Mongolia Brief April 3, 2014 Part II
Mongolians
visit Australia’s Bendigo
Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) In a
glowing endorsement of Victoria's roads system, Tuesday's visitors to the
VicRoads Bendigo branch came all the way from Mongolia to learn about it.
This news about a visit of a Mongolian
transport delegation to Australia’s Bendigo was published at
bendigoadvertiser.com.au, on Wednesday.
The State Secretary for the Mongolian
Transport Ministry B.Batzaya and other senior officials visited Bendigo to
observe Victoria's regional road infrastructure.
They attended an all-day conference,
in which VicRoads specialists discussed similarities between Victorian and
Mongolian landscapes and detailed the methods the state had employed to
develop its roads.
"Our challenge is to develop
infrastructure in a vast area with a small population," he said.
VicRoads spray seal
technology principal engineer John Esnouf worked in Mongolia for
several months last year.
Stock
exchange news for April 3
Ulaanbaatar, April 3 /MONTSAME/ At the
Stock Exchange trades held Thursday, a total of 8,445 shares of 37 JSCs were
traded costing MNT 27 million 982 thousand and 667.00.
"Moninjbar" /3,000 units/,
"Hai Bi Oil" /2,000 units/, "Material impex” /1,462 units/,
"Remikon” /534 units/ and "State Department Store" /448 units/
were the most actively traded in terms of trading volume, in terms of trading
value--"Material impex" (MNT 19 million 958 thousand and 760),
"Darkhan nekhii" (MNT one million and 590 thousand), "Talkh
chikher" (MNT 923 thousand), "Moninjbar" (MNT 870 thousand) and
"Mongeo" (MNT 760 thousand).
The total market capitalization was
set at MNT one trillion 624 billion 879 million 346 thousand and 179. The Index
of Top-20 JSCs was 15,765.57, decreasing by MNT 59.21 or 0.37% against the
previous day.
Mongolian
community networking event to run in New York
Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) A
Mongolian community networking event is planned to run in New York this
Saturday as a part of the Mongolian Young Leaders Program (MYLP).
The event intends to create
opportunities of spending an evening with fellow Mongolians working and living
in the area and networking with one another. The event is free and open to the
greater Mongolian community.
MYLP was founded in 2009 with a
mission to provide opportunities for Mongolian student-fellows to meet and
network with one another, exchange their views and opinions on present and
future issues concerning the prosperity of Mongolia, and ultimately to motivate
them to become the future intellectual leaders of the country in diverse
fields. This year, MYLP is organized under the auspices of the President of Mongolia
Ts.Elbegdorj.
New
website opens to propagandize Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) The
Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has opened a website
(travel2mongolia.com) to provide international organizations, individuals and
tourists with general news about Mongolia.
This website opened after the “Messe
Berlin”, main organizer of the ITB Berlin international exhibition, officially
announced Mongolia as a partner of the ITB 2015 this April 1.
ITB Berlin is the world's largest
tourism trade fair. The companies represented at the fair include hotels,
tourist boards, tour operators, system providers, airlines and car rental
companies.
Mongolia participated in the fair in
1989 for the first time together with Germany’s “Grand Asia” Company, and
attended in 2011 as a cultural partner. The previous year’s exhibition
attracted 10 thousand enterprises of 188 countries.
B.Ser-Od
to run for Japanese company
Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) A
State Honored Sportsman and long distance runner B.Ser-Od is having an
intensive training to compete in the Nagano Marathon that will take place this
April 20.
He will run for Japan’s “NTT” company.
This year’s marathon is expected to attract 10 thousand 907 male and female
runners from 10 countries, excluding Japan.
It is considered that biggest rivals
of B.Ser-Od are Kenyans Martin Waweru (best achievement– 2:02:02), Nicholas
Chelimo (2.07.38) and Silas Sang (2.09.10). Ser-Od’s best result is two hours
09 minutes, which is recorded during the 2013 Beppu Yomiuri marathon.
For the time being, B.Ser-Od is
residing in Japan.
The Nagano Olympic Commemorative
Marathon is an annual marathon road race which takes place in mid-April in
Nagano, Japan. It is an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race competition. The Nagano
Marathon has races for both elite and amateur runners. It is named in honour of
the 1998 Winter Olympics which were held in Nagano.
Judokas
having training in Germany
Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) Top
judokas of the national selected team are having a joint training in Germany.
