situation in that country. These soldiers, entering Mongolia through the Ulz and Onon river basins and Gilber guard-post on the eastern frontier on the second of October 1920, were led by Baron Ungern – one of the founders of the “Pan-Mongolia Movement”, and former accomplice of the Transbaikal Ataman G. Somyonov.
But who was this Baron Ungern, so connected with the political events of Eastern Siberia and with the 1921 Mongolian Revolution, who has been described in various terms for nearly an entire century? Ungern himself explained to A.F. Ossendovski, whom he met at the Mongolian capital of Niislel Khüree in the spring of 1921, that he belonged to the lineage of Ungern von Sternberg, a German whose blood was mixed with that of the Hungarian descendants of Attila the Hun. As recorded by this Polish writer, the ancestors of Ungern had participated in the Crusades, establishing the Teuton nation, possessing conquerors’ palaces in Latvia and Estonia in the 16th and 17th centuries, some of them engaging in piracy, others studying chemistry and conducting various sorts of experiments. Ungern’s grandfather had been a pirate on the Indian sea, collecting tributes from English ships, for which he had been banished to the area of Lake Baikal, close to the border with Mongolia. Thus he was the first of the Sternberg lineage to set foot in the Far East, and his study of the Buddhist faith later had a not insignificant influence on his grandson, Roman Ungern. Yet his father was not particularly renowned among this family of soldiers, pirates and mystics.
Roman Ungern, of the eighteenth generation, was born on the 29th of December 1885 in the Austrian city of Graz. His father’s birth was originally registered according to the Gregorian calendar, but with the change of the calendar when he entered school his birthday was later recorded as January 22, 1886. Furthermore, some publications give Ungern’s year of birth as 1887. Although he was given the name “Robert-Nikolai-Maximilian”, following the tradition common among German families at the time, he did not use the names “Nikolai” or “Maximilian”, and transformed the name “Robert” into “Roman”, and his father’s name “Teodorovich” into “Feodorovich”. Ungern’s mother was a fortuned woman known as Sophie-Charlotte von Vimpfen. Following the separation of his parents in 1891, the son was left with his mother, and thereafter lived with his stepfather Baron Oscar Hoiningen in the town of Rebel` (now known as Tallin – N.K.). Ungern studied for a time at the Rebel` Gymnasium, but was expelled, following which he entered the Petersburg naval academy in 1896. Upon hearing of the beginning of the Russo-Japanese war, the first major battle of the 20th century, this man who had dreamed of adventure and honours since a young age decided to go the front, dropping out of school one year early to become an infantry soldier.
But by the time Ungern had reached the Far East the war was long over; therefore he returned to the land of his birth and entered the Pavlov Infantry School. According to General P.N. Vrangel, in 1908 Ungern “just barely passed his officer’s exam” and went off to the military base of Transbaikalian Cossack soldier Argun, situated at Daur Station on the railway between Chita and the Chinese border. There Ungern picked up good riding skills and, setting off on route towards becoming a cavalry officer, gained an indefatigable hardness and patience. Not long after his arrival he was evicted from the Daur base on the grounds of insubordination.
This time, with the help of a paternal relative who worked at the General Military Headquarters and General Rannenkampfl, another relative, he obtained an order to be transferred from Argun’s to the Amar post. Before leaving Daur, Ungern successfully bet the local officers that he could “. . . travel more than 400 versts [approximately 430 km] to Blagoveshchensk [now Khabarovsk – N.K.], where Amar camp was located, only on horseback, eating what could be found along the way”. It is unclear exactly what route Ungern took and what he did on his travels alone through the wilderness on his way to the site of his posting, but later we will discuss the connections with Mongolia suggested by some authors. Arriving at Amar post, the only permanent military outpost of the Cossack soldiers in the Far East, Ungern was first assigned to the machine-gun artillery division, but soon was promoted to the head of the 1st hundredth intelligence division. Yet as there were few opportunities for Ungern, ever in search of adventure and war, to find honours, the bored Ungern obtained a half-year personal leave in 1911 and returned home. Returning to Blagoveshchensk from Revel in 1912, the Manchu Qing empire had collapsed, replaced by the Republic of China; the Mongols, who had once shaken the world under Chinggis Khaan, had re-established an independent state; and moreover a military school had been established in Mongolia in close association with the Imperial Russian trainers: all this struck Ungern’s ears as “especially good news”. Ungern wished to be sent directly to Mongolia, but as he obtained a negative response to his request, he decided to obtain a discharge in order to serve privately, and thus sent a letter requesting a discharge to Petersburg in July 1913. Five months later, when orders for the hundredth captain Ungern to “be given leave without military uniform or stipend” arrived from Petersburg, Ungern had already long departed for Mongolia.

