The prime minister suggested the protests may be driven by vested interests in coal trucking, opposed to the cross-border railway with China.
Thousands of protestors rallied in Ulaanbaatar's Sukhbaatar Square on January 11-12, demanding the resignation of the government led by Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene.
The protest, one of the largest since anti-corruption rallies in late 2022, could continue for several days. Protesters in Mongolia cite rising costs for utilities, vehicle taxes, and auto insurance, compounded by perceived government mismanagement and corruption, as key drivers of their discontent.
