| July
02, 2003 MONGOLIA'S LAND PRIVATIZATION CONCERN: A mysterious decision of Mr. M.Enkhbold, the Mayor of Ulaanbaatar city has caused a real tragedy for five poor families living in Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar. The decision No.159 signed by Mr.Enkhbold remains secret from April 25, 2003, the date of its issue, although 37 people from vulnerable social group living in five yards of 0.03 hectar each are trying to find out why they had to leave their land during the land privatization instead of getting their land where the families lived for 10-38 years. No one who tried to know was allowed even to see the City Mayor's decision No.159 whilst the district governor's office and police are repeatedly running the families from their land between May 28-June 28, 2003. Five yards of 20 meters long and 15 meters wide each were built at the east part of the capital city in 1965 by five men settled in Ulaanbaatar from countryside. For 38 years, no building was built except one in one of those five yards. They have been living in gers (movable round dwelling) poorly but very friendly to each other for three generations. Land privatization law was just their hope for brighter life. They are five pensioners of 57-90 years old, eight children under 16, two men with disabled status, 19 unemployed adults and four students living in five yards totaling 0.15 hectars. (15 meters X 100 meters). Average income of a family is 25 dollars a month. When Land Privatization law came into effect on May 1, 2003, Mr. Lkhagvadorj, Battumur, Altangerel, Amgalanbayar and Mrs.Norjmaa applied to Byanzurkh district land office for re-registration of their old land certificate. Their applications were received and the land of 0.03 hectar each was re-registered by the district land office by May 05, 2003. As their re-registration was okay and as they did not claim for bigger sized land (according to the Law, a family in Ulaanbaatar is entitled to claim up to 0.07 hectar land to privatize for free) they were told that they will have to wait for up to three months in order to get land ownership certificate to be issued by the Capital City Governor's Office. With the excitement of having their own land soon, families were waiting for the positive decision from Mr.Enkhbold, the Mayor. On May 28,2003 the district land officer, a policeman and a man from the Mongolian United Federation "The Owners of small and medium enterprises"(MUFOSME) , an NGO, came to the families and handed the "demand on freeing the land" issued by Mr.Tselmeg, the Capital City General Architect. According to the demand, the reason of running the families from their land was that "the land was given to the MUFOSME under decision No.159 issued by the City Mayor". Families were given no information about the exact content of the decision, reimbursement issues or their right to claim for land ownership on their home place etc. Mr.Altangerel, a pensioner, Mr.Lkhagvadorj , Nayanbaatar and other family heads strongly opposed the land seizing decisions and stood on their rights not to move from the land possessed by them legally. However, they are threatened to use force against them. They all heard how land officers and MUFOSME person talked to each other that "it was an easy job to free five yards as families live in gers. It will take one night to remove all families" said Mr. Lkhagvadorj, 38. After the land officer and police unsuccessfully tried to seize the families' land for four times, the MUFOSME, an NGO established in May 2002 and headed by Mr.Odonchimed, an MP and a ruling MPRP (Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party) candidate, complained to Bayanzurkh district court claiming to get the land. Now those poor families are searching for advocates although they have no penny to pay for the lawyers' fees yet. "We had such a great hope and joy when we applied for land ownership for our small land. But from the day we heard about Mr.Enkhbold's land seizing decision, we all are being so afraid: older ones are getting sick and younger ones are being depressed. We do not know why City Governor picked up the families' land to give to another organization just six days prior to the start of Land privatization. Perhaps there is money involved. Maybe richer people and organizations are saving their money from buying the land from us-poor families. They are just running us out without giving a penny like we were street dogs." said Mr. Nayanbaatar, 56. Mayor Enkhbold's decision to seize family land is breaking the decision of the Capital City Council issued in early April of this year which promised that all legally residing families' land will be privatized to their possessors without any condition. This decision was issued after several demonstrations organized by the Fairer Land Privatization Movement caught wide public attention during November 2002- April 2003. Liberty Center calls you to urge Mongolian government to implement the Land privatization fairly. We would like to convey your words to Mongolian public. So please copy your letter to liberty_c@mongolnet.mn: To see our previous alerts on Mongolian land privatization concerns and human rights cases please visit our web site's new address: www.libertycenter.org.mn
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