Byamba-Ochir Byambasuren, a photographic-journalist at the Unuudur daily newspaper, is recovering after undergoing surgery for the second time to supplement his brain bone at Seoul’s Medical University Hospital in the Republic of Korea.  This information was received by telephone from his mother.

Whilst covering the demonstration in front of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP) building, where it had been reported that several thousand people were gathered to protest the 2008 General Elections results and which escalated to a full-scale riot, Byamba-Ochir suffered serious head injuries and was admitted to the Orthopaedic Trauma Centre in Ulaanbaatar, where he underwent epidural haematoma surgery to remove bone fragments lodged in his brain.  He then required further surgery in procedures only available in foreign countries.

The Globe International NGO immediately launched a fund-raising campaign, calling on friends and colleagues abroad to contribute to Byamba-Ochir’s surgical expenses.  In response, the International Journalists’ Union, the Norwegian Union of Journalists, and the Danish Union of Journalists each donated Euro 1,000, respectively.  Journalists from the Canadian Free Expression Network contributed Canadian Dollars 1,500.

After the second operation, the Mongolian Democratic Association gave USD 1,000 aid for further post-operative treatment.