(Globe International/IFEX) – On 12 June 2006, S. Munkhdalai, a reporter for the community radio station Noyon Uul, and Uvurkhangai TV journalist G. Puntsagsuren were denied information by G. Dashtudev, chief secretary of the Crime Prevention Council of the Mongolian Justice and Domestic Ministry. While S. Munkhdalai was taping a meeting about inspections at the […]
(Globe International/IFEX) – On 12 June 2006, S. Munkhdalai, a reporter for the community radio station Noyon Uul, and Uvurkhangai TV journalist G. Puntsagsuren were denied information by G. Dashtudev, chief secretary of the Crime Prevention Council of the Mongolian Justice and Domestic Ministry. While S. Munkhdalai was taping a meeting about inspections at the council’s Uvurkhangai aimag (province) branch, the secretary twice turned off the recorder and ordered the journalists to leave the meeting.
The journalists were denied information by G. Dashtudev, who was speaking about a Justice Ministry report of an inspection in Uvurkhangai aimag, which he said was classified an organizational secret. He ordered the journalists to leave the meeting unless they stopped voice and video recording.
S. Munkhdalai, Globe International NGO’s central region monitor said, “The information classified secret by G. Dashtudev was that there were herders who could name livestock rustlers who would be liable to legal punishment.”
He also criticized the Uvurkhangai aimag police staff who didn’t act promptly.
According to Globe lawyer G. Davaakhuu, “Freedom of expression and information are protected in Article 16 of the Constitution of Mongolia, which states ‘Citizens of Mongolia enjoy the following rights and freedoms: 17. The right to seek and receive information, except that which the state and its bodies are legally bound to protect as secret.’ This is also reflected in international treaties, viz: Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Political Rights, which have been ratified by Mongolia.” The information classified as secret by G. Dashtudev cannot be defined as secret under the law as it applies in Mongolia.
Globe International has issued a media release on the incident, and has called on G. Dashtudev, as chief secretary of the Crime Prevention Council for the Justice and Domestic Ministry, to respect the rights of journalists and the public, including their right to seek and receive information, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
In the media release, Globe International stressed, “Under current Mongolian legislation, it is a crime to interfere with the lawful professional activities of a journalist with the aim of promoting one’s own interests.”
