VZCZCXRO4538
PP RUEHLMC
DE RUEHUM #0275/01 1070343
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 170343Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9734
INFO RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 2169
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4900
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 1444
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2039
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC 0223
RUCPODC/USDOC WASHDC 0978
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ULAANBAATAR 000275 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USAID FOR ANE CALISTA DOWNEY 
STATE FOR EAP/CM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID ECON KPAO MG
SUBJECT: MPRP DENIES PRESS CLAIM THAT  IT BLAMES THE 
USG FOR FUNDING ANTI-GOVERNMENT PROTESTS 
 
Ref: A) ULAANBAATAR 247 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET 
DISTRIBUTION. 
 
¶1.  ( SBU )  SUMMARY: The April 14 front page lead 
article for Odrin Sonin, a major Mongolian daily under 
Democratic party ownership, quoted Mongolian People's 
Revolutionary Party (MPRP) officials as stating that 
the MPRP believed the most truthful rumors circulating 
held the U.S. Embassy responsible for funding the 
ongoing anti-government protests on Sukhbaatar Square 
(REFTEL).  According to the article, the MPRP source, 
reported to be a leak from an MPRP Steering Council 
meeting last week on the protests, also stated that the 
MPRP has decided that an American working in the 
Embassy who is married to a Mongolian citizen will be 
ejected from Mongolia within 24 hours. (NOTE:  The 
article is a fabrication, of course, as the Embassy is 
not/not funding the protests.  Moreover, no one on the 
Embassy staff is  married to a Mongolian.  END NOTE) 
Ulaanbaatar MPRP Chair Otgonbayar confirmed to Econoff 
April 14 that the article was rumor and not fact.  The 
MPRP does not believe the U.S. Embassy was involved in 
fomenting or funding protests, he said, a view 
reiterated the following day by the Prime Minister 
during a meeting with the Charge' and a visiting MCC 
rep.   END SUMMARY. 
 
MPRP DENIES STATEMENTS AND RUMORS 
ON SOURCES OF PROTESTS ABOUND 
 - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - 
- - - - - -- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  Econoff met late the afternoon of April 14 
with Otgonbayar, the Ulaanbaatar MPRP Chairman. 
Otgonbayar stated that the MPRP does not believe that 
the U.S. Embassy is involved in funding the protests. 
He explained that while the MPRP Steering Council had 
been meeting nightly, there have been only two 
instances where the protests were discussed and in 
neither case did the U.S. Embassy become a topic of 
conversation.  He said that the Council was concerned 
over the slowness in response to the demonstrators by 
the Government and that the SAPU fire victims should 
not be paid from government funds.  Otgonbayar noted 
the Embassy should understand that there are frequent 
false allegations in the press and that it is 
impossible to answer each one.  However, in response to 
the Embassy's request, he said the MPRP would consider 
printing a clarification or demand a retraction.  Post 
is awaiting a response. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  At the conclusion of  luncheon briefing April 
15 for Prime Minister Enkhbold on Mongolia's Millennium 
Challenge Corporation proposal progress (septel), 
Charge' broached the topic and sought the PM's views. 
Dismissing the article as a rumor cast by an opposition 
newspaper and expressing surprise the Embassy would 
give it any attention, the PM said the GOM is looking 
into the question of who is financing the spate of 
recent protests. 
 
COMMENT 
- -- - - - - - - - 
 
¶3. (SBU) COMMENT:  While a variety of rumors have been 
flying as to the funding and motivation of the 
protests, including claims by Minister Jargalsaikhan 
that former Prime Minister Elbegdorj is backing them 
organizationally and financially (a claim he repeated 
directly with the Charge') , there have been no/no 
previous direct allegations of USG involvement in 
domestic political issues surrounding them.  Some in 
the MPRP leadership have grumbled that "foreigners" are 
involved in the protests perhaps hoping to deflect 
criticism that some are not satisfied with the MPRP and 
despite the absence of any credible evidence of such 
alleged foreign involvement.  According to local 
 
ULAANBAATA 00000275  002 OF 002 
 
 
analysts, the publication of MPRP leaks in an 
opposition paper is uncommon but plausible given the 
recent fractures within the party structure.  Factions 
are jockeying for power and willing to use any outlet 
for political gain. 
 
¶4. (SBU)  We have picked up rumors that Deputy Prime 
Minister M. Enkhsaikhan  and Minister of Fuel and 
Energy Erdenebat are reportedly colluding with 
President Enkhbayar's supporters to bring down Prime 
Minister Enkhbold.  While this seems a bit far-fetched, 
there is an undeniably strong connection between 
President Enkhbayar and Enkhsaikhan.  A few hardline 
MPRP members have supposedly been suspicious of Embassy 
involvement with the Healthy Society Movement in the 
past due to the selection of a former member of that 
Movement for an Eisenhower fellowship in 2005 (through 
a bilateral committee).  Post has informed the MPRP 
leadership of the selection process (which included 
MPRP membership) and although that incident seems to be 
well understood, there remains some skepticism and 
apparent anti-U.S. sentiment amongst a few hardline 
members of the MPRP.  END COMMENT. 
 
GOLDBECK