Ungern was living in the town of his birth at the beginning of the First World War in 1914, without money, a family or work; and hoping to discover new opportunities for military glory, he left for the front. Ungern fought on the front lines for a full three years, being injured four times, decorated by the Emperor with the Saint George’s Cross for Bravery, and having earned the Saint Anne’s medal of the third rank, Ungern nevertheless was not promoted above the rank of captain of a 100th division. Around this time he also met Georgii Semyonov, who had a significant influence on Ungern’s future destiny. The alcoholic, crude Ungern was sentenced to punishment for beating the assistant to the city Commander of Ternopol, which occurred on the road to Petersburg, as he was on his way from the Roumanian front to participate in a meeting of recipients of the St. George’s Cross; but his former supervisor, P.N. Vrangel`, saved him with an order for “transfer to a preparatory training division”. With this the glory he was to accomplish on behalf of the Russian Imperial army came to an end, but it can be said that his opportunity to mark his name in history began precisely at this time.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 dealt a heavy blow to Ungern, a dedicated imperialist; and though he was unable to imagine what the future might hold, once again he came out lucky as, by order of General Kornilov, he entered a military division that was passing through Revel in August of the same year, and later arrived in the Transbaikal region. At the time of which we speak, G.M. Semyonov, sent to the Transbaikal region by Kerenskii’s Interim Government, was aiming to establish a “Pan-Mongolian State”, extending across a vast territory from Siberia to Tibet and Northern Manchuria, and put together a “Manchurian special division” made up of volunteers. He appointed his “brave and valiant” acquaintance from the front, who had come of his own accord to seek him out, as Commander of the Khailaar railway station, and shortly thereafter military advisor to the warlord Fushanga [possibly Buyandelger? – N.K.]. In passing, the fact that this Fushanga and the Barga Fushan had, at the “Pan-Mongolia Conference” held at Daur in February 1919, promoted the idea of supporting the struggle to revive the Manchu Qing dynasty, may also have exercised an ideological influence on Ungern. Yet it is important to note that Ungern did not relate at all well to the Pan-Mongolists, who put forward the plan of establishing a western-style state on the foundations of Chinggis Khaan’s Great Empire.
From September 1918 to the beginning of October 1920, the Baron remained at Daur. The most significant event in Ungern’s life at Daur was his marriage on August 16, 1918 to a Manchu princess. As the name and importance, as well as the family background of this scion of the Oriental Empire’s aristocracy were important to Ungern, later historians have concluded that the marriage was consummated primarily for political ambitions. In truth, this was the first and the last time the Baron was to marry, and upon his marriage he returned immediately from Kharbin to Daur; a year later, prior to leaving for Mongolia, he sent a messenger to Baroness Elena Pavlovna (his wife’s Russian name – N.K.) in Harbin to inform her of their divorce in September, 1920, thus bringing one stage of Ungern’s life to a close. Let us now look at the period connected with Mongolia.
A reading of some historical texts would seem to suggest that Baron Ungern visited Mongolia on three separate occasions. The late Academician B. Shirendev wrote that Ungern “served in 1910 as a soldier in the guard of the Russian Imperial Consulate in Khüree”. Although this detail is also cited by other historians, there is no direct reference to it in any primary source. We were also unable to locate any relevant information from archival sources; but simply to look at Ungern’s biography, we can see that the period in question (1910) corresponds to the time at which the Baron travelled from Argun’s post at Daur to his transfer posting at Amar post. One point to keep in mind is that, if we do acknowledge that Ungern fulfilled the bet of Argun’s officers in travelling to his new official posting, he should not have arrived in Mongolia but at his new posting. Although some authors claim that Ungern wandered alone for an entire year throughout Russian Asia and Manchuria, adopting Buddhism and learning Mongolian, there is no evidence connected to this suggestion in other works by or concerning Ungern, including his own diaries and memoirs. This indicates that the likelihood that Ungern actually did come to Mongolia in 1910 is extremely remote, but nevertheless we must not ignore the possibility that further evidence may come to light at a later date.
