A philosopher says, "There are no such people as Mongolians." Two weeks later, he's in pretrial detention.

Molor-Erdene—a controversial Mongolian philosopher and public intellectual—was detained on September 2nd under Article 19.9 of the Criminal Code, which covers "undermining national unity," a charge carrying a sentence of five to twelve years. His alleged crime: stating on a Facebook talk show that "Mongolians" as a people don't exist, that Chinggis Khan wasn't Mongol, and that Mongolia's historical identity is a construction that holds the country back from thinking about its future.

We break down what Molor-Erdene actually argued, and was his argument were sufficient to be detained. More importantly, we examine what this case reveals about the state of free speech in Mongolia: a "national unity" law loosely used to undermine freedom of speech, a Justice Minister with a pattern of deploying legal power against critics, and a political environment where the chilling effect may already be doing its job.

We also ask: where was the Justice Minister when an MP was on attacking Mongolia's Kazakh minority with racist language? Why is abstract philosophical provocation a criminal matter, but concrete ethnic discrimination is not?

NOTE: Minister of Justice, S Amarsaikhan was dismissed on Sept. 16 on unrelated issues discussed in this episode.

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Hosts: Anand, Dolgion, Julian

Keywords: Mongolia | free speech | national unity | Molor-Erdene | Amarsaikhan | censorship | authoritarianism | Freedom of Speech | Chinggis Khaan|

COP17 is over. Nearly 200 parties spent two weeks in Ulaanbaatar trying to turn desertification pledges into actual action. Did the parties turn their pledges into unanimous binding declarations?

We discuss how COP17 turned out, the major decisions, and the overall sentiment. We are joined by guests who know more about Rio conventions, Enkhuun Byambadorj of Breathe Mongolia, who worked with the UNCCD's Civil Society Organizations panel throughout, and Sainsanaa Amarsanaa, COP29 youth delegate and the host of the Beyond Greenhouse podcast.

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Hosts: Anand Tumurtogoo, Julian Dierkes
Guests: Enkhuun Byambadorj (Breathe Mongolia), Sainsanaa Amarsanaa (Beyond Greenhouse)
Keywords: COP17 | UNCCD | Mongolia | desertification | land restoration | civil society | drought | Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia has been facing fuel shortages since the start of summer. The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine's drone strikes on key Russian infrastructure have had their measure impact on Mongolia's fuel supplies. Even as reports show fuel being constantly transported into Mongolia, the country has had less than 20 days of reserves. Recently, the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources went around Ulaanbaatar cracking down on petrol businesses that have been lying about running out of fuel. This has caused major disruptions across the country. This isn't the first time Mongolia has faced fuel shortages, but should this be a wake-up call for Mongolia to plan ahead, look for alternatives -- even look towards China's booming EVs and let go of its old fears of China? We discuss this with Telmen Altanshagai, an energy security specialist, and her recent article in The Diplomat.

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Hosts: Anand, Dolgion

Guest: Telmen Altanshagai

Keywords: Mongolia | fuel shortage | energy security | Russia | Strait of Hormuz | Ukraine war | electrification | China

Simon Wickham-Smith joins us on this episode. Simon is the foremost scholar and translator of contemporary Mongolian literature into English, he's spent decades bringing Mongolian prose and poetry to readers who'd otherwise have no way in — work that culminated in Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921-48), one of the only English-language studies of the period. Simon and we discuss his book and what Natsagdorj Dashdorj meant to Mongolians and why he is so revered and should he be revered.
Here is the link to Simon's book: Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921-1948) | Simon Wickhamsmith |
Simon’s podcast conversation about that book on New Books Network: East Asian Studies
And here is the link to read English translation of the Tears of Venerable Lama: TEARS OF A VENERABLE LAMA | Translation Studies

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Hosts: Anand, Julian

Guest: Simon Wickham-Smith

Keywords: Mongolia | Natsagdorj | Mongolian literature | Simon Wickham-Smith | 1921 revolution | Mongolian People's Republic | translation | poetry | Soviet literature

We sat down and spoke with Dorjpagma "Dono" from Modern Mongolia. Modern Mongolia is a page that tries to shed light on Mongolia's culture, both past and present. The page—and formerly the podcast—has helped many Mongolia enthusiasts understand the country's nuances, as well as the current developments in its culture. As this episode coincides with Mongolia's biggest holiday, it would be almost sacrilegious not to talk about Naadam: its significance for Mongolians, and how hard it can be for some of them to truly engage with the sporting events at the heart of the holiday.

