— Greetings, Rajana. What national liberation movement do you represent and what are its key goals?
— Good afternoon. I am the co-chair of the Democratic Movement “Buryaad-Mongol Erheten”. We strive for the creation of an independent democratic Buryatia with a single political nation, including all the peoples living in our republic.
Our tasks: to consolidate all the forces that advocate for a free, independent and prosperous Buryatia; search for allies in the international arena; gain real sovereignty for Buryatia; and realize the right to self-determination.
— What values and ideological foundations are fundamental to your movement?
— Our key values are life, freedom, human rights, the right of nations to self-determination, linguistic and cultural rights of minorities, peace and mutual respect.
The democratic traditions of the Buryat people date back to ancient times. At the time of the Russians’ arrival in the 17th century, the Buryat-Mongols preserved a military democracy, preferred their own way of life, and maintained self-government.
The official ideology of the movement is Pan-Mongolism. This is the idea of the spiritual, political, and cultural revival of the Mongolian nation as the heirs of the Pax-Mongolica. It presupposes honesty, devotion to the Motherland, intolerance of corruption, refusal of subordination to foreign powers, as well as openness to innovation and multiculturalism.
— Is there cooperation or competition between various national liberation movements?
— We strive to cooperate, because only through joint actions is independence possible. This is why the League of Free Nations was created in 2022. There is healthy competition there, which motivates movements to become stronger. Everyone’s success is our common success.
— How do you work with the international community and diasporas?
— We have close ties with the Democratic Party of Mongolia, Mongolian activists, as well as politicians and experts around the world. We are greatly assisted by the League of Free Nations, the Forum of Free States of Post-Russia, as well as friends in Ukraine and other countries.
— How acute is the problem of infiltration by the FSB and other Russian special services?
— An agent of the Russian secret services has been identified among Buryat emigrants. We are preparing a statement to the law enforcement agencies of the country where he is staying.
— Thank you for the conversation.
Author: Valentyn Demenko
