Issue and opponent: The Mongolian Democratic Union (hereinafter: MDU) was formed in opposition to the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (hereinafter: MPRP). The MPRP came to power in 1921 and quickly aligned itself with the Soviet Union. It was not until the MDU was created that people began to question the country’s constitutionally sanctioned single-party government.
Dilemma Action: Protests were growing around Mongolia, and the ruling MPRP party was reluctant to have violent repression of protesters. Following the Tiananmen Square massacre, the Mongolian Politburo did not want the visual of a violent crackdown on protesters. On March 7, 1990, ten members of the MDU dressed in outlawed traditional clothing and began a hunger strike. The members sat in Sukhbaatar Square, however, the movement expanded beyond. To show their support for the activist, students stopped doing schoolwork, people marched in the square, and Buddhist monks stopped to express their support. Even towns outside of Mongolia held short strikes in concurrence with the movement. Hunger strikes were not used in Mongolia until this campaign, and the use of traditional clothing moved a national symbol. The Politburo tried to negotiate with protesters, however, the activist would not stop their hunger strike until their demands were met. On March 9th, the entire Mongolian Politburo stepped down and announced their resignation. This allowed MPRP to submit more governmental reforms and leaders. Protesters were not content with this outcome, so they held a second hunger strike. In April, in conjunction with the hunger strike, more than 40,000 people attended rallies in support of the MDU.
Outcome: The campaign was successful, as it weakened the support of the MPRP and eventually led to the party’s downfall. On May 10, 1990, the Mongolian Parliament announced that a free, multi-party election would take place in July. The election allowed ¾ of Communists to hold on to their seats, but many hardliners lost their seats. Then, by 1996, the MPRP and the Communist Party lost their long hold of the majority seats in government. The larger campaign was to reduce the power of the MPRP and have free and fair elections across Mongolia.