H-CN" lang="EN">In 2008, Ulan Bator was the scene of riots after the Mongolian
Democratic, Civic Will Party and Republican parties disputed the Mongolian
People's Revolutionary Party's victory in the parliamentary elections.
Approximately 30,000 people took part in a public meeting led by the opposition
parties. After the meeting was over some protestors left the central square and
moved on to the nearby headquarters of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary
Party, attacking and burning the building. A police station was also attacked.
At night rioters set fire to the Cultural Palace, where a theatre, museum and
National art gallery were vandalized and burned. Torched cars, bank robberies
and looting were reported. The organizations in the burning buildings were vandalized and looted. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons
against stone-throwing protestors. A four-day state of emergency was declared,
the capital was placed under a 22:00 to 08:00 curfew, and alcohol sales banned,
following which measures rioting did not resume. Five people were killed and
hundreds arrested by the police during the suppression of the riots. Human
rights groups expressed concerns about the handling of this unprecedented
incident by the authorities
