Ts.Elbegdorj: No tyranny lasts forever

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ The Mongolian President on October 31 delivered a lecture to scholars, professors and students of the Kim Il Sung University, N.Korea. Below is the part two of the English translation of the lecture. --continuing from the part one On the holistic nature of our foreign and domestic policies… Any speech on Mongolia’s foreign policy will not be complete without noting some crucial aspects of our domestic policy, for Mongolia’s foreign and domestic policies are entwined and holistic. About Freedom… Mongolia is a country respecting human rights and freedoms, upholding rule of law and pursuing open policies. Mongolia holds dear the fundamental human rights – freedom of expression, right to assembly and the right to live by his or her own choice. I believe in the power of freedom. Freedom is an asset bestowed upon every single man and woman. Freedom enables every human to discover and realize his or her opportunities and chances for development. This leads a human society to progress and prosperity. Free people look for solutions in themselves. And those without freedom search for the sources of their miseries from outside. Mongols say, “better to live by your own choice however bitter it is, than to live by other’s choice, however sweet”. No tyranny lasts forever. It is the desire of the people to live free that is the eternal power. In 1990 Mongolia made a dual political and economic transition, concurrently, without shattering a single window and shedding a single drop of blood. Let me draw just one example. Over twenty years ago, the sheer share of the private sector in Mongolia’s GDP was less than 10%, whereas today it accounts for over 80%. So, a free society is a path to go, a way to live, rather than a goal to accomplish. Strengthening a free society and transitioning to it is not easy. It is a daily task, a grueling mundane routine to clean our free society from ills and dirts, just like parents change the diapers of their babies every morning. These days Mongolia is paying a concerted attention to judicial reform. Corruption is a mortal enemy on our way to development. Mongolia strives to implement a policy of zero-tolerance to corruption. We do not hide our shadow. Our mistakes and our lessons are open. Freedom is a system where one can make a mistake, and also learn from the mistake. The path a free and open society walks on is a learning process itself. I am a learning man as well. I was born to a herders’ family. I am the youngest of a couple with 8 sons. And I am very happy for the chance given by the free choice of my people, to serve the common interests of my people. -- To be continued