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For anyone in Mongolia, you can donate to Agula Media’s Golomt Bank Account: MN790015003105153063.

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Hosts: Anand, Julian

Guest: Dorj Bagam (Dono — Modern Mongolia, @modernmongolia on Instagram)

Keywords: Mongolia | Naadam | Eriin Gurvan Naadam | wrestling | horse racing | archery | cultural heritage | Modern Mongolia | tradition | child jockeys

For decades, Russia was the "big brother" — the country that built Mongolia's industry, schooled its elites, and shaped a century of its history. China gets the headlines now. But Russia never left, and the war in Ukraine has dragged the relationship back into the light.

Social and cultural anthropologist Dr. Marissa J. Smith joins us to map where Mongolia stands with Russia in 2026. Holding degrees in anthropology and Russian from Princeton University and Beloit College, her research traces where post-socialist and Western communities of practice meet in rural space — exactly the terrain where Russia's hold on Mongolia is most tangible. We dig into what still binds the two countries: the 2016 Erdenet takeover and Mongolrostvetmet, fuel dependence, geography, and the long shadow of shared history.

Then we turn to the present. How has the invasion of Ukraine narrowed Mongolia's room to maneuver? What was Putin's visit — staged under an ICC arrest warrant — really meant to signal, and to whom? Is the Mongolian public, and especially its younger generation, growing more critical of Russia than its government dares to be? And is Power of Siberia 2 the game-changer it's sold as, or a project still waiting on someone who needs it badly enough?

Russia is still a counterbalance to China — but for how much longer, as the two neighbors draw closer?

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Three Universals: The Big Brother

• The big brother helps us.
• The big brother tells us what to do.
• The big brother is still watching.

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Hosts: Anand, Dolgion, Julian

Guest: Dr. Marissa J. Smith

Keywords: Mongolia | Russia | Ukraine war | Putin | Power of Siberia 2 | foreign policy | China | post-socialism

Mongolia's Parliament repealed Article 13.14 — the criminal defamation clause that haunted the country's journalists for years. A victory for press freedom? Not so fast.

Duuya Baatar, founder and chairperson of the Nest Center for Journalism and Innovation Development and founder of the Mongolian Fact Checking Center, joins us to explain why the repeal is only a beginning. The numbers tell the story: between 2020 and 2024, more than 2,000 cases were opened under 13.14. Only 5% ever reached a court. Just 0.3% ended in a guilty verdict. The other 99.7%? Journalists dragged from police station to police station, district to district — too busy defending themselves to do their jobs. Intimidation by procedure. SLAPP, Mongolian style.

And 13.14 was never the only weapon. Over 100 Mongolian laws regulate media or information in some form. Clauses 17.6 and Provision 19 are already being deployed against newsrooms. Now Parliament wants a replacement defamation law — one that defines AI-generated content as false information, grants special protection to public officials who simply deny the facts, threatens whistleblowers with disqualification from office, and covers even what you say out loud in a meeting or a classroom. A boy was already detained for making a meme.

So what happens when a Press Freedom Bill regulates more than it frees? When the Constitutional Court hands civil society its strongest legal tool in decades, can advocates use it before lawmakers write the next sleeping provision? And why are Mongolia's politicians so afraid of criticism in the first place?

The law is dead. What comes to replace it may be worse.

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Three Universals: The Three Sins of the State

• The gossipers of the khashaa have sinned.
• The bearers of truth have sinned.
• The writers of posterity have sinned.
  
  
  
  

On May 16th, Prime Minister Uchral Nyam-Osor dismissed Ulaanbaatar Mayor Nyambaatar Khisgee, citing his failure to control surging beef prices and alleged corruption in the Tuul Highway construction project. Nyambaatar fired back, saying that the charges are fabricated, the dismissal is political, and Uchral only has his job because he took away Oyun-Erdene's election victory. He vowed to fight until he ripped the three veins from his lungs.

We break down what's really happening inside the MPP. Is this a legitimate anti-corruption move — or a factional purge? Who actually controls the party's money, and what does that mean for the 2028 elections?

And if you're a supporter at Buy Me a Coffee, buymeacoffee.com/greatstatemural — thank you for keeping the show going.

Keywords: Mongolia | MPP | Ulaanbaatar | Mongolian politics | Mongolia's Democratic Party | Inflation | budget deficit | Strait of Hormuz