But in 1913, it is clear from all historical sources that Ungern did visit the town of Khovd at the western frontier of Mongolia, as discussed by numerous historians. Travelling 700 versts from the capital of Mongolia to the town of Uliastai in August 1913, before he met A.V. Burdukov, who was later to write about these travels, Ungern learned from the press about events in China and Mongolia. Thus upon hearing that a Russian military school had opened in Khüree, with Russian trainers, he requested to be sent to Mongolia but his request was denied. Ungern had always perceived Mongolia as “the motherland of great conquerors”, and therefore dreamed of serving as a soldier in Mongolia, even on private terms if necessary; and in July of 1913, claiming that “as a result of difficulties at home it is impossible to continue the Imperial military service”, Ungern submitted a request for discharge from the army. Fearing a repeat of his earlier experience, in which he had been too late to fight in the Japanese war, the Baron did not even wait for a reply to the request he had sent to Petersburg, but instead left directly for Mongolia – though it is unclear precisely how, and by what route he arrived from Amar post. But one can understand that he was a man in a hurry, judging from his speed in reaching the Mongolian border from Amur, pressing onwards across all obstacles between there and Khüree, and racing to Uliastai.
Travelling along a relatively long route, Ungern carried an official paper stating that “Voluntarily discharged Lieutenant Roman Feodorovich Ungern-Sternberg has come to travel westwards in pursuit of valiant deeds, for which cause the present certificate has been provided to him at the military base on the Amar River”. Reaching Uliastai without delay, he continued in a great hurry and travelled a further 450 versts, the distance between 15 örtöö relay stations, in less than three days. A.V. Burdukov described him as a man obsessed with war [or made crazy by war] – “a scrawny, ragged, droopy man; on his face had grown a wispy blond beard; he had faded, blank blue eyes; and he looked about thirty years old. His military uniform was in abnormally poor condition, the trousers being considerably worn and torn at the knees. He carried a sword by his hip and a gun in his belt.” As he raced along his way, shouting at the relay coachman and never feeling fatigue, Ungern interrogated A.V. Burdukov about Dambiijantsan, described how they had fought together against the Chinese, and wrote down Mongolian words in an attempt to learn the language. The Khovd-posted Consul V.F. Lyuba and Colonel Kazakov, in charge of the military headquarters, strictly forbade Ungern from joining forces with the Jaa Lama, as a result of which his hopes to serve in the Mongolian military did not come to fruition. Yet as Ungern himself recorded for posterity, he did not so quickly return home, remaining for approximately half a year in Khovd to learn Chinese and Mongolian, and familiarizing himself with the customs and lifestyle of the Mongols. It is possible that his worship of the Orient and his future ambitions became irrevocably fixed in this period, as the beginning of the actions that would take him back to Mongolia seven years later. He returned home in the winter of the same year, carrying his papers of discharge.
Ungern’s later years were also connected with Mongolia. In the spring of 1920, with the repression of the White Army in Russia and the end of the Civil War, the Red Army freed the Transbaikal region and the Soviet leaders forced Semyonov and Ungern, who were at the Daur Station situated between Chita and the Chinese border, to look for a means of escape from the Red Army. Upon Semyonov’s departure for Manchuria, Baron Ungern left for Mongolia with the stated purpose of reviving the Autonomous regime, destroyed by Chinese General Syui Shujany, who had broken his plans to invade Mongolia directly at the end of 1919.
Disaffected with Western civilization and unable to endure the destruction of Imperial Russia by the recent revolution, Ungern laid his last hopes on Mongolia, believing that “Mongolia must become the main area of support for the revival of the Chinese, Russian and European royal empires”, and “the place where the construction of a new universe will begin”. It is clear that Ungern assumed the political situation and social spirit in Mongolia would provide him with opportunities. Indeed the Mongols, whose Autonomous government, a symbol of independence and the monarchy, had been destroyed, were prepared to ask anyone for help; and for Ungern, staunch believer in monarchy as the best form of social organization, here was a space for him to implement his ideas and political ambitions. Thus he came to Mongolia for a second time. This time, unlike his previous visit, he did not come entirely alone, but led three cavalry divisions of 150-200 men each – Mongol-Buryat, Tatar and Ataman Annenkov divisions – as well as approximately 800 men from the machine-gun cavalry command and three incomplete batteries from Daur; penetrating Mongolia’s frontier he cried out: “We will place the Holy Bogd on the throne, and revive the Autonomous government”, “We will free the Mongols from the Chinese soldiers”, and “We will build the state of Greater