Editor in chief of "Zavhan" newspaper has threatened
2006/01/25
Country / Topic: Mongolia
Date: 18 January 2006
Source: Globe International NGO
Person: B. Ider
Type of violation: Assault
On December 31, Zavkhan aimag (province) Governor L. Gansukh called to his office all staff of the Zavkhan newspaper, including Editor-in-Chief B. Ider and the Governor's Office Media Information Department head and spokeswoman D. Natsagmaa, and yelled at them for some time.
Date: 18 January 2006
Source: Globe International NGO
Person: B. Ider
Type of violation: Assault
On December 31, Zavkhan aimag (province) Governor L. Gansukh called to his office all staff of the Zavkhan newspaper, including Editor-in-Chief B. Ider and the Governor's Office Media Information Department head and spokeswoman D. Natsagmaa, and yelled at them for some time.
His anger was at a notice published in the newspaper�s 35th issue (December 20, 2005) regarding a request from the Court General Executive Department (Zavkhan branch) on the compulsory sale by auction of the Uliastai hotel.
The governor accused Ider of publishing the announcement without checking on the source and demanded that he publish an immediate correction. He also accused Natsagmaa of not censoring newspaper articles.
He further threatened, �If you do not rectify your mistake immediately, I will dismiss you and I can close down your newspaper.� He said that he was deeply concerned that confidential information had received national distribution because the Zavkhan newspaper has a national subscriber network.
Article 47 of the Law on Implementation of Court Decisions states: �An organization implementing a compulsory auction shall announce the sale publicly at least 14 days before the sale through the media.
The branch office and the newspaper claim to have operated legally.
Background information
Officially the Zavkhan newspaper belongs to Egel Co. Ltd. The branch office submitted its formal request and the prepared announcement, and the Zavkhan newspaper published it on the 4th page, which it normally uses for advertising.
Globe action
To make the public aware of the violation of the rights of journalists and of an incidence of censorship, Globe International is releasing the information to the media.
Globe asks anyone concerned about these rights to send a letter of complaint to the Zavkhan aimag governor, legal implementation organizations the Mongolian Human Rights Commission.
Background information
Officially the Zavkhan newspaper belongs to Egel Co. Ltd. The branch office submitted its formal request and the prepared announcement, and the Zavkhan newspaper published it on the 4th page, which it normally uses for advertising.
Globe action
To make the public aware of the violation of the rights of journalists and of an incidence of censorship, Globe International is releasing the information to the media.
Globe asks anyone concerned about these rights to send a letter of complaint to the Zavkhan aimag governor, legal implementation organizations the Mongolian Human Rights Commission.