(Globe International/IFEX) – On 27 July 2006, 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 departmental offices. On 26 July, AltanGobi television aired a programme covering the excessive […]
(Globe International/IFEX) – On 27 July 2006, 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 departmental offices.
On 26 July, AltanGobi television aired a programme covering the excessive increase in the price of meat and interviewed a meat retailer, Dolgor, who said “The governor of the province gave out money from the Governor’s Office to his relatives, who purchased meat from neighboring provinces and resold it here.”
After the programme aired, the governor called Dolgor to his office, demanded she retract her accusation, and threatened to take her to court if she didn’t agree to do so.
The governor also demanded a meeting with the journalist who produced the programme, but the journalist refused.
Mr. N. Naranbaatar, the chairman of the Governor’s Office, also expelled journalists from a meeting in which the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of Mongolia was to present the results of its inspection into the Governor’s Office.
Former governor of the province, Ts. Tserenbayr, also repeatedly violated a journalist’s right of access to information. He threatened the journalist, stating “I’m talking about shutting off your station, you have no right to interview me.” He then demanded to see the accreditation of – and twice expelled – journalists of AltanGobi television who came to collect information on the process of handing over the governor’s post.
Globe International is deeply worried that the right of journalists to access information has been repeatedly violated, and sent notification letters to Mr M. Yadmaa and Mr N. Naranbaatar, indicating the pertinent laws that these violations transgress.
Omnogovi province is located 600 kilometers from the capital of Mongolia and has a population of 43,500. It has two television stations and two newspapers as well as multiple radio stations. The only independent television, AltanGobi, currently has 16,000 viewers.