The group has comprised some 20
judokas such as N.Tuvshinbayar, an Olympic champion; and Kh.Tsagaanbaatar, a
World champion. The joint training will last for ten days in the “Kienbaum”
judo training center.
22.1
billion MNT required for drinking water safety
April 3 (UB Post) International and
domestic organizations have jointly formulated the first-ever program for
ensuring drinking water safety in Mongolia and presented it to the board
members of the Ulaanbaatar City Administrations this week.
The program will be carried out for
two years until 2016, to supply safe and standard drinking water to residents
of the city. A total of 22.1 billion MNT will be spent or the program.
All water tanks, artesian wells, water kiosks and water delivery trucks in the
city will be inspected for possible risks to human health and the environment.
The results of the inspection will be used to fight threats to drinking water
safety in Ulaanbaatar.
The board members agreed to discuss
the program at the next meeting of the Ulaanbaatar City Council for approval.
The Mongolian Office of the World
Health Organization, Water Supply and Sewerage Authority of Ulaanbaatar City
(USUG), Tuul River Basin Administration and the Office of Ulaanbaatar City
Governor are collaborating on the project.
N.Altankhuyag:
50 thousand MNT banknotes will not be introduced
April 3 (UB Post) Prime Minister of
Mongolia N.Altnakhuyag held his weekly “30 Minutes with the Prime Minister”
meeting yesterday and made statements to the press regarding the nation’s
current issues. According to news.mn, Finance Minister Ch.Ulaan announced
during his working hours at the governmental 11-11 hotline center, that the
issue of introducing a 50 thousand MNT banknote is under review, but the Prime
Minister refuted that information and said it was a rumor.
N.Altankhuyag also stated that a
resolution on measures to be taken for the current economic situation in
Mongolia will be submitted to the Parliament.
The
following are responses by the Prime Minister to journalists’ questions.
The
opposition force has been reporting that the performance of the government’s
action plan is only at 30 percent. Is it true that the performance is so low?
Is it necessary to go after a number?
The administration has had only 1.7 years since its establishment. The results
of the government’s performance are measured by the facts, and the fact is that
people’s living standards have been improved. Actually, the performance of the
government’s actions were measured at 42.6 percent and will be soon discussed
through the parliament.
When
will measures be taken against officials who developed the corrupt budget?
Officials of the General Audit Office
have visited every province and conducted investigations, as Parliament has frozen
the investments of 234 construction projects. The results will be discussed by
parliament, then submitted to the government. By that time, it will become
clear who to take relevant measures against.
The
Mongolian People’s Party has warned that Mongolia’s economy is facing difficult
conditions and has reached a decision to hold a consultation to determine ways
to get out of the current economic situation. Has Mongolia’s economy really
worsened or is the opposition party just playing political games? Can you
please name positive indicators in the current economy? If the economy really
has deteriorated, are ways to get over it being determined?
I won’t lie and say that the current
Mongolian economy is in good condition. Mongolia’s income has been reduced. The
world economy this year has worsened compared to previous years and this is
also influencing our economy. When the global economy declines, it impacts the
price of Mongolian export products. For instance, the price of coal is lower
than last year. However, instead of blaming the drop in the price of coal, the
government and central bank are starting to implement certain projects around
it, such as seeking ways to increase the amount of exported coal. Also, the
policy to support the construction sector will start being carried out this
spring. We are focusing on making cashmere a VAT product.
It is right to hold meetings and
consultations focusing on the economy. There is nothing like the economic
policy of government. Thus, it is important to determine ways to get over bad
economic situations with cooperation. The government is working on certain
suggestions. The spring session is to start next week.
What
happened to the New Government for Changes’ claim that it will operate without
any breaks or holidays? It has started to take breaks on Saturdays in addition
to the Fall Session break.
The New Government for Changes has 1.7
years behind it. During this period, it worked nonstop for the majority of its
time. But after the Fall Session break, the ministers started seeking treatment
in hospitals for exhaustion. That’s why the decision was made to hold weekly
governmental meetings on Friday instead of Saturday during the Parliamentary
Fall Session break. The decision was not made to avoid working without a break,
it was decided for the sake of the chamber members’ health. Starting next
Saturday, the government will hold its regular meetings. Also, the governors
are introduced to the sectors they are in charge of on weekends. It will
continue regularly.
