Ladies and gentlemen,

My name is Enghebatu Togochog. I represent the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center based in New York.

Southern Mongolia, also known as “Inner Mongolia,” is home to 6 million indigenous Mongolian people. The reason why we use the term “Southern Mongolia” instead of “Inner Mongolia” is as follows:

1. The word “Inner” is a direct translation of the Chinese word “Nei Meng Gu,” a propagandistic term that intended to claim Southern Mongolia as an “Inner” part of China.

2. Mongolians have never called themselves “Inner” or “Outer.” We call ourselves “Uvur Mongol,” which simply means “Southern Mongolia” or Mongolia south of the Gobi Desert.

3. Southern Mongolia includes not only the so-called “Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region” but also Mongolian-inhabited areas in neighboring Chinese provinces.

Southern Mongolia had never been a part of China until 1949, when the People’s Republic of China was established.

In the 1950s, thousands of Southern Mongolian intellectuals were labeled “nationalist rightists” and killed by the Chinese communist regime.

From 1966 to 1976, the Chinese Government carried out genocide, or ethnic cleansing, in Southern Mongolia. According to Chinese official statistics, 16,222 Mongolians were killed during this genocide. We estimate the actual number to be much higher than what has been reported officially.

From the 1980s to 1990s, large-scale Chinese immigration projects were carried out. Millions of Chinese poured into Southern Mongolian grasslands and began intensive agriculture.

In 2001, Chinese authorities adopted two sets of policies that were hostile toward Mongolian traditions and way of life. One is called the “Ecological Migration” policy and is aimed at coercing the displacement of the entire Mongolian herders’ population from their ancestral lands to predominantly Chinese populated urban and agricultural areas. The other policy is the “Livestock Grazing Ban.” Under this policy Mongolian herders who graze their livestock on their own grazing lands are considered criminals, and subjected to arrest, detention and livestock confiscation.

In 2009, the Chinese Government announced that Southern Mongolia would become China’s largest energy base. Mining companies from across China rushed to Southern Mongolian grasslands and opened up mines. Herders were kicked off their lands to give way to mines. Those who resisted the displacement were arrested, detained and sent to jail.

In addition to these egregious policies, there are also the cases of several prominent political prisoners, particularly the case of Mr. Hada and his family members. Mr. Hada was arrested in 1995 and sentenced to 15 years in jail. He was placed under another 4 years of extrajudicial detention after he completed his 15 years’ jail term in December 10, 2010. Last December, he was released from this detention. However, he is still under house arrest, without any freedom of communication or freedom of movement.

Another is the case of Ms. Huuchinhuu, who was arrested in November 2011 for rallying the Mongolians over the Internet to welcome Hada, who was expected to be released on December 10, 2010. She was detained for more than a year before she was placed under house arrest. She has a serious health problem.

Considering the aforementioned deteriorating human rights conditions, we drafted the following resolution on the situation in Southern Mongolia:

1. We urge the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) to work with the European Union (EU) to pressure the Chinese Government to stop the state-sponsored eradication of Mongolian traditional culture and pastoralism;

2. We urge the UNPO to work with the EU as well as relevant United Nations human rights bodies to urge the Chinese Government to free all Southern Mongolian political prisoners;

3. We request the UNPO to work with the EU to send a fact-finding mission to Southern Mongolia to carry out a thorough investigation of the human rights violations committed by the Chinese in Southern Mongolia;

4. We urge the UNPO, the EU and the United Nations human rights bodies to pressure Chinese authorities to return all displaced Mongolian herders to their lands and allow them to maintain their traditional way of life.

 

Thank you!

Enghebatu Togochog

Director,

Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center