Country/Topic: Mongolia /Editor was attacked
Date: 10 July 2006
Source: Globe International NGO
Person(s): B.Tsevegmid
Target(s): editor(s)
Type(s) of violation(s): attack
Urgency: Flash

(Globe International) – On July 6, the editor-in-chief of Orkhon aimag’s /north Mongolian province/ “Nomin” television, was beaten in the entrance of her building and sent to hospital for treatment. Before being attacked she received many threats by phone concerning an investigative TV program, “Forbidden to watch,” which covered the privatization vouchers of “Erdenet” industry employees.

This year on June 11, the TV program, “Forbidden to watch,” aired on the fate of privatization vouchers for more than 9000 employees of the Erdenet mining industry. Erdenet mining produces almost 20 million tons of ore per year. After the TV program unknown people threatened her over the phone and during the TV program. The director of the Erdenest brokerage company, which held the vouchers, also warned that, “It is a very complicated issue, you could be killed.”

On July 8, local journalist A. Naranbold, who is actively working for the rights of his colleague, contacted his coworker by phone during her recovery. According to Tsevegmid, “The entrance was dark and I couldn’t recognize who the attackers were, or how many people were there.”
Local police are investigating the incident.

Action:
Globe International issued a media release on the incident and informed the Mongolian Journalists’Association. The local branch of the Mongolian United Journalists’ Association /MUJA/also issued a press release on the incident and urged the head of the Association to pay more attention to protecting the rights of journalists and supporting them. They stressed that, “several member journalists of MUJA were attacked while exercising their professional duties and for revealing unlawful activities in our society.”