NGOSubmissionforUPR
UPR(UniversalPeriodicReview)Submission
Mongolia–InRegardtoIndigenousRightsIssuesfacingMongolia’s
NationalMinorities
SubmittedBy:
DanPlumley
Director
TotemPeoplesPreservationProject(orsimply,TotemProject)
P.O.Box746
KeeneValley,NewYork12943
Telephone(518)576‐9277
SasCarey
Director
Nomadicare
248WashingtonSt.Ext.Middlebury,VT05753
CulturalSurvival
2067MassachusettsAve
Cambridge,MA02140
September15,2014
NGOBackgrounds:
TheTotemProjecthasbeenestablishedin1989withthemissionofsupportingtheindigenousandtraditional
nomadicrightsofnativereindeerherdersinSoutheasternSiberia,RussiaandnorthernMongolia.Itsdirector,
DanPlumley,aculturalecologistwithexpertiseinForestry,Wildlife,ParkManagementandTraditional
IndigenousCultures,beganworkingwiththeDukha(Tsaatan)ofMongoliain1997.TheTotemProjectworked
onthreespheresofaction:(1)advancingnativerightsrecognitionfortheDukha(Tsaatan)indigenousminority
withtheGovernmentofMongolia;(2)offeringveterinaryandothersupportstobenefitthehealth,welfareand
numbersofdomesticreindeeroftheDukhalivestockherders;and(3)incorporatingmaterialandprogram
supporttoadvancecompatibleeconomicchangefornomadsofthehightaigaecosystem.
NomadicaresupportsthesustainabilityandculturalsurvivalofnomadicpeoplesinMongoliabyharmonizing
traditionalandmodernmedicineanddocumentingnomadicwaysforfuturegenerations.SasCarey,the
DirectorandFounderofNomadicarehasworkedextensivelyacrossMongoliatoadvancehealthcare,education
anddocumentationofthenomadicwaysoftraditionalMongolianlife–andthethreatsagainstitssurvival.
Cultural Survival is an international Indigenous rights organization with a global Indigenous leadership and
consultative status with ECOSOC. Cultural Survival is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is registered as a
501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States. Cultural Survival monitors the protection of Indigenous peoples'
rights in countries throughout the world and publishes its findings in its magazine, the Cultural Survival Quarterly; and
on its website: www.cs.org
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FocusofthisReport:
BothNGO’slistedhaveextensiveworkingexperiencedirectwiththeDukha
(Tsaatan)reindeerherdingpeoplesofnorthernMongolia’sKhuvsgolAimagor
regionwhoarethefocusforthisreport.TheDukharepresentMongolia’ssmallest
indigenousethnicminorityatapproximately600personswith230stillliving
nomadicallyinMongolia’snorthernborealtaigaregionwestofLakeHosvsgol
borderingRussia’sBuryatandTyvandistrictstothenorthandwest.Thatsaid,
minorityKazaksinWesternMongoliaandTuvanherdersalikehavesimilarneeds
andchallengesinthecaseoffulfillinghumanandindigenousrightslongterm.
Moreover,withtheincreasingimpactsconfrontingtraditionalnomadsallover
Mongoliafromminingandindustrialimpactstowatersources,grazinglands,
forestedareas,hayinglands,wildlifeandfisheryresources,etc.,etc.,thetraditional
wayoflifefornomadiclivestockherdingisseriouslyunderthreat.Thusmajority
ethnicgroupKalkhMongolsaswell,intermsoftraditionalnomadiclifestylesmay
soonbebecomingathreatenedminorityinandofthemselves–andthereisreal
overlapbetweenthechallengesfacingtheherdingDukha,KazakandTuvanethnic
minoritieswithherdingnomadsnationwide.
