Yesterday, on August 5, 2008, Ms. Saruul, leader of the Mongolian Green Movement, and Mr. Arslan, leader of the Just Citizens' Movement, were arrested by the police for staging a quiet protest by sitting on the Sukhbaatar Square to demand that the authorities release over 200 political prisoners arrested during and after the election riots of July 1-2 and that the government get to the bottom of the shooting and killing unarmed citizens on the night of July 1.
This past month, since the announcement of the State of Emergency in response to preventable violence outside the former communist party building on July 1-2, has been characterised by outright violations of civic and political rights of citizens, arbitrary actions by the police, political persecution of opposition leaders, and media censorship despite the lifting of the state of emergency.
We are calling on all partners inside and outside Mongolia to support non-partisan civil society action for human rights of Mongolian citizens, especially our civic and political rights and demand that the government immediately cease political persecution of innocent citizens, opposition leaders and civil society activists.
Undarya Tumursukh
Asian Focal Point for the International Civil Society Forum for Democracy