Mongolia” and the like; as he tried actively to bring on-side the Mongol princes, who despised the Chinese military, he also sent an emissary carrying a letter to the Bogd. In this missive he requested entry to the capital city, announcing that “I, Baron Ungern, of Russian imperial blood, intend to enter Khüree according to the Mongolian basic custom of friendship, accompanied by soldiers, to provide assistance to the Bogd Khaan, to protect Mongolia and set it free from ruthless Chinese oppression”, offering to “participate actively in reviving the Mongolian Autonomous regime, providing to the Mongolians seven cannons and 4000 vintovs, and expressing our readiness, together with an army made up of the nations formerly subjected to the rule of Chinggis Khaan, to become the subjects of Mongolia”. Upon hearing of the impending arrival of the White Russians, the Chinese military began to take issue against the Mongolian authorities; and under these conditions the Bogd not only accepted the letter from Ungern, but indeed sent a secret official to insist that the Russian soldiers come to Khüree at the greatest speed possible, without turning back on their stated purpose. Moreover it can hardly have been a coincidence that the delegation led by D.Bodoo, following their reception by the Bogd Khaan upon their return from the Soviet Union, immediately went eastwards and joined forces with Ungern’s army. All this could be taken as evidence of their own hidden policy of encouraging the two foreign armies to fight amongst themselves, allowing the Autonomous government to be revived in their midst. It was for this reason that the local authorities not only sent the White Army to the frontier of their country, but also began to provide them with gelding horses, provisions and capital. Thus with the support of Luvsantseveen, taij of the first rank from Darnakh Chin Van’s khoshuu in Tüsheet Khan aimag, meirin Dugarjav, taij Togtokh, Buryat Jambalon and Barga Luvsan, approximately 200 Mongolians were enlisted to join the army. His troops thus reinforced, Ungern left a great number of his soldiers with transport at the Onon River, taking approximately 300 soldiers towards the capital city Khüree, by a route that took them to the north of Bereeven Monastery and past Zaan Terelj. On the 26th of October 1920, Ungern fought his first battle with Chinese soldiers, causing considerable losses; and although he made several attempts to capture Khüree, he remained unsuccessful.
As a result of the White Russians’ attempts to take Niislel Khüree, the Chinese military leaders began to put increasing pressure on the Mongolian authorities, headed by the Bogd Khaan; and Mongolians took flight from the plundering and pillaging of the Chinese soldiers, leaving Khüree for Sögnögör, Terelj and other nearby mountains. The telephone line between Khüree and Khiagt was cut, and trade came to a standstill. Conditions in Khüree became disorderly; the mixed forces of 4200 men led by Go Siling and approximately 1100 cavalrymen occupied Khüree alone, while the remainder stayed in Choir and Zamyn-Üüd to the south. In addition, a further thousand-odd soldiers were brought in from Khaalga, 3000 Chinese men were enlisted into the army, and the border guard was reinforced. But although the Chinese soldiers were capable of cruelty they were not capable of holding Khüree by their military force alone. But to judge from the size of Ungern’s army before he fought to take Khüree – his force of 2000 Russians having been augmented by approximately 1000 Mongolians, constituting a force of 3000 soldiers, made up of four divisions of 400 men each, the Trans-Baikal Cossack army, an “Asian division” made up exclusively of officers and Japanese trainers, and the Buriat division headed by Tapkhayev, equipped with 3 cannons and 50 machine guns.
Preparations for taking the Mongolian capital were made hastily, and laying on his forces, Ungern successfully captured Niislel Khüree on February 4, 1921. Ungern immediately established an Interim Government, made up of Luvsantseveen as military General, J.Jambalon as Deputy General, Erenchinsambuu as Military Lama, and Deren Choijin, with himself as General Commander. From the battle for Khüree, the Whites salvaged more than 4000 guns and weapons of various descriptions, a large quantity of foodstuffs, clothing, and the Chinese military coffers, containing nearly nine million dollars. Although it is clear that the administration, fighting ability and poor motivation of the Chinese soldiers had an impact on their ability to hold Khüree, it is important to note the central role of the heroic struggle carried out by the Mongols against the Chinese gemin, under the general leadership of Ungern, for the sake of their nation and the Bogd.