2010UPRSummary:
WithrespecttoindigenousminoritiesinMongolia,thefindingsofthe2010UPR
ReportrecognizedthefollowingchallengesassubmittedbyNGOstakeholdersat
thattime:
 EthnicminoritiesinMongoliaareculturally,linguistically,economicallyand
politicallymarginalized
 Publicpolicygenerallyfailstounderstandandrespondtotheinterestsof
ethnicminorities
 Rightsofethnicminoritiestocarryouttraditionallivelihoodsandenjoy
hometerritorynaturalresourcescriticaltonomadiclifestyleisbeinglostto
theownersofmininglicensesandconcessions
 AlackofspecialprotectionfortheDukhaminoritywhoserelianceonwild
gamefortheirtraditionaldiethasbeenthreatenedbyaggressiveapplication
ofnationalhuntingandwildlifeprotectionlawsthatmakenoexceptionsfor
subsistencecultures
 RecommendingthatMongolia,interaliaawardqualifyinggroupsrightsand
concessionsinsupportofaprivilegedrighttosustainablesubsistenceuseof
naturalresourcesandwildlifeessentialtotheirculture
 Thereisaneedforpro‐ethnicminoritylandtenurepoliciesinconsultation
withminorityethnicgroups(NationalMinorities)toensuretheirsustained
accesstoandproperuseofnaturalresourcesandtraditionallands,resources
andwaters
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2014FindingsandRecommendationsforthisUPRSubmission:
Ingeneral,wecansaythatmanyofthefindingsfromthe2010UPRReportstillring
trueandethnicminoritiesacrossMongoliacontinuetofacemanychallenges
linguistically,economicallyandpolitically.Moreover,theenvironmentalimpact
pressuresontheirtraditionallandsandactivitieshaveonlyincreasedwithgreater
inroadsoftheinternationalminingindustryacrossMongolia,tourismimpacts,as
wellasagrowingawarenessofclimatechanges,aswell.Wherepastchallenges
havebeenaddressorsubsided,newonesemergeandoldissuesnotformerly
recognizedasharmfultoethnicminoritiesliketheDukhaarebecomingrecognized
ashavingseriousramificationsfortheculturalandlifestyleintegrityandfuture
goingforward.
Nevertheless,therehavebeenpositivestepstakentosupportpolicy,lawandcourt
decisionstohelpprotectfromharmortoadvancetherightsandlivelihoodof
traditionallivestocknomadsincludingthoseofminorityethnicgroupslikethe
Dukha(Tsaatan),Kazak,Tuvaandothers.
Ourfindingsandrecommendationsincludethefollowing:
1.WithregardtotheDukha(andotherethnicminorities)PresidentTsakhiagiin
Elbegdorjhasdemonstratedawillingnesstovisitandlearntheplightofethnic
minoritiesresultinginseveralpositiveactions.Forexample,duringearly2013,the
MongolianPresidenttraveledtomeetwiththeDukhaontheirnativelandsandhe
followedhistravelswithaPresidentialProclamationinsupportoftheDukha
(Tsaatan).
2.RighttoHealthCare:FollowonactionsconsistentwiththePresident’s
ProclamationontheDukha(Tsaatan)includebetteraccesstofreehealthcare.
Herderandtheirfamiliescannowobtaincheck‐upsandhealthcareadvicetwice
annuallyattheregionsoumcenterhospitalinTsaganNuur(WhiteLake).
Transportationinandoutoftheirremotealpineterritories,however,remains
challengingformanyduetoitsremoteness.
Recommendation:BeyondgovernmenthealthcaresupportattheSoumCenter,
andaidprovidedperiodicallybyNGO’s,theGovernmentofMongoliashould
ascertainwhatsustainablesupportinhealthcaretraining,preventativecareand
practicecanbebroughtdirecttothetaigawheretheill,elderlyandeconomically
depressedmaybeunabletoleave.
3.RighttoEquitableElementaryandHigherEducationwithNativeLanguage
Protection:DukhaelementarystudentsremainbeingtaughtonlyinMongolian
languageandtheirnativelanguageisseverelythreatenedintheyounger
generation.Dukhastudentscontinuetofacechallengesasethnicminoritiesatarea
schoolsandoftenhavelessmaterialorhousingsupportorconditionsthanmanority
Mongolians.Dukha(Tsaatan)studentsofcollegeanduniversityagemayreceive
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theirtuitionandlodgingcostscoveredbytheGovernmentofMongolia–amajor
stepforwardforDukhastudentswhohistoricallycouldnotaffordhighereducation
atthecollegeanduniversitylevel.
Recommendation:StrategicstepsneedtobetakentoreturnDukhalanguageto
classroomeducationweeklyintheSoumCenterschoolsandDukhachildrenshould
beprovidedequitableschoolresourcesasanyotherstudents.
ItisalsoimportanttoinsureequityforadjacentDarkhadMongolstudentsandto
determineeducationgapsandremediestobringethnicminoritytoskilland
knowledgelevelcapabilitytoreachcollegeanduniversitylevelrequirements.
4.RighttoEmploymentandGainfulIncome:theDukhahavegainedavery
importantcommitmenttohavetheirherdersalariesreinstatedthatprovide
130,000tugriksperadultand65,000tugriksforchildrenmonthly.Thesearevery
significantenhancementsintheirfinancialsupportandwell‐being.Thenewstipend
isviewedasveryfavorable,buthasledtoreductionsinthedevelopmentoftheir
individualantlercraftmakingthatwasimportantforincomepreviously.Conflicts
existbetweentheminorityDukhaandadjacentDarkhadMongolsoverbenefits.
Recommendation:herderincomeequityneedstoaddressbothDukhaand
DarkhadMongolsinfairfashiontolessenethnictensions–bothrelativelyspeaking
northernminoritieswithmanycarryingouttraditionallivestockherdinglifestyles.
