International Reports 1/2020
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Source: © Carlos Barria, Reuters. Source: Other Topics Between Yurts and Skyscrapers Mongolia’s Youth Are Grappling with a Corrupt Elite Johann C. Fuhrmann 69 Young people in Mongolia are fighting for a say in politics. Internet activists are protesting against corruption in politics and business. In Ulaanbaatar, young women are fighting against sexual violence, and for more political participation. Meanwhile, traditional ways of life are in retreat. Are profound social changes, coupled with an ossified political elite, splitting Mongolian society? A Local Expression of a Global Debate? Resignation and Protest “Now it’s war” – the New York Times recently “Including Youth in the Development of Mon- used these words to describe young people’s golia” was the title of the United Nations’ 2016 feelings of resentment towards the baby boomer Human Development Report on the country.3 generation, i.e. those born between 1945 and This study provides valuable insights into young 1965.1 The hashtag “OK Boomer” is used by people’s attitudes towards politics. Mongolia’s young people to disparage certain attitudes youth, which the organisation defines as people attributed to the older generation. “OK Boomer” aged between 15 and 24, makes up the country’s is a digital way of dismissing them, a way of largest demographic group, at over thirty per saying “Sure thing, grandpa”, that is taking the cent. They are the first generation to grow up in world by storm. The Fridays for Future pro- a democracy in the wake of the peaceful revo- tests, and the viral video by vlogger Rezo, have lution of 1990 and the fall of the socialist dicta- shown that Germany is also experiencing a gap torship. Unfortunately, it has been characterised in understanding between the young and the old, by frequent changes of government – 16 over the particularly when it comes to climate change. last 30 years – and rampant corruption. Young Whether it is Greta Thunberg, climate protests people’s socialisation has also shaped their polit- or the OK Boomer hashtag – these topics are also ical consciousness: according to the report, more covered by the Mongolian media. The journalist than 60 per cent of youth in Mongolia consider Manjaagiin Ichinnorov recently raised the ques- politics to be dirty, and believe that injustice tion of whether this landlocked Asian country is drives good people away from politics.4 Very few also threatened by generational conflict.2 How- want to join political parties or get in touch with ever, due to the different starting points and their MPs. Yet the impression of an apolitical objectives, such a comparison hardly seems pos- generation is deceptive, as became clear about a sible: While climate protection is at the forefront year ago, when tens of thousands took to Twit- of the European debate, in Mongolia, young ter and Facebook to protest a corruption scandal people are mainly fighting to uphold basic dem- involving the ruling party under the hashtag Ждү ocratic rights, and for more social and political (SME , small and medium-sized enterprises). At participation. Young Mongolians are confronted the time, in late 2018, it emerged that numerous with a corrupt political elite that shows no will- politicians in the ruling Mongolian People’s Party ingness to listen to their concerns. On top of (MPP), including two ministers and fourteen this, a proposed new law on NGOs is calling into MPs, had embezzled a sovereign wealth fund question the future of civil society. Political dis- set up to support small and medium-sized enter- enchantment and growing scepticism towards prises.5 According to Mongolia expert Julian politicians are the immediate consequences. In Dierkes, over the next few weeks Ждү became parallel, the rapid advance of urbanisation is “one of the most active and unifying hashtags we leading to large-scale social upheaval. have seen emerge on Mongolian social media.”6 70 International Reports 1|2020 But this massive protest by young internet activ- parties. This is also reflected in the composition ists merely led to the dismissal of the parliamen- of parliament, where only 13 out of 76 MPs are tary speaker, Mijeegombyn Enkbold, and the women. The youngest member of parliament, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry, Nyam-Osoryn Uchral, is 34 years old, followed Batjargal Batzorig, who was responsible for allo- by five aged 39. cating the money and, among other things, had given his wife a loan from the fund. The fourteen The MPP and DP both have youth wings that are MPs who had enriched themselves in the SME represented in every province around the coun- scandal were not prosecuted and remained in try. A glimmer of hope was provided by the fact office. A subsequent parliamentary vote decided that the DP’s youth wing was heavily involved in that the government should stay in power, and drafting the party’s new manifesto. Sukhbaatar also split the opposition