On February 21, 1921 Ungern invested the Holy Bogd as khan, or king of Mongolia, and established five ministries. Jalkhanz khutagt Damdinbazar was appointed Prime Minister (“Minister for General Government Decisions”) and Minister of the Interior, Shanzudba Dashzeveg as Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bishrelt Van Dorjtseren as Minister of Defense, Luvsantseveen as Minister of Finance, Beis Chimiddorj as Minister of Justice, and Khatanbaatar Magsarjav as General Commander of the Armed Forces. At the beginning of March, Baron Ungern again fought the Chinese military as it attempted to recover Khüree, a battle that was won after three days; and later he personally directed his troops in the battles of Choir and Khaalga. Approximately 1200 Mongolian soldiers, under the leadership of Baljinnyam beis and Sundui gün completely destroyed their Chinese opponents at the battle of Ulaan Khad, causing considerable damage; the final battle between the gamin and the White Russians took place near Choir towards the end of March. The Chinese lost approximately 4000 men, and their leaders fled across the border. The Bogd bestowed the title of “Khoshoi Chin Van” on Ungern, recognizing also the accomplishments of his followers.
At the time of the southern battles, although Baron Ungern’s men reached the Chinese border they did not continue as far as Beijing, returning to Khüree to undertake “stabilizing” activities – possibly connected with Ungern’s view that his entry into Mongolia was “something of worldwide importance”. With his now abundant reserves of artillery and capital, Ungern was able to take some measures to strengthen his influence and to bolster his army’s military capacities. Above all, he made attempts to obtain recognition of the Bogd’s government by other nations; and in an effort to stabilize national finances he established a bank and supplied 250,000 dollars’ worth of short-term “betting money”. Having opened a textile (sewing) plant and a repair centre, he revived and re-opened the mine at Nalaikh.
But by this time slaughter and massacre had become daily activities of the White Army, whose victims came to comprise not only Jews and Bolshevik Russians but even Mongolians. There are several irrefutable cases of evidence of cruel and loathsome deeds conducted by the White Russians. “One wished to avert one’s gaze from the hangings, all over the place, of the poor, lamas, men and women, old and young, even children”, and as a result eyewitnesses described this time as “the bloodbath of Örgöö”. The farther they went from Niislel Khüree the more the White Russians turned into a gang of bandits, destroying pasture and livestock watering areas, and stealing from trade caravans. With the establishment of Ungern’s rule some groups of White Russians gathered at the Mongolian frontiers, and people like Kaigorodov, Kazantsev and Kazagrandi, who were living in exile in Altai, Khovd, Khatgal or Daichin Vangiin Khüree, rose up and began robbing the general population throughout the country. Military divisions led by Andrei Shubin, Tuvanov and Ochirov set up respectively near Khövsgöl Lake, and in the basins of the Kherlen and Onon rivers, adding a further 2300-2500 White Russians attempting to join Ungern’s administration and forces. On April 14, 1921, Ungern issued a decree enlisting all Buryats between the ages of 19 and 45 into his army, under threat of harsh exile.
An even greater danger was that the Mongolian authorities, under the influence of the time and current events, struggled on Ungern’s behalf and conscripted soldiers from the aimags and khoshuun. The Bogd decreed that one thousand men should be conscripted from each of the Tüsheet Khan, Tsetsen Khan and Shav` districts, appointing Khatanbaatar S. Magsarjav as general commander of the military units from the two western provinces, and gün L.Gombo-Idshing as commander of the eastern forces. Ungern also sent repeated invitations to the Jaa Lama, but not only did the latter refuse to come, but also took affront at the perceived conspiracy between the Khüree leaders and the Baron. Ungern, threatening pressure, cunning and force, was able to expand his army by enlisting more Mongolians; and the Mongols who had followed the Bogd’s decree or who had been deceived into enlisting, fought eagerly on behalf of their nation for a time. Until the middle of 1921 there were approximately 4000 Mongolian soldiers under Ungern’s general command, led by Luvsantseveen Tergüün, Sundui Gün, Baljinnyam Gün, Bayar Gün, Beis Dugarjav, Naidan Van, Dari Ekh Lama, and court official Geleg-Yondon; recent studies have shown that approximately 2/3 of these troops were actually Mongols. Although Ungern played a definite role in evicting the Chinese soldiers, his further plans and actions, and in particular his policy of drawing the Mongolians towards himself were extremely troublesome. Ungern truly brought misery to Mongolia, which had already suffered for a full two years in the hands of robbing and pillaging Chinese soldiers, with his own military regime and intimidation.
