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Nepal, Oct. 15 -- The pit lamp gives off a resplendent glow. Only his eyes are visible, the rest of his face protected by a piece of black cloth. And in this light, the Mongolian miner really does resemble a Japanese ninja, the warriors him and his fellow miners have been nicknamed after. One also understands comparisons made with characters from those well-loved comic books, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; gold washers in Bornuur started out carrying green bowls on their back, their silhouettes replicating those of the cartoon heroes.
Gold, copper, coal, rare minerals-the country set between China and Russia has plenty of resources. The mining industry has had tremendous effects on Mongolia's traditional nomadic lifestyle, and it does not seem possible at this time in history to understand Mongolia without falling into the mining industry's cavities, which lead deep down into a resource wonderland.
However, despite a skyrocketing economic growth predicted over the next decade, the overall population has yet to benefit from the economic boom-except those who have given up their nomadic living to dig for gold or coal by themselves. In fact, the country would be better represented as 'Mine-golia', far from that once proud nomadic empire founded by Ghengis Khan.
Visiting the 'ninjas'
Deep in the Selenge hills, about 80 km up north from Ulan Bator, Danbiisurenjav has seen 46 winters. This makes him too old to work for the big mining companies. But without a proper education, even a younger version of himself could not stand a chance with the Boroo Gold
commercial mine, a giant mine operator which has full rights to the very ground the ninja miner is standing on.
In Mongolia, NGOs have sprouted up everywhere, like those white ger houses of the nomads. Danbiisurenjav is the manager of the...