Country/Topic: Date: 10 August 2006
Source: Globe International NGO
Person (s): journalists
Target(s): “Altan Gobi” television
Type(s) of violation(s): Restriction on access to information
Urgency: Censorship

(Globe International/IFEX) –(Globe International/IFEX) –On July 27, Mr. M. Yadmaa, governor of Omnogovi province, ordered department heads not to give information to "Altangobi" television while the TV cameraman, Mr M. Shinekhuu, was reporting on a meeting of the heads of the governor’s department offices.
On July 26, "AltanGobi" television aired a TV program covering the price of meat increasing too much and interviewed a meat retailer, Dolgor, who said, "The Governor of the province gave out money from the Governors Office to his relatives who purchased meat from neighboring provinces, and resold it here."
After the TV program, the Omnogovi province Governor called the salesperson Dolgor to his room and demanded her to make a withdrawal of her interview, and threatened take her to court if she didn’t agree to.
The governor of the province also ordered to call the journalist who developed the program, but the TV journalists refused to go there.
Incidentally, Mr. N. Naranbaatar, the chairman of Governor’s Office, also expelled journalists from the meeting on introducing inspection results of the Governor’s Office by the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of Mongolia.
Former governor of the province, Ts. Tserenbayr, also repeatedly violated the journalist’s right on access to information. He threatened them, stating “I’m talking about shutting off your TV, you have no right to interview me”, then he demanded the accreditation and twice expelled journalists of ‘Altan Gobi’ television who came to collect information regarding the process of handing over the Governor’s post.
Globe International NGO is deeply worried that the journalist’s right access to information is repeatedly violated. Globe International sent notification letters to Mr M.Yadmaa and Mr N.Naranbaatar, stating violations pertinent laws.
Omnogovi province is located 600 kilometers from the capital of Mongolia and has a population of 43.5 thousand. It has two television stations and two newspapers as well as multiple radio stations. The only independent television “Altangobi”, currently has 16 thousand viewers.