The Mongolians very rapidly came to understand Ungern’s true face. Disagreements emerged between Ungern and the Bogd, head of both church and state, with the Bogd becoming increasingly wary of Ungern’s activities. The state authorities were not merely obedient servants either. In addition, the Mongols in the south of the country had staged a revolt for the sake of freedom and independence; the Chinese soldiers who had been defeated by Ungern had been chased out of Khiagt; and a National Revolutionary Interim Government had been established, with preparations underway to undertake a struggle to liberate the whole country. As a result, Mongolians treated Ungern less as a “liberating saviour” than as one from whom they wished to distance themselves. They showed that the Mongols would not share the same path as him in the future, and Ungern himself understood that his own position had become less than stable. In general it is difficult to define, in a single word, how influential Ungern was in Mongolia; it would probably be best to approach the question by dividing his influence according to different periods. Although he enjoyed a strong position and influence the first month, it would not be possible to apply this same description for the period thereafter. For example, in his own later testimony to an interrogator, Ungern stated “I tried to stay out of Mongolian affairs, but my soldiers were Mongolian so it became necessary to become involved”; but subsequently he claimed that he “had no political influence”. There was no need for Ungern, with no strength to go on, to stay in Mongolia.
Thus he decided to direct his efforts elsewhere, and sent a letter on May 20, 1921 to Gregory, the Beijing Agent, in which he wrote “. . . in the near future I personally will begin to take military action against the Bolsheviks. After we have provided all military stations that aspire to fight Communism with an impetus to decision, a rebellion will begin in Russia; and once we have placed honest and faithful people at its head, I will transfer my activities to Mongolia, attempting to revive the Qing Empire. . .” From this it would appear that Ungern had begun his fight against Bolshevism; but in reality it is more likely that he was devoting equal efforts to salvaging his reputation in Mongolia, which was worsening day by day. Therefore he sent his “Decree No. 15” to all White Army unit headquarters in Soviet Siberia, inviting them to join forces, and on May 21, 1921 he set off northwards. But Bayar Gün’s unit, which had come to the head of the Whites, was defeated at Altanbulag by General D.Sükhbaatar’s People’s Army, Dari Ekh Lama’s soldiers also surrendered, and in the middle of June the remaining forces personally commanded by Ungern in the border region were defeated by Mongol-Russian forces and dispersed. Although Ungern attempted on several occasions to penetrate the USSR to the north, in the direction of Vangiin Khüree, he remained unsuccessful and on August 14, 1921 he returned to Mongolia. Thereafter the White Army – having given in to continuous plotting and disorder – began to weaken, and the Baron’s close assistant General Rezukhin was killed, leaving from the Mongolian side only Sundui Gün’s division. Ungern took his remaining 500-odd soldiers to Khalkhanzyn Khüree, but a plot against him emerged at this time, and narrowly escaping the White soldiers’ bullets, Ungern joined up with Sundui Gün’s Mongolian soldiers. But his destiny had already been decided.
On August 22, 1921 Sundui Gün and his own soldiers Demid and Luvsan-Ochir captured Ungern in a trap set at a place known as Gangyn Üzüür, situated at the opening of Jargalantyn Am along the first tributary of the Zülegt River, to the west of Tarialan soum in Khövsgöl aimag, and later surrendered him to K.K. Rokossovskii’s 35th division. The story of how the Baron was captured and turned over, and how the Red Army soldiers at first did not recognize him has been described in many different ways, but in any case Ungern was taken prisoner and his activities in Mongolia came to an end. The captive Ungern was brought to the Mobile Interrogation Unit at Troitskosavsk, then was brought by way of Deed-Üde and Irkutsk to Novonikolaevsk where his trial was held. On September 15, 1921 the Special Revolutionary Military Court of the USSR sentenced General R.F. Ungern von Sternberg, commander of the Asian cavalry division, to be executed, and the sentence was carried out the same day. During his public trial in the Sosnovka Gardens Theatre in Novonikolayevsk, Ungern was wearing a tattered yellow deel and Mongolian boots; later, when news of his execution reached Khüree, it is said that the Bogd Khaan ordered that prayers be chanted throughout the town on Ungern’s behalf. This was the final example of Ungern’s living connection with Mongolia.
Alongside the names of generals M.V. Alekseyev, P.N.Brangel`, A.V.Denikin, A.I. Dragomirov and L.G. Kornilov, and Admiral A.V. Kolchak, who continued to lead the White movement – which encompassed half a million people – for a further two years after 1920, we do not find the name of Ungern von Sternberg, the man who never rose higher than captain of the 100th division when serving the Russian army. But this is proven by the events in Mongolia that immortalized his name.

