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MongoliaThe Security System
The people of Mongolia were subject to the control of a
variety of political, economic, and social organizations inside
and outside the government. The entire system was guided by the
party, which directed the overall policies of the government
agencies; other political groups, such as the youth and labor
organizations; and the network of herding and agricultural
cooperatives that extended to include the lowliest
arad (see Glossary).
Through this hierarchy of formal control and the
dynamics of its politico-social activities, the central
government extended its general, and often extremely particular,
direction over the entire population
(see Society
, ch. 2;
Major State Organizations
, ch. 4).
In the government structure itself, the security system
comprised the Ministry of Public Security under which were the
central Militia Office and the network of police departments,
called militia departments; the State Security Administration;
the Fire Prevention Administration; the Border and Internal
Troops Administration; and the offices handling correctional
organizations. In addition, both governmental and public
auxiliary law-enforcement groups helped these agencies to
maintain public order and safety
(see Local Administration
, ch.
4).
The national police apparatus, commonly called the militia,
had a department in each aymag and a militia office in
each district. The militia was responsible for the registration
and supervision of the internal passports that all citizens aged
sixteen and older were required to carry, and for enforcement of
the passport regulations at the national and local levels. A
passport was necessary for internal travel, and persons wishing
to travel first had to obtain permission from the militia. After
arriving at their destination, they had to register with the
militia. The militia collected the passports of those entering
military service. The passports of persons under criminal
investigation and detention were held by the investigative organ,
but those who were sentenced to prison surrendered their
passports to the militia. A system of tight control was imposed
upon the movements of all citizens. The militia also had been
designated as the organ of criminal investigation--giving central
direction to police work and combining the functions of criminal
investigation and criminal arrest. The procurators supervised the
militia's crime-detection work. Militia investigators were
expected to have strong political convictions, a knowledge of
jurisprudence, extensive working experience, loyalty, and
honesty.
Militia organs, together with local assemblies administered
compulsory labor sentences of convicted criminals. Militiamen, as
well as the executive committees of local governments, had
authority to put intoxicated persons into detention houses for
twenty-four hours or less and to fine them.
Each militia office had a motor-vehicle inspection bureau,
which regulated vehicular traffic, investigated accidents, issued
licenses, and could impose fines on operators guilty of minor law
infractions. Detectives attached to motor vehicle inspection
bureaus also investigated vehicular accidents. Militia members
directed motor traffic, and they were stationed along the
railroads.
The Ministry of Public Security also was responsible for the
Fire Prevention Administration and the State Security
Administration. The Fire Prevention Administration supervised all
fire-prevention and fire-fighting activities. The State Security
Administration was a counterintelligence organization thought to
oversee anti-espionage, antisubversion, and anti-sabotage
activities.
The Border and Internal Troops Administration was in charge
of 15,000 troops responsible for border patrol, for guard duties,
and for immigration control. Border defense troops were equipped
with fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, tanks, motor vehicles and
motorcycles, radio communications equipment, engineering
equipment, and automatic weapons.
Data as of June 1989
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