Democratic Party (DP). Erdenebold, the chairman of the youth organ- Three members of the DP had voted for the MPP isation, was entrusted with this process. The government; two of them set up a new party a draft manifesto was debated at 21 regional con- few months later. Meanwhile, media reports of ferences and finally unanimously adopted on corruption in the ranks of the ruling party con- 5 December 2018 at the DP’s 9th Party Congress. tinue unabated. In early November 2019, two This was a groundbreaking step in light of young MPP politicians were each sentenced to four people’s general lack of engagement with poli- years in prison for their involvement in the sale tics. It also raised hopes that parliament could of government offices.7 be rejuvenated after the June 2020 elections. But the DP’s recent announcement that candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections will be Since the youth lacks adequate required to pay one hundred million Tugrik, the representation in parliament, equivalent of over 30,000 euros, into the party’s Mongolian politicians are coffers has triggered controversy and disillusion- ment.10 It is feared that these financial obstacles rarely taking their views will prevent many talented young politicians seriously. from standing for election. Policy failures and persistent corruption mean that young people are increasingly losing trust Even four years ago, the UN report was criti- in their country’s democratic institutions. In a cal of young people’s dwindling trust and lack comparative survey of twelve Asian countries, of involvement in political institutions. It con- Mongolia’s youth had the most negative view of cluded that Mongolia’s youth lacked adequate parliament. Only ten per cent of them believed representation in parliament, and that their that parliament responds to the interests of its views were rarely taken seriously by politicians.8 citizens.11 Although they are disenchanted with Party funding is a serious problem in this respect, politics, many young people nevertheless get but this is not covered in the report. Party fund- involved in civil society organisations as a way of ing not only lacks transparency but also requires making their voices heard. prospective MPs, particularly newcomers to politics, to make large payments out of their Young Women and the Fight for Equality own pockets. Very few young people have the personal resources or sponsorship to finance In late November 2019, the chairman of Mongo- expensive election campaigns. High member- lia’s constitutional court, Dorj Odbayar, finally ship fees for political parties disadvantage young succumbed to public pressure and was removed women in particular, who, on average, earn 1.4 from his post. The 52-year-old was accused of times less than men.9 Particularly in rural Mon- sexually harassing a South Korean flight attendant golia, women often cannot afford to join political on a flight from Ulaanbaatar to Incheon.12 He was Other Topics 71 allegedly drunk during the incident that took place Anti-government sentiments: Policy failures and → last October. He was initially backed by the gov- persistent corruption mean that young people are increasingly losing trust in their country’s democratic institutions. ernment, and the parliamentary speaker stated Source: © Rentsendorj Bazarsukh, Reuters. that the South Korean police had confused the seat number and arrested the wrong person. The constitutional court’s press office stated that the judge was simply defending a fellow Mongolian who had been wrongly accused of sexual assault.13 rights organisation called Young Women for But in the end, these versions of events could not Change. Apart from organising demonstrations, be sustained. Once the incident became public, this NGO also runs training courses and semi- the social media furore continued for many weeks, nars in a bid to raise awareness of the problem and an online petition, which has attracted thou- and change society’s attitudes. The activists sands of signatories, is still demanding an official also use comics and videos to deliberately draw apology from the chairman of the court. The fierce young men into the debate. They feel they have controversy ignited by this incident in Mongolia’s been let down by their political representatives, media was partly due to the fact that sexual vio- who passed a law against sexual harassment in lence against women is so widespread. For exam- 2015 then promptly withdrew it two years later. ple, a report by the United Nations Population With bizarre reasoning, one of the few female Fund reveals that more than half of all women MPs, Oyunkhorol Dulamsuren of the MPP, jus- in Mongolia who are in a relationship experience tified it as follows: “The reason why parliament one or more forms of violence, whether physi- removed it from criminal law is that the action cal, sexual or psychological.14 Domestic violence was taken in the same vein as sexual violence, so was only made a criminal offence three years ago.