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technorati: mongolia

Baron Ungern’s Mongolian Connection

2005-09-17T17:36:00.002+09:00

Snow in Ulaanbaatar

2005-09-16T10:05:00.000+09:00

September 16th: Mongolia is white. Yesterday it was still too warm to wear a jacket, with temperatures over 20 C and a clear blue sky. Today, the sky is grey and snow comes pooring down. Winter has started.

Image: A woman sits on her balcony and looks amazed at the white world around her

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technorati: mongolia weather snow

"Mongols have nothing in common with the Chinese."

2005-09-11T23:59:00.000+09:00

Tsendambyn Batbayar has a strong opinion about Chinese people, reflecting a general attitude in Mongolia. In his book Modern Mongolia: A concise history, he states in the introduction:

Mongols have nothing in common with the Chinese. Not only is their language totally unrelated, but also their way of life is completely different. Mongolia's population is quite homogeneous. Over 90 percent of the population is made up of subgroups of the Mongol nationality, the largest being the Khalkha (70 percent of the total).

Find the Mongolian - former Chinese President Jian Zemin (left) and Mongolia`s president of that time Bagabandi

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technorati: mongolia

Mausoleum gone

2005-09-03T13:57:00.000+09:00

It is not all that clear on this phone-picture, but not less true. The mausoleum is gone.

The discussion on the why's and the how's is still going on in the UB Post

Choibalsan's funeral

Choibalsan was most likely killed in Moscow. As most leaders during socialism in Mongolia - including Sukhbaatar, Genden and many more - he was sacrifeced for the state. Traditionally Mongolians don't burry their deaths, but leave them on a significant place to be reunited with nature. But Choibalsan recieved an offical state funeral. A film made of this event was later shown all around the country to teach people how they should deal with their deaths.

Corpses of Choibalsan and Sukhbaatar cremated

2005-08-27T10:43:00.000+09:00

For the last weeks they have been working on the deconstruction of the mausoleum at the sukhbaatar square. The bodies of Sukhbaatar and Choibalsan were removed and apparently the day before yesterday the bodies of Sukhbaatar and Choibalsan have been ritually cremated. There were monks present at the ceremony to bless there last farewell, which especially in the case of Choibalsan was quite remarkable. He is held most responsible for the destructions of more than 900 temples and monasteries and the killing of thousands of monks.

Also see Mausoleum gone

Mongolian Words：тэн (ten)

2005-08-27T10:24:00.000+09:00

Quite a few words start with тэн, like Тэнгис (tengis - sea) or тэнгэр (tenger - heaven), but тэн itself actually means: the load for each side of a camelÂ. Additionally it means as much as: half. But in turn, тэнгүЙ (tengui) means unequalled

"I am God's Punishment for your Sins"

2005-08-24T11:52:00.000+09:00

The Loneley Planet of Cantral Asia (with contributions of Mongolia LP writer Michael Kohn) mentions Chinggis Khaan (or Jenghiz, as they have transcribed it) and his army invading the city of Bukhara.

