Center
for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), a FORUM-ASIA member in
Mongolia, demanded a Canadian mining company to stop its human rights
violations on local people and the Mongolian government to control its
exploitation. CHRD's statement below, issued on 22 June 2009, was
endorsed by 65 civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country.
Center
for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), a FORUM-ASIA member in
Mongolia, demanded a Canadian mining company to stop its human rights
violations on local people and the Mongolian government to control its
exploitation. CHRD's statement below, issued on 22 June 2009, was
endorsed by 65 civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country.

We, Mongolian CSOs,
demand the government to call to account 'Boroo Gold' mining company and develop
responsible mining in Mongolia.

Mongolian CSOs state with full responsibility to
the Government of Mongolia and public that mining in Mongolia is
irresponsible and legal rights and interests of the people: miners and local
communities have been violated continuously without proper legal redress.

'Boroo Gold', a Canadian mining company, has
breached its contractual duty to use a mineral deposit for 15 years that was
included in its 'Sustainability agreement for 15 years' concluded with the
Government of Mongolia and which granted taxation relief for the first 5 years
of the gold deposit's exploitation. However Boroo Gold extracted in total
41 tonnes of gold (the whole deposit) for the first 5 years of taxation relief
with a profit of 963 billion tugrug (875.5 million USD approx) and enjoyed the
taxation relief of 220 billion tugrug (200 million USD approx). This is an
example ofthe activities of Boroo Gold
that have damaged the rights and interests of the country and its people to the
value of 220 billion tugrug.

In addition, the company made its hundreds of
miners jobless even though they expected to have job places ensured for 15 years
and has disregarded their strike, including a hunger strike, to protect their
violated rights. Finally, the company distributed a small amount of compensation
to them and was able to stop the strike action of the miners. This activity of
the company is a grave violation of the legal interests of Mongolian people by
'ceasing fire' temporarily.

We consider that this critical situation occurred
due to improper control by the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Minerals and
Energy, Minerals Authority, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, State
Professional Inspection Agency and their officials who have a duty to control
the exploitation of the deposit according to the term of the agreement on the
exploitation process.

Thus, we call for the State Great Khural
(Parliament of Mongolia) and the Government of Mongolia to hold accountable
Boroo Gold and guilty officials who breached the law, examine other mineral
licenses of the company and undertake measures required canceling the licenses
and solving the problem of redundant miners immediately.

Furthermore, the State Great Khural and the
Government of Mongolia are advised to take lessons from this situation to make
future agreements on mineral deposits of strategic importance including the
agreements on mineral deposits of 'Oyu tolgoi' and 'Tavan tolgoi', with full
guarantee of holding responsible mining companies to protect the legal rights
and interests of local citizens and miners and to develop responsible mining in
Mongolia.