The
political parties outside of parliament are starting to demand the resignations
of Minister of Economy Development N.Batbayar and Mining Minister D.Gankhuyag.
What is your position on this issue?
Is it right or wrong to blame
D.Gankhuyag when coal price has fallen in the global market? It is an issue to
discuss.
When
Finance Minister Ch.Ulaan worked at the 11-11 governmetnal center and responded
to citizens’ questions he announced that an appointed working group is studying
the printing of a 50 thousand MNT banknote. But you refuted this. Who should we
believe?
Today (April 3) I asked President of
Mongolbank N.Zoljargal if it is going to introduce a 50 thousand MNT banknote
and he responded, “No”. So, it is a rumor.
Will
heating fees be doubled?
There is no discussion at all for fees
for heating to double.
Economists
are advising that the Oyu Tolgoi project needs to be intensified in order to
recover the economy. Is the government discussing that issue with the investor
side?
The New Government for Changes has
always expressed our position and willingness to exploit Oyu Tolgoi’s
underground mine. Last week, a letter was sent to the Director of Rio Tinto
stating that Mongolia is ready to exploit the underground mine. The reason why
the investors are staying still is that the global economy has worsened and the
price of copper has declined for a while. That’s why investors are not rushing.
Development
Bank still hasn’t issued financing for the new railway project. What about
that?
It is the issue of the two ministries
in charge of the project.
Ulaanbaatar
to install 490 more surveillance cameras
April 3 (UB Post) Ulaanbaatar is
planning to set up 490 surveillance cameras this year. The 3.6 billion MNT fund
required for the project will be drawn from the city budget and Local
Development Fund.
Common regulations on the use of video
records will be released within April, and the organization responsible for
provision of video surveillance will be selected.
The Office of Ulaanbaatar City
Governor is currently working to form a serial number for all surveillance
cameras in the city to ensure proper maintenance.
Currently, Chinggeltei District’s 13th
and 14th khoroos have 25 cameras, while there are a total of 175 cameras in
Chinggeltei’s seventh and 14th khoroos, and Bayangol District’s first, seventh,
12th, 13th, 14th and 19th khoroos. Sukhbaatar District’s 16th khoroo has 125
cameras, which totals 369 surveillance cameras in the city.
ADB
warns Mongolia of external imbalances
April 3 (UB Post) A new report by
Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts Mongolia’s economic growth to reach 9.5
percent in 2014, driven by the start of copper production at the Oyu Tolgoi
open pit mine last year and 10 percent in 2015.
“Rapidly declining foreign direct investment,
falling coal exports, compounded by highly expansionary fiscal and monetary
policy have created balance-of-payment (BOP) pressures. While the depreciation
of the MNT has already stabilized the current account deficit, relieving BOP
pressures, stabilizing the MNT and containing inflation will require a
tightening of economic policy to rein in domestic demand growth. Mongolia’s
economic prospects also remain highly vulnerable to economic trends in the PRC
and the global economy, while current policies offer little buffers to cope
with possible external shocks,” the report said.
According to the ADB report,
developing Asia will extend its steady economic growth in 2014 as higher demand
from recovering advanced economies will be dampened somewhat by moderating
growth in the People’s Republic of China.
ADB’s annual economic publication,
Asian Development Outlook 2014 (ADO), released this month, forecasts developing
Asia will achieve gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.2 percent in 2014,
and 6.4 percent in 2015. The region grew 6.1 percent in 2013.
“The recovery in the major industrial
economies is gaining momentum. Combined GDP growth in the United States, the
euro area, and Japan is expected to pick up to 1.9 percent in 2014 from one
percent in 2013 before strengthening further to 2.2 percent in 2015. Growth in
the PRC is expected to moderate. The economy slowed to 7.7 percent in 2013 on
impacts from tightened credit growth, pared industrial overcapacity, deepening
local government debt, rising wages, currency appreciation, and the continuing
shift in the government’s development priorities away from quantity toward
quality. These factors persist and China’s growth is forecast to slow to 7.5
percent in 2014 and 7.4 percent in 2015,” said the ADO.
The report also warned that China’s
sudden efforts to curb credit exchange might skid Mongolia’s rapid economic
growth.
“While risks to the international
outlook have eased, three areas warrant close monitoring. First, if efforts in
China to curb credit expansion are too abrupt and excessively undermine growth,
a deeper slowdown could drag down prospects for its trade partners, including
Mongolia. Second, data on the recovery in the major industrial economies have
been mixed; pointing to the possibility that demand for the region’s goods from
these countries may be softer than envisaged. And third, a further shock to
global financial markets from changes in US monetary policy cannot be ruled
out,” the report said.
