Venture Grant: Mongolia: Land Privitization
Proposal for Research Funding
Overview
I plan to go to Mongolia this summer to build on research that I conducted this fall on land privatization. The research will be directed to my senior thesis. The land privatization law of Mongolia will go into effect on 1 May 2003, privatizing city and farming land (but not pasture land, all of which is protected from privatization by the constitution). In the history of the nation, there has never been private land. Land is the last public asset to begin being privatized during Mongolia’s transition from socialism to democracy which began in 1991. The Democratic Party tried to privatize land in 1991 but encountered overwhelming opposition from the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (MPRP). In June 2002, while holding 72 out of 76 seats in parliament, the MPRP suddenly wrote and passed the land privatization law with the other parties in strong opposition. The central controversy concerning the land privatization in Mongolia rests in accusations of the Democratic Party that details of the land privatization law will lead to a few elite MPRP members obtaining all of the most desirable land, leaving the citizens who have been waiting to own the land that they live and work on with land that is undesirable (on the far outskirts of the city or hard to farm). My research this fall documented the "Controversy and Perceptions of Land Privatization in Mongolia" through interviews with politicians of multiple parties, farmers, herders, urban residents who live on plots of land, and protestors for "fair land privatization." This summer, while the land is being privatized, I would like to speak to many of these same people and to many others who are effected by this issue. Through this research I will be able to observe and document the distribution of land through privatization. This documentation will illustrate which pre-privatization accusations are revealed as being true, and will show how public perceptions of land privatization change.
My Background, Goals, and Aspirations
I am currently a junior sociology major and am currently in the process of declaring an Asian studies minor. My interest in sociology was sparked by the class Sociology of Developing Countries. During this class I was introduced to the pressures on "developing" countries to privatize assets. Knowledge of these sociological pressures fueled my previous interest in nomadism and the concept of private land. The issue of privatization with the focus of land then became the center of my intellectual curiosity and of my academic study. My passion for the issue of land privatization led me to study abroad on an SIT culture and development program in Mongolia for the fall semester of this year. In the future I would like to work in the field of international agricultural development with the goal of benefiting the livelihoods of those who receive aid. I believe that returning to Mongolia to conduct research while land is privatized will greatly benefit my career as a sociology major at Colorado College and my future career goals by allowing me to witness the privatization process and its effects on the livelihood of farmers, herders, and urban dwellers. My senior thesis will provide the opportunity to pursue my studies of an issue about which I am extremely passionate. It is my ultimate goal through graduate studies to follow the long term sociological effects of Mongolia’s land privatization, eventually creating a trilogy in which the controversy and perceptions of the political elite and public are documented through the stages of pre-privatization, the process of privatization, and post-privatization long term effects. It is my hope that by having documentation of the controversy and perceptions of privatization in these three stages, Mongolia will have a tool with which to evaluate the law and address concerns, improving the law and allowing it to work in the most cohesive manner.
I also hope to impact a common mentality that development theorists have toward private and public land by documenting this unique case in which both are necessary for the way of life to sustain itself. Mongolia—despite its fascinating history as a world empire, political and economic socialist past with capitalist present, nomadic culture that is unique in its prevalence today, and transitioning society—is studied little in academia. Upon return to CC, I would love to present my research to the campus community. The presentation will provide a forum to introduce Mongolia and a current issue it is dealing with to this academic institution and the scholars within it. CC is a liberal arts college that strives to achieve a multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse learning environment. The only way to do this is to be open to the academic study of different cultures. I have heard of no courses that discuss Mongolia at all on this campus. While they may exist, they are not easy to find. I believe that it would benefit the mission of CC and all of the scholars within it to have an opportunity to learn about and discuss this country; some clarity can be gained on a country which is most commonly mentioned as a metaphor for the distant or obscure.
Maldistribution of Economic Resources
Researching the issue of land privatization in Mongolia is an investigation of the distribution of economic resources. My previous research has shown that the central controversy in the land privatization of Mongolia surrounds the accusation that the land privatization law was written in order to maldistribute the last economic resource to undergo privatization in the country. There is a definite need for private land in Mongolia. With the end of socialism citizens were given ownership over the source of their livelihoods: herders were given herds, apartment dwellers were given apartments, business leaders were given businesses (though these privatizations were not without corruption). People who farm or live on land in the city do not own the source of their livelihood, they have nothing, yet are attempting to partake in a society that is driven by a market economy. For over ten years these people have been waiting to own the land on which they liveand work. Now many are afraid that, though this land is finally being privatized, they will not receive it. The fear of not obtaining this land is partially due to the suspicious nature of the writing of the land privatization law. The law was written and passed in just two weeks by a party that had previously opposed land privatization. In addition, the land privatization law was written by MPRP members who own farming companies through relatives.
