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Inner Mongolia People's Party (IMPP) points out that the human right situation in Inner Mongolia is deteriorating

[ Voice Of America report by Dong Fang, January 26, 1999 ] Just before the US State Department issues its annual human rights report, Enhebatu, person who is in charge of IMPP and fled to the US from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of Northern China, indicates that the human rights situation in Inner Mongolia is deteriorating quickly, and the violation of human rights in that region is even worse than that in Tibet and Xinjiang. He is urging the international community to pay close attention to the human rights situation In Inner Mongolia.

According to Enhebatu, since an Inner Mongolia Court sentenced Hada, the owner of a

bookstore, to prison for 15 years, the prison situation for Hada is worsening day by day and his family has been repeatedly harassed. The alleged crime for Hada is separatism and espionage. Another democratic activist Tegexi, who was also arrested along with Hada, has been sentenced to prison for 10 years due to the same alleged crime. Both Hada. And Tegexi are members of the Southern Mongolia Democratic Alliance (SMDA).

Mongolian study bookstore, an extracurricular center for college students

According to Hada's wife Xinna words, Hada used to work as an editor at the Section on Political Theory, Inner Mongolia People's Publishing House. He is also one of the small Number of Master's students in Inner Mongolia and has done considerably good research on the Mongolian culture, language and history. He opened and became the manager of a Mongolian study bookstore in Huhhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. In the bookstore, he met with many students coming to buy books and they often had exciting discussions on a wide variety of issues. As a result, his bookstore became a favorite place for the students and intellectuals to gather.

Because of his favorite bookstore, Hada and some of his friends, including Tegexi from Inner Mongolia Office of Foreign Affairs, was able to form an organization called "Southern Mongolia Democratic Alliance" (SMDA). The goal of this organization was to promote a high-degree of autonomy in Inner Mongolia, to protect the human rights in Inner Mongolia and to preserve the Inner Mongolian cultural heritage and the ecosystem. The Chinese government defined SMDA as a counterrevolutionary organization engaging in splitting the country. In early December of 1995, a total of 7 Mongolian intellectuals including Hada and Tegexi plus some other Inner Mongolia government officials, were arrested by police. The bookstore was forced to close down and all the books and other properties were confiscated. Hada's wife Xinna says that her family was earning a living by managing the bookstore, the survival of her and her son has been a problem ever since her husband was arrested and the bookstore was closed.

International community is paying attention to the human right issue in Inner Mongolia

According to the reports by some western media, there were two demonstrations held In Huhhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, after Hada was sentenced to prison for 15 years. More than 200 students and other Mongolians had participated in one of the demonstrations. The demonstrators held Genghis Khan's portraits, sang the Mongolian song "Gaada Meirin" and distributed leaflets written in Mongolian. Later the demonstrators were dispersed by the police and more than 20 people were arrested.

Xinna, Hada's wife, says the authorities took away all their books that are worth over 200,000 RMB (Chinese currency) and have never returned them, Due to her husband's involvement in the activities, Xinna was also detained by police twice. She says her son was beaten by the police one day when they visited her husband in prison.

The human rights situation in Inner Mongolia is getting the attention of the international community. Hongzhu Gao, official from US State Department responsible for human rights issues, expressed that he had been working on the Chinese section in the human rights report and the report would be covering the human right situation in minority regions ofChina such as Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. In the meantime, US government also exchanging opinions with other governments and organizations so that they can decide their position during this year's UN convention on human right issue.

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