One man was killed and more
than 20 people were injured in Wednesday’s clashes between herders and ninja
miners in Darvi soum in Gobi-Altai. Both sides used fire arms. The herders were
resisting the efforts of around 100 miners to dig for gold in pasture land. The
clashes lasted for more than an hour. The soum administration had earlier
warned the ninjas to stay away but they started digging near Elstiin Valley and
enraged the herders. The provincial police have arrested 30 people and are
investigating the events.

J.Bayarkhuu, a citizen of
the soum, said telecommunication in the area had broken down and people could
not speak to the provincial authorities when the trouble broke out. He says he
was in Biger soum when he heard that a group of ninjas had begun digging for
gold in Elstiin Valley. Local herders protested but they were outnumbered and
finally one of them opened fire, hitting a 30-year-old ninja in the head.

He had heard that some of those
taken to hospital had been seriously injured but some others had been released
after first aid. He hoped calm would prevail. Herders are concerned at the loss
to pasture land but the ninjas refuse to listen to reason. The clash and the
death would not have taken place if they had heeded warnings. They were heard
shouting, “What else can we do? If we don’t dig we die of hunger.”