Widening
income gaps threaten Asia’s poverty reduction efforts
The ADO said that widening income gaps
are undermining decades of successful poverty reduction in developing Asia,
meaning governments should proactively use fiscal policy to close gaps and
promote more inclusive growth.
“Fiscal policy can and should play a
bigger role in promoting inclusive growth in Asia,” said ADB’s Deputy Chief
Economist Juzhong Zhuang. “Asian policy makers must act now to integrate
inclusion targets into their budget planning to transition to a path where the
benefits of growth are broadly shared.”
The report said that international
experience shows that public spending can reduce income inequality. Government
spending on education and health care, for example, broadens access for the
poor to these vital services and helps level the playing field. “Making
infrastructure affordable and accessible allows the poor to take better
advantage of the opportunities that come with improved education and health.”
“Many regional economies have scope to
direct more public resources toward this type of spending. But this capacity
may not last as rising costs associated with aging societies and environmental
pressures will squeeze fiscal space in coming decades. Asia’s revenue base
remains small by global standards: During the 2000s, the ratio of tax revenue
to GDP averaged 17.8 percent in developing Asia, well below the global average
of 28.6 percent,” the report emphasized.
Options to raise revenue include broadening the base for personal income tax
and value-added tax, enlarging corrective taxes and nontax revenues, and
introducing naturally progressive taxes on property, capital gains, and
inheritance, the report said.
ADO said that policy actions must
support efforts to raise revenue and these should include systematically
incorporating equity objectives into fiscal policy, preferably over a
medium-term horizon; upgrading government fiscal data to better track public
programs and assess their effectiveness; leveraging information and
communication technologies to improve tax administration; and considering
public–private partnerships in social infrastructure to help extend the reach
of education and health care services.
U.Tsevegmid:
Children make up 20 percent of Mongolians going abroad for medical treatment
April 3 (UB Post) The following is an interview with U.Tsevegmid, vice president of the
Health Development Center
The
Ministry of Health released a list of 33 illnesses that are impossible to treat
in Mongolia. We’ve heard that your hospital is registering people who are
suffering from one of the 33 illnesses. What kind of illness do they have?
According to a resolution from the
Minister of Health, we have started surveying patients who are suffering from
these 33 illnesses. Unfortunately, some people consider it a registration. It
is not a registration. The main reason for conducting this survey is to
identify what kind of symptoms arise from these 33 illnesses. Currently, most
of people who have participated in this survey want to go abroad to be treated
for their various illnesses. Besides our survey, statistics have shown a high
rate of liver cancer. Even if Mongolian doctors are treating liver cancer,
people continue to go abroad for treatment. For example, instead of having
expensive surgery overseas, such as placing a stent in a coronary artery, it is
better to invite foreign surgeons to Mongolia and find decisive ways to treat
health problems. If the cost per person working in Mongolia is cheap, we intend
to conduct surgery in Mongolia instead of having people go abroad.
How
many people are involved in this survey? How long will it last?
We started conducting the survey on
March 10. It will last for a month until the 10th of this month. Citizens are
participating in the survey online and through five numbers on G-Mobile. As of
March 28, a total of 208 citizens got involved. At present, there are 38 people
who want go abroad, of which 18 percent are children aged 0-15. Mongolians
believe that only old people usually have illnesses. But the age of those
living with illness is becoming much younger. Therefore, we have only one cancer
study hospital and it is always crowded. Because of this, people are facing the
necessity to go abroad.
Can
you identify the cause of these children’s illnesses?
It is not the time to make an analysis
or conclusion regarding the survey. We hope that we can know the causes from
the results of survey.
In
the case of patients who know that their illness is impossible to treat in
Mongolia, the patient’s family wants to go abroad as quickly as possible. For
the patients involved in your survey, going abroad is not their first step.
Will doctors find a way to treat them?
We are looking for all possibilities
to ensure our patient’s treatment, save lives and health, and import expensive
equipment if it is vital. There are several private hospitals that perform
highly qualified services. Unfortunately, people have medical comments released
and primarily go abroad even though there are many experienced, specialized
doctors in Mongolia. On the other hand, it is the right decision to go abroad
before their illnesses get worse. It led us to study the resources of our
doctors.