The opposition to the land privatization law is also rooted in details of the law itself. In Ulaanbaatar (the capital) all privatization is subject to a 15 year city master plan. The effect is that the city engineer, for the next 15 years, can tell anyone to move without compensation because the government has planned to build in that location. To many the benefit of owning land is compensation for moving. The city master plan allows privatization without giving this benefit. Many are now being told to move before the land is privatized and compensation would be expected. Three downtown districts (the most economically valuable land) are not being privatized at all due to the city master plan. No farming land is being given away for free but will be sold for an estimated price of 400 US dollars per hectare. Farming land that is not bought in that way will be sold through auction. Therefore, those with money—namely farming companies—will obtain the most desirable farmland while the poor will be left with very dry land.
This November, the Movement for the Fair Privatization of Land, in conjunction with the Democratic Party, held protests to voice these concerns. In response the MPRP refused to meet with protest leaders, denied all accusations against the party, and countered by claiming that protest leaders simply want to further their own careers. I believe that the accusations of the Democratic Party are true. This belief comes from an interview with one of the drafters of the law and the strong opposition of the MPRP to allow the protest: physically barricading the roads into the city to block tractor driving farmers, refusing to issue a protest permit, and utilizing control of the media to falsely portray the protest and public opinion of land privatization. One protest ended with the police beating and throwing protestors in jail while their tractors were seized in the middle of the night. Many more protests are scheduled for the spring and the constitutional court will be petitioned. While I believe the Democratic Party’s accusations are true, the only way to prove this is to witness the distribution of land and see if it is in fact maldistributed. Historically, throughout the world the norm has been for privatization of land and many other resources to result in a few elite individuals obtaining all (or the most desirable) of those resources. Now, as a former world empire becomes one of the last countries to initiate the process of land privatization, it is extremely important to document its distribution.
Methodology
While in Mongolia I will conduct research through personal interviews. Many of these interviews will be with people whom I interviewed during my previous research. I will also conduct interviews with many whom—due to the one month time limit of my previous research—I was unable to interview. Before going to Mongolia and upon return I will conduct literary research of social theory which will most likely focus on reproduction of elites theory. My reason for conducting literary research while not in Mongolia is due to the desire to best utilize my time in the country and the severe limitation of English language research materials in the country. I will then incorporate the social theory and my findings through interview into my senior thesis which I will write during fifth and sixth blocks of 2004. Although my thesis would not be complete until the spring of 2004, if desired I would be happy to present my field research to the campus community at an earlier date.
Itinerary
I plan to depart for Mongolia as soon as possible after eighth block, arriving in Ulaanbaatar by, approximately, the first of June. At this point in time I do not know my exact date of arrival and so have chosen to mark my itinerary by number of days I will be in each area. I will spend two months researching in Mongolia.
Location: Ulaanbaatar
Time: 3 weeks
Reasoning: Ulaanbaatar is the capital city of Mongolia and houses half of the nation’s population. The government is based out of Ulaanbaatar. Ulaanbaatar is therefore the stage for both the writing and protesting of the land privatization law. Time in Ulaanbaatar allows me to interview politicians and protestors as well as city residents who have the right to obtain land through privatization.
Interviews:
- Gundalai: Democratic Party Member of Parliament (MP), follow-up interview
- Oyungerel: Advisor to Gundalai, follow-up interview
- Bat-Uul: former Democratic Party MP and current leader of the Movement for the Fair Privatization of Land, follow-up interview
- Sodkhuu: MPRP MP, writer of the Land Privatization Law, and President of the Mongolian Farmers Association, follow-up interview
- Sharavsambuu: MPRP MP and writer of the Land Privatization Law
- Oyun: Party Leader of the Citizens Will Republican Party (CWRP)
- Dashnyam: consultant to the CWRP and professor at the Mongolian Knowledge University, follow-up interview
- Narantsatsralt: former Mayor of Ulaanbaatar
- Enkzhoul: ger district (outskirts of the city comprised of traditional felt tents and one room houses) resident, follow-up interview
- Ganaa: ger district resident
- Purevjav: ger district resident
- Other ger district residents
- People living in gers in Bayangol and Suhkbaatar (downtown) districts
- Office that issues land ownership deeds
Accommodation: the International Student Hostel
Travel: to Ugtaal Tsaidam soum (a small administrative unit)
Time: 1 day
Mode of transport: public bus
Location: Ugtaal Tsaidam soum
Time: 5 days
Reasoning: Battulga is a resident of Ugtaal Tsaidam soum, a farmer, and was previously one of my most informative sources. Going to his home to interview him again will provide me a region with a strong developed contact in which to witness the distribution of land.
Interviews:
- Battulga: farmer and active participant in the Movement for the Fair Privatization of Land, follow-up interview.
