Capsule report
Globe International, Mongolia
5 July 2008.
Six journalists have been assaulted during the public demonstration and he riot started after the event
Globe International condemns that on July 1, 2008, six journalists have been assaulted by the riots, when they were reporting the public demonstration protested the 2008 Parliamentarian election’s results in front of the building of the post-communist party-Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Part and the riot started after few hours of the event.
Byamba-Ochir Byambasuren, a photo reporter of daily newspaper Onoodor (Today) is at the Trauma Orthopedic Center with the serious skull-bone trauma and damage of brain substances. In the morning of July 2, he was operated and he still needs intensive treatment. He might need the second surgery. “In this case, it is possible to carry the complicated surgery in Mongolia and the hospital management will seek opportunities abroad” said his doctor.
Globe International has opened a bank account to raise the funds for his surgery.
During the event several television cameras and equipment of the Mongolian National Public Televsion were damaged.
The offices of a daily newspaper Ogloonii sonin and weeklies Humuus and Humuusiin Amidral. were entirely destroyed due to the fire erupted after the burning of the Bloc B of the City Cultural Palace complex.
The biggest news portal Olloo located at the bloc G of the City Cultural Palace is not able operate. The equpments and computers of two FM stations: FM 107.5 and FM 102.5 situated at the same bloc have been robbed.
Additional information
Mongolia’s 2008 Parliamentarian elections were held on June 29, 2008 and 12 political parties and one coalition contested for 76 seats. Next day, on June 30, 2008 the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) convened a press conference and stated that they won the elections with absolute majority. That time, the General Election Commission did not officially announce the final results of the elections. The opposition parties protested the results stating the elections were not fair and they demanded the re-counting of the vote. The opposition parties organized the public demonstration in front of the building of the MPRP. After few hours the demonstrators started attacking the building and burning it. The police could not control the situation. Now the building was entirely burnt. Afterwards it turned to the mass disorder and the riots started vandalizing and robbing the MPRP building. The attacked building of the City Cultural Palace complex located on behalf of the MPRP building. Bloc B of the complex fully burnt and Bloc C was partly suffered from the fire. The offices located at all other blocs have been robbed and vandalized.
P.S
We regret we are not able to normally work because of carbon monoxide fumes from the burning. The office of Globe International located in the Bloc G, is heavily sooty. There are no electricity and water. We are seeking a new office at the moment.