Which
country do citizens mostly choose to visit?
Most of them, 59 percent, want to have
surgery in Korea. After Korea, they want to have surgery in China,
India and the United States. Next week, our survey will be finished and we will
make a conclusion based on the data.
Solutions and decisions will be
discussed at the ministerial level. Moreover, professional authorities will
conduct a meeting and exchange their views. The work of helping the patients
who have participated in this survey is an important issue being discussed at
the Ministry of Health.
Why
do you think people choose Korea? Is it related to Korean doctor’s
qualifications and reasonable treatment cost compared to other countries?
It is better to ask this question of
the patients. For me, Korean equipment and assistance services are quite good
and the cost is cheap compared to America. Furthermore, many Mongolians live in
Korea and while they are being treated, they can stay with their
relatives. There are many people spending a lot of money on
treatment. Each and every person can’t stay at a hotel. That is why they
may choose Korea.
The
expenditure of patients going abroad is going to be paid from the Prime
Minister’s pack money. How much money is expected to be paid?
Depending on a patient’s situation,
medical comments, need for surgery, and course of treatment, the Minister
decides the amount of monetary assistance. This doesn’t mean he will distribute
money to everyone going overseas to have surgery. To implement the decisions
they have made about assistance, a certain amount of money will be needed.
There
are many patients hearing that their illnesses are impossible to treat. Maybe
they have not heard about this survey. To help them, can you share where people
can go and how they can get involved in your study?
Families often know more than the
patients do about their illness. In each three stage hospital, there is a
commission working. The commission gives us a statement noting that a patient’s
cancer is impossible to treat. A citizen who has a diagnosis that says recovery
from their illness is impossible must get involved and be registered in the
survey.
If there are patients that don’t have
information about the survey, please visit chd.moh.mn and or \contact us by
telephone at the following numbers: 93137804, 98648801, 98622495, 93131765, and
93131707.
People can also visit the website of
the Ministry of Health and submit their written diagnosis and get involved in
the survey.
33
illnesses impossible to treat in Mongolia
A. Neurosurgery
- constriction of jugular
and spinal artery, surgery for blockage
- surgical treatment of
oblongatal defect
- Parkinson’s disease,
torsion dystonia, stereotactic surgery for epilepsy
- base brain and column
structural tumor
- skull base tumor
- brain third ventricle
tumor
- middle brain and column
structural malformation
- gamma therapy for brain
spinal cancer
B. Ear-Nose-Throat
- auditory nerve cancer
- Wegener disease; serious form
- Meniere’s disease; serious
form
C. Eye study
- neonatal retinopathy
D. Cardiovascular disease
- cardiac arrhythmia,
ablation treatment
- constriction of coronary
heart disease; serious form
- child’s serious defect
- cardiac vessels angiectopy
E. Cancer
- block with artificial
organ after extended surgery of head and neck
- IMRT treatment for salivary
gland cancer
- windpipe cancer
- fistula of windpipe and
esophagus
- fistula of rectum, vagina after radiation
treatment
- rehabilitation surgery
of bone and pulp
- limb-saver cancer
- true pelvis and
thoracic cavity cancer
F. Liver study
- birth defects of the
liver
G. Trauma
- loss of shape and chest
size following severe burns
- serious premature birth
development
H. General surgery
- treatment following
medulla transplant surgery
- heart transplant surgery
- transplant surgery for
patients with high liver virus activation
I. Infertility and obstetrics
- birth with adrenogenital
syndrome
- female genital
reconstruction surgery
- infertility due to
immature development of ovaries
- male infertility
treatment
Mongolian
athlete seizes three gold medals from World Master Athletics Championship
April 3 (UB Post) The World Master
Athletics Indoor Championships was held from March 25 to 30 in Budapest,
Hungary. Mongolian master athlete T.Tserendolgor, 76, won gold medals in three
contests of the World Master Athletics Championships 2014.
She won the M45 shot put, M60 javelin
throw and M70 discus throw which took place on March 26.
T.Tserendolgor is one of the few experienced athletes of the Mongolian
Athletics Association. She previously participated in tournaments held in
Brazil and European countries, and won a total of 12 gold, 21 silver and 9
bronze medals in total.
Some 400 athletes from 72 countries
competed in this year’s indoor championships in Budapest.
