Oyu Tolgoi Draft Soon To Be Discussed by Parliament

I got this message through Yahoo messenger friends today.

Оюу толгойн Таван Толгойн Тогтвортой байдлын гэрээ Маргааш Хэлэлцэгдэх гэж байна. Энэ гэрээ батлагдвал Монголын толгой баячуудын эзэмших 14 хувь Хятадын Xinhua Mac Co.,Ltd зарагдахаар болж байна. Мөн л Дэлхийд нээлттэй тендерээр зарагдахаар болсон 36 хувь бас л Xinhua Mac Co.,Ltd-ийн гарт орохоор гэрээ нь хийгдсэн байна.. Залуусаа хамтдаа эх орныхоо телее нэгдэцгээе.. цаашаа тараана уу.

Meaning, Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan Tolgoi investment agreements are to be discussed tomorrow by Parliament, which is true. But at the same time, the Parliament may discuss to dismiss or not to dismiss the government. The message appealed young minds to join forces against the agreement. It said 36+14 percent of the Tavan Tolgoi project is to be sold to Chinese Xinhua Mac company (not sure if Xinhua is a correct spelling.)

I hope Oyu Tolgoi would not be sold to China. But when I was talking to some Americans at the US Embassy some years ago, they were laughing "It will be the darkest day in the history of Mongolia when Oyu Tolgoi is sold to China."

Many civil movements and parliament-seated opposition political forces stand against this investment agreement. On Monday, activists of the Resolute Reform Movement, National Soyombo Movement, protested outside the Ivanhoe's representative office in Ulaanbaatar, and pushed a minibus upside down after their megaphone was damaged by an officer of the company.

Photo by B.Byamba-Ochir