- Other farmers contacted through Battulga.
Accommodation: Battulga
Travel: to Bayinchantment
Time: 1 day
Mode of transport: public bus
Location: Bayinchantment
Time: 3 days
Reasoning: Bayinchantment is a farming area that has had illegal fences around farmland for one year. The farmers in Bayinchantment are eagerly anticipating owning land and have already staked a claim on specific land. It is likely that when the land is privatized, it will not be distributed according to the fence boundaries, which will present a particularly interesting context to witness public reaction to land distribution.
Interviews: farmers
Accommodation: contact through Allison Croft (former Peace Corps volunteer)
Travel: to Ulaanbaatar
Time: 1 day
Mode of transport: public bus
Location: Ulaanbaatar
Time: 2 days
Reasoning: I will return to Ulaanbaatar in order to take the train to Selinge aimag. Passing through Ulaanbaatar, I will take advantage of the opportunity to maintain my hygiene and prepare for my next location.
Accommodation: the International Student Hostel
Travel: to Selinge aimag (a large administrative unit)
Time: 1 day
Mode of transportation: public train
Location: Selinge aimag
Time: 5 days
Reasoning: Selinge has the most arable land in Mongolia and is home to all of the large farming companies. Because the large farming companies are located in Selinge, it is where I expect to witness the highest degree of maldistribution of land.
Interviews:
- Sodkhuu’s brother: runs a farming company
- Managers of farming companies
- Employees of farming companies
- Independent farmers
Accommodation: hotel
Travel: to Ulaanbaatar
Time: 1 day
Mode of transport: train
Location: Ulaanbaatar
Time: 2 days
Reasoning: Ulaanbaatar is between Selinge and Harihorin and will allow me to once again maintain hygiene and prepare for my next location.
Accommodation: the International Student Hostel
Travel: to Harihorin soum center (the town of Harihorin)
Time: 1 day
Mode of transport: public bus
Location: Harihorin soum center
Time: 5 days
Reasoning: Harihorin was the soum center that I visited while conducting research this fall. Returning to Harihorin soum center will allow me to witness the distribution of land in a small village center and to conduct follow-up interviews with many whom I interviewed in the fall. Farming land in Harihorin is very dry. This led all of the farming companies to leave Harihorin post-socialism, and may prove to be advantageous for farmers to receive land without wealthy competition. I expect that Harihorin will provide a counter example to other research locations in which land is evenly distributed.
Interviews:
- Tsogtoo: farmer, follow-up interview
- Dorjpurev: farmer and World Vision gardening educator, follow-up interview
- Tsevengorj : carpenter, follow-up interview
- Naraa: gardener, follow-up interview
- Governor of Harihorin
Accommodation: Tsevengorj
Travel: to Harihorin countryside
Time: 1 day
Mode of transport: private jeep (there is no public transportation option)
Location: Harihorin steppe
Time: 10 days
Reasoning: Pastureland is protected from privatization by the constitution. Herders do make up a large percentage of the population and in trying to gain an understanding of the public perception of land privatization, one cannot ignore the point of view of the herder. I am choosing to go to the countryside of Harihorin soum because this was the location of my first homestay and I returned while conducting my research in November. The people that I have stayed with in Harihorin are people whom I know that I can find, whose previous perceptions of land privatization I have documented, and who trust me which is an essential factor in conducting good interviews.
Interviews:
- Boldermaa: herder who grew up in Ulaanbaatar, follow-up interview
- Bayingmonk: herder, has lived in the same valley for his entire life, follow-up interview
- Handsuren: herder, Bayingmonk’s mother
- Inkey: herder, follow-up interview
- Nemdoya: began herding in retirement, follow-up interview
- Togoo: herder who has a house in the soum center, follow-up interview
Accommodation: Bayingmonk and Boldermaa
Travel: to Ulaanbaatar
Time: 2 days (spending one night in soum center with Tsevengorj)
Mode of transport: private jeep to soum center, public bus to Ulaanbaatar
Budget
Airfare: $1,500
Entry Visa: $80
Police Registration: $20
Exit Visa: $40Housing in Ulaanbaatar: $148
In country travel (for myself and translator): $180
Housing outside of Ulaanbaatar (hotel, food compensation for families, and gifts for families):$146
Translator: $700
Food: $235
Slide film and processing: $40Tapes for interviews: $10
In city transportation: $52
Total: $3,171
I am aware that any one source of funding will not be able to cover all of my budget. I have been awarded 450 dollars from the O’Connor Grant of the Sociology Department. I am seeking additional funding through the Asian Studies’ Gaylord Prize, the President’s Special Projects Fund for Student Support, the Sociology Department, and am searching for any other applicable sources of funding. I would greatly appreciate any assistance.