L.Bold:
Let’s save our Mother Tongue
April 3 (UB Post) The Director of the Institute of Language and Literature of the
Mongolian Academy of Science (MAS), State Honored Emeritus and academician
L.Bold gave an interview about language preservation issues in Mongolia.
Recently,
the media has received many criticisms for bringing up issues about the safety
of the Mongolian language. What is your position on the subject, as an expert
on this matter?
I’ll just state my position. From the
chambers of the parliament to ordinary stockholders, from the president to
individual citizens, everyone is talking about the weakening of social value of
the Mongolian language. It’s also written in medias. Today, we’re living in a
completely new environment where our lifestyles are rapidly changing. Due to
this, we’re acting irresponsibly to things, especially to the mother tongue.
Inappropriate use is the main issue. For instance, getting carried away in
trying to speed things up and developing unprocessed material, criticizing
those who point out mistakes by saying that it’s just a comment on the web, and
using foreign words to express things when it can be expressed in Mongolian
words. All of these affect the weakening social functions of the Mongolian language.
Presently, it’s known as the spread of
mother tongue. After reading few articles on the destruction of the mother
tongues in other countries, all sorts of comments are written about the signs
of approaching dangers. It hasn’t happened yet. As long as Mongolia and state
language exist, there’s spread. Issues about knowledge of the mother tongue
should be wide-ranged from government policies to individuals’ knowledge of the
mother tongue.
Is
there a way to organize the many dozens of foreign words that have become apart
of our daily lives?
It’s possible. In the official state
language law, it’s stated, “Translate foreign words to Mongolian or use it with
explanation of its meanings.” From the history of MAS, in 1924, a terminology
division with 10 sections was established adjacent to the Institute of
Scripture, with J.Tseveen as the Head. Until the 1970s, this division was part
of the Institute of Language and Literature and was responsible for correcting
and setting terminologies. Mongolian terminologists play a big role in keeping
Mongolian mother language clean. In 1990, many places lost their original
purpose. According to the law, it’s stated that it will be part of the State
Language Council. It separated from language experts and supervision. Minister
of Culture Sports and Tourism Ts.Oyungerel once said that state activities
related to the preservation of mother tongue will be separated from small
divisions. The Head of the State Language Council is the minister in charge of
culture. It hasn’t completely separated from small divisions. We must enrich
and develop this precious heritage passed down from our ancestors and pass it
to future generations.
To
improve and develop the spread of mother tongue, what are scientists doing?
Talks of academician Tumurtogoo about removing the letters “ъ” and “ь” was not received well by many. If they
are removed, how will you distinguish words such as “больё” (let’s stop)
and “болъё” (let’s become)?
It’s easy to remove “ъ” and “ь” You can write it as “болиё”
and “болоё” The main issue
isn’t that. China and Japan have used Chinese characters for a long time. No
one can determine when Mongolian language was created. It’s a different issue
to determine when the Mongolian language and Mongols were mentioned in history.
Recently, the 2220th year anniversary of establishment of Khunnu Empire was
celebrated. The core of this is that it proves that Mongolians existed during
this time and it has been accepted by many countries. Mongolians had literature
of ancestors which is mentioned as “kemo” in Chinese sources. Researchers
translate this word as “cutting wood.” From our research, it had structured
phonetic letters. Proof of this is the word “бичиг” (writing). The initial meaning of “бичиг” was printing and carving. Certain
phonetics was carved on wood. In Turkic, it means “yazi” (in Mongolian it means
to draw). From this, it can be concluded that Mongolia had phonetic scrip since
Khunnu era. Mongolia had Uigarjin script which also has phonetic scrip from
around fifth to sixth century.
From careful observations of many
changes in Mongolian writing, it can be seen that Mongolians tried to include
changes in phonetics to its script. If we see it from this perspective, there
isn’t many linguistic basis on removing “ъ” and “ь” This
issue was also discussed in the 1950s. Majority of the people wanted to keep
them so Damdinsuren left it the same. The recent uproar was the same. For a
nationality rich in history of literature and scripts, there’ll always be
issues about writing rules. Even now, after starting to use new letters,
Mongolians haven’t completely organized it. Scientists discuss solutions to
overcome this matter domestically.
Approximately
a year ago, a group of linguists met with the Prime Minister to submit a
proposal and an approval and conclusion was made. Can you elaborate on this?
