Tsetsgeegiin Mönkhbayar ( mn, Цэцгээгийн Мөнхбаяр) is a
Mongolian herdsman and environmental activist.
Mönkhbayar was elected to chair the local citizens' council in the
Ongi River region 1996, after actively participating in meetings for some time. In 2001 he co-founded the
Ongi River Movement, which eventually led to establishment of the
Mongolian Nature Protection Coalition
Mongolian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Mongolia, a country in Asia
* Mongolian people, or Mongols
* Mongolia (1911–24), the government of Mongolia, 1911–1919 and 1921–1924
* Mongolian language
* Mongolian alphabet
* Mong ...
uniting 11 Mongolian river movements.
After 1990, more than 30 companies were licensed to
mine for gold on the
Ongi River and its tributaries.
Illegal mining practises and weak law enforcement resulted in
contamination and depletion of the river. With the Ongi River Movement, Mönkhbayar convinced the Mongolian Government and Parliament to pass and enforce more restrictive laws in 2006.
Erel Mining Company
EREL LLC is a Mongolian company headquartered in Ulaanbaatar, active in mining and construction, established in 1989. Founder and current president is Badarchiin Erdenebat, also founder of the Motherland Party. Construction activities began in 1 ...
was shut down, and the other mining businesses were forced to use more sustainable methods. This has led to a significant improvement of the quality and amount of water in the river.
He was arrested on 2013 and condemned to 21 years in prison. Later he was sentenced to 7 years in prison for attempting to enter a protected area of the Government House with a firearm and open fire. He was pardoned in 2015.
For outstanding environmental achievement in Asia, the 2007
Goldman Environmental Prize was awarded to Tsetsgeegiin Mönkhbayar
References
Living people
Mongolian environmentalists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Goldman Environmental Prize awardees
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