Mongolia – Residents of Bayan-Unjuul Soum fight to protect their land from mining and drilling companies.

It is now common in Mongolia to issue exploration and mining licenses without consulting local citizens and their representatives, which is not in line with the Mongolian Law of Administrative and Territorial Units and the Minerals Law which states that decision-makers must consult with representatives of the citizens. Residents of Bayan-Unjuul soum in Tuv province of Ulaanbaatar are fighting against China Kaimon Limited, to protect the Altan-Ovoo mountain which has been worshiped since ancient times, as Soumm officials illegally licensed Erdenejas LLC without consulting the locals and it began excavation work in Altan-Ovoo mountain, which led to the exhaustion of surface water in the area, in addition to the sharp deterioration of land revenues from previous years, and many herders were forced to flee their homes due to lack of water and soil pollution. The shepherds in Bayan-Unjuul soum urge the government to defend the rights of its citizens, accusing it of not paying any attention to the problems they face.