5.RighttoSubsistenceUseofNaturalResourcesandWildGame:Conflicts
regardingtheuseofnaturalresourcesincludingnativegamewildlifecontinueand
needtobeaddressedcomprehensivelywithaneyetowardssafeguardingand
advancingtheethniccultureandlifestyleoftheDukha(Tsaatan)andotherhunter‐
gatherernomads.Atpresent,theDukhaarebeingbarredfromfishingduringspring
spawningseasonseventhoughtheiractualfishingtakeisrelativelyminorandonly
forsubsistencepurposesastheyeatfishonlyrarely.NationalHuntingandWildlife
Lawcanfavorinternationalandmajoritypopulationsportsmenandwomenover
theDukha’sownsubsistencelivingneedsforwildgamemeat.
Recommendation:TheGovernmentofMongoliashouldresearchandassessthe
neededchangesinlawandenvironmentalpolicythatcouldequitablyidentify
properminimumtakenumbersforwildlifeandgamespeciesofculturaland
nutritionalimportancetotheDukhareindeerherders.Dukhatraditionalnomadic
territoriesshouldincludecertainrestrictionsonbothnon‐Dukhaandinternational
huntersandsportsmantoinsuresufficientquantitiesforwildgamesubsistence
provisionfortheDukha’strueneeds.
6.RighttoAssociatewiththeirTraditionalCultureRelationsinRussia–
BorderIssuesOn‐Going:TheDukha(Tsaatan)aredirectlyrelatedtotheTodja‐
TyvansoftheRepublicofTyva,Russiaacrosstheborder.Dukhahaveperiodically
beenarrestedandjailedforcrossingtheremotehighmountainborder(which
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remainsnon‐distinctormarkedinmanyareas)inordertovisittheirrelatives.
Herdershavebeenarrestedandjailedinthepastforoveramonthormoreandhad
theirhuntingriflesconfiscatedforcrossingwithin1kilometeroftheborderin
ordertocollectdeerantlersforneededlatewinterincome.Dukhafacegrave
challengesinfindingmenandwomentomeetandmarryoftheirsameethnic
identityandenhancing,notdegrading,theirtraveltotheirhistoricalrelationsand
regionsisneeded.
Recommendation:Theirrighttocross‐bordertravelshouldberesearchedfor
properlegalassessmentandimplementationofpoliciesandpracticesthatcanboth
insurebordersecuritywhileallowingtheDukhatomeettheirtransborderrelations
withoutharm,injusticeandpenalty.
7.RighttoFree,PriorandInformedConsent:Manyofthemininglicensesthat
underlaytheentiretraditionalterritoryoftheDukhainnorthernMongoliawere
soldorestablishedtoprivateethnicMongolianbusinessmenbytheMongolian
GovernmentshortlyfollowingMongolia’sindependenceandtothisday.Thevast
majorityoftheselicenseswereobtainedwithoutanyfree,priororinformed
consentoftheDukha.Otherethnicminoritiesandnomadicherdershavefacedthe
sameproblemfromthecorporatemininginterestswithbothlegalandillegal
licensingofundergroundmineralrights.
Recommendation:Thoughmanyoftheselicensesandleaseshaveyettobeacted
upon,theyremainlegallyviableandapotentialseriousthreattothefuturelands
andlifestyleofnomadic,ethnicminorities.TheGovernmentofMongoliashould
researchthisseriousproblemandchangethedynamicoflawandpolicytorequire
andempowertheDukhatohaveprimarycontroloveractionsontheirtraditional
territoryandtoassesswhere,specifically,traditionalnomadicandhuntinglands
willalwaysreverttoDukhacontrolandsovereignty,andwhere,sustainablyas
possible,miningmaytakeplaceandhowtheDukhawillbenefitasequalorprimary
partnersandbenefactors.
8. The Right to Traditional Lifestyles without Serious Impact from Tourism. The
Dukha live in two groupings of the West and East Taiga Groups. The East Group of
Dukha is closer to the Soum Center and gains far more tourism interest and visitations
than those in the remote west. Consequently, the increasing number of tourists are
leading to circumstances whereby the East Group tends more to stay in one place to
facilitate the tourists. This has the negative impact of harming the range for the reindeer
and weakening the reindeer. There are environmental impacts as well from the longer
than normal stays in one location as the taiga is very sensitive to damage and the normal
nomadic movement schedule benefits the land and resources as well as their reindeer and
traditional lifestyle.
Recommendation: The Government of Mongolia should assist the West band East
Dukha Groupings to develop policies and protocols that limit the negative impacts of
regional tourism that, otherwise, may change or inhibit the nomadic nature of the culture
to ill effect on people, land and reindeer. Modifications can be made to still permit
interaction with tourists and still enable the traditional nomadic movement of the Dukha
(Tsaatan).
DRP/SC/dp
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