At the end of 2012, scientists of the
School of Mongolian Language and Culture of the National University of Mongolia
(NUM), School of Mongol Studies of the Mongolian State University of Education,
and Institute of Language and Literature of the MAS joined to meet the Prime
Minister. We proposed that we establish an integrated grammar dictionary.
Students enrolling into universities and government employees give examinations
on their knowledge of the mother language and take measurements to improve
their grammar and writing skills on the media. The Prime Minister welcomed the
proposal and approved the Resolution No.37 to improve the knowledge of
Mongolian language and literature. We had basis to propose.
In 2012, with several of my
colleagues, I approached the General Specialized Inspection Agency and
conducted a broad research throughout the country on Mongolian language
education program of general education schools and tested the language
knowledge of middle school and high school teachers. At state levels, out of
12,423 fifth grade students of 172 general education schools, 7,169 students
(53.4 percent) didn’t meet standards, and 65.7 percent of total students
couldn’t complete 50 percent of given tasks. This is a truly regretful and
insufficient statistic showing the depreciated knowledge of the Mongolian
language. We shouldn’t hide this, there’s insufficiency in correct management
of correct governmental laws and policies.
How
will grammars of the media be organized?
Lately, the number of media has
increased immensely. Currently in Mongolia, there are around 100 newspapers,
some 50 television channels and on top of that there are radio FMs. On the one
side, it is a good thing that the public has access to a variety of mediums to
choose from. How well these medias are fulfilling their duty to strengthening
the reach of the mother tongue is another issue. Mongolia hasn’t had the
experience of having so many press and media. It’s necessary to learn from the
experiences of places that have experiences in dealing with lots of media. For
instance, at the end of each year, in Inner Mongolia and China, experts read
notable published materials of the year. Analysis of every aspect of
linguistics including grammar, terminology, meanings, and literature is done.
If there’s a mistake, they take measurements for violating and creating
distortion in language norms. There’s an Institute of Mother Tongue for
implementing governmental policies about the Japanese language. This institute,
besides publishing dictionaries with newly developed words, publicizes
incorrect use of words, phrases and foreign words uses when it could’ve used
Japanese words. The reputation of the media mentioned in this may either rise
or drop depending on whether they were praised or criticized. We can start a
campaign and discuss grammatical rules like China.
Secondly, as mentioned by Tudev, we
should select publication companies that give the most accurate information
concisely and completely. This isn’t an impossible work. Somebody needs to
start it. It’s said that although Mongolia has a huge vocabulary, we talk in
few words. I interpret this as insufficiency of work done to promote interest
in literature among children from a young age and works associated with this.
The
parliament is discussing the Mother Tongue Law. In the new legal project, was
expert opinion on the subject adequately reflected?
Yes. I worked in the working group to
develop the Mother Tongue Law. Legal documents must be developed accurately.
The law must include the implementation procedure, how the press may use
language, and who and at what level grammatical rules should be used. I believe
that this law is an improvement upon the previous versions and able to surpass
it. Parliament members talked about the law many times and made the public
understand its significance. I hope that this law is approved in the near
future.
You
said that you wanted to get an integrated solution by holding a national mother
language and cultural consultation to talk about pressing issues in the field.
Is the ministry supporting this idea?
It’s clear that apart from us,
educators, journalists, politicians, calligraphers, novelists and everyone in
our society is related to this matter. A wonderful standard where many people
discuss and come to resolutions is being established. With this in mind, we
want to hold a national consultation. Minister Ts.Oyungerel is a very
intelligent and strong willed person. She’ll probably make definite decisions
for this. It seems that only financial issues are left. Not much money is
required for this. I heard that some 100 thousand MNT was planned. I wonder how
much a bucket of coal from Tavan Tolgoi costs. All I’m asking for is to give
one or two shovels of coal. This seems possible.
Father
and Son exhibition
April 4 (UB Post) Sculptor
A.Ulziibatar and his son U.Odkhuu unveiled their joint exhibition
“Father and Son” at the Union of Mongolian Artists, on view from March 28 to
April 7.
Primitive and hyper-realistic artwork is displayed in the exhibition. Wooden
and bronze sculptures by A.Ulziibaatar are included, and his son has shared
sculptures created with various materials, such as silicone, wood and bronze.
Both father and son are two of the
best Mongolian representatives of primitivism and hyper-realism. The sculptures
are captivating and exude a strong sense of meaning.
Link to
article
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