It was this brilliant city, as soldiers raped and looted and horses trampled Islamic Holy books in the streets, that the unschooled Jenghiz assended to the pulpit in the chief Mosque and preached to the congregation. His message:"I am God's punishment for your sins"

LP continues to conlude that this 'shocking psychological warfare is perhaps unrivaled in history'

For more details, and some doubt, on this see John Man's Genghis Khan.

Cave of the Yellow Dog

2005-08-19T19:34:00.000+09:00

On the stage of the flashy and modern Tengis Movie Theater at the Liberty Square in Ulaanbaatar stands a nomad family. Three children in bright blue dels run around their parents and gaze at the audience in the packed cinema hall. A few minutes later they will see each other in more than life-size on the big white screen. It is the family Batchuluun and they are the stars of the new film of director Byambasuren Davaa: The Cave of the Yellow Dog

Byambasuren's debut, The Story of the Weeping Camel, was a huge worldwide success and even brought her to the Oscar ceremony, although she was still a student of the film school in Germany. In her new film she explores again the relationship between animals and humans in the vast landscape of Mongolia.

Film-Archive Synopsis:

"Nansal (6), the oldest daughter of a Mongolian nomad family finds a small dog one day while out in the fields. When she brings him home, her father is afraid he could bring bad luck and demands that she immediately get rid of him. Despite her father’s orders, she keeps the puppy and tries to hide him from her skeptical father. When the family uproots to move to another camp, the father leaves the puppy behind, tied up to a post. Only when the dog proves himself to the father by protecting the family’s baby boy from a flock of threatening vultures does the father accept him and welcome him into their family.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog tells the story of the age-old bond between man and dog, a bond which experiences a new twist through the eternal cycle of reincarnation in Mongolia."

Not a religion

2005-08-18T00:44:00.000+09:00

Many faiths or traditions claim they are not a religion (try google).
Or others claim it is actually not a religion. In the case of Buddhism it is mostly non-Buddhists or maybe neo-Buddhist that consider Buddhism not a religion. But for Mongolia it is obvious Buddhism is a religion. The daily practice consists of many rituals and involves a pantheon of deities.
However, many of the new faiths here claim they are not a religion. Baha'i claims to be metareligious, taking the best from different religious traditions, but not being a religion itself. Evangelical Christian sects claim Christianity is not a religion, but a "relationship with Jesus". Institutionalized and ritualised churches like the Catholics are a religion, but the "pure Christian", in their view, is not religious in the sense that they don't need institutions or rituals.
Being a religion, or not being a religion, has more consequences than just a tag. Like tax. In some places you might get lucrative tax cuts as a religion (See Texas - by the way, is this what they call a redneck?), but in Mongolia, many religious organizations try to pretend they are secular NGO's to avoid the heavy taxes on religious organizations: 20 per cent tax under Mongolia's 2000 tax law, whereas commercial companies pay only ten per cent. This applies not only to the evangelic missionaries , but also the century old Buddhist monasteries.

A Dutch Dig: Lost city awakens

2005-08-17T01:41:00.000+09:00

Dutch students help in excavation of an ancient city in Mongolia

the Mongol Messenger:

"It is 6am, an hour before the sun rises above the enclosing hills, and the first shift of Dutch and Mongolians are woken up by the Mongolian camp staff.
Sleepy heads poke from some of the eleven gers for a quick rinse in the freezing water and a meagre breakfast of tea, with stale bread and jam.
By seven o’clock they are sitting in the bus, to be taken one kilometer in distance and back eleven hundred years in time.
They are excavating an extraordinary find, one that will radically change the common perception of Central Asia."

Can't worship Buddha right way

2005-08-16T16:32:00.000+09:00

In “The Transformation of Household Rituals in Mongolia: One History of Religions in a Modern Nomadistic Society” by Japanese researcher Katsuhiko TAKIZAWA, I came across an interesting observation:

An informant told me that he gave Buddha’s images, sutras and the other Buddhist tools to Gandan Monastery at the time of his father’s death in 1977, because he didn’t know how to worship Buddha right way. This mentality of “those who can’t worship Buddha right way must not have Buddha’s images” was found in many informants’ talk. This mentality often accompanies the idea of “curse”.