FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) welcomes the introduction of the bipartisan bill, Southern Mongolian Human Rights Policy Act, led by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), which calls for greater international attention to the human rights violations in Southern Mongolia, also known as "Inner Mongolia", at the hands of the government of the People's Republic of China. The bill, introduced in the Senate on November 13, 2024, condemns the ongoing repression and cultural erasure of the Mongolian people in the region and urges the U.S. government to hold China accountable for its actions.

The key focuses of the bill include:

• Condemnation of China’s Human Rights Violations: The bill calls for the U.S. government to condemn China’s systematic repression of the Southern Mongolians, including the forced assimilation policies, the destruction of Mongolian culture, and the deprivation of their language rights.
• Sanctions Against Chinese Officials: The bill proposes targeted sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Southern Mongolia, including those involved in the forced closure of Mongolian-language schools and the suppression of Mongolian cultural practices.
• Calls for International Action: The bill urges international bodies like the United Nations and other international human rights bodies to take stronger stances against China’s human rights violations in Southern Mongolia and to put pressure on Beijing to stop its repressive policies.
• Support for the Cultural Preservation: The bill urges the United States institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution to fund activities to help preserve the unique culture of the Southern Mongolians endangered by the repressive policies of the People's Republic of China;
• Establishment of Mongolian Language Broadcast in Voice of America: The bill urges the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to establish, through the Voice of America, a service to provide a Mongolian language programming to Mongolian speakers in Southern Mongolia and other Mongolian inhabited areas.
• Calls for US Diplomatic Actions: The bill encourages the U.S. government to raise the issue of human rights violations in Southern Mongolia through diplomatic channels to prioritize human rights in its relations with China.

“As Beijing continues to repress the rights and cultures of ethnic minorities, America must be unwavering in its support of those fighting for their fundamental freedoms,” Senator Merkley said in a press release today. “The Southern Mongolian Human Rights Policy Act sends an unequivocal message: the United States will not stand for the Chinese government’s efforts to erase Mongolian language, culture, and identity. Our bill makes clear that the status quo for human rights—in Southern Mongolia and across China—is unacceptable.”

“The Chinese Communist Party not only has nefarious designs on America’s global interests and our critical industries, it has also worked to undermine internationally recognized human rights across the globe, including in Southern Mongolia,” Senator Sullivan stated in the press release. “The plight of the Southern Mongolian people, who were promised autonomy, is similar to the plight of other ethnic and religious minorities in China who are forced into “reeducation” camps, denied religious rights and the right to speak in their own language, forcibly removed from their homes, and forced to engage in slave labor. In Congress, we have appropriately focused on the mistreatment of other ethnic groups in China, including the Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Christians. I’m pleased to join Senator Merkley in turning the Senate’s attention to the appalling treatment of the people of Southern Mongolia. They have been overlooked for too long.”

“The Southern Mongolian Human Rights Policy Act reaffirms America’s commitment to fundamental values of human rights and dignity. It signals that the United States stands with the Southern Mongolian people in their fight to preserve their cultural and linguistic heritage, and it sends a clear message that human rights must be respected everywhere,” Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA-02) who leads the House version of the legislation said. “I am grateful for the partnership of Senator Jeff Merkley in bringing this legislation forward to make clear that America supports the aspirations of Southern Mongolians and opposes the oppressive policies being implemented by the People’s Republic of China.”

The SMHRIC, a leading organization in documenting human rights violations in Southern Mongolia and engaging with the US Congress and government as well as other international human rights bodies, strongly applauds this legislative initiative. SMHRIC believes this bipartisan effort will raise global awareness about the plight of the Mongolian people under Chinese rule, and represents a critical step in safeguarding the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Southern Mongolians and preserving their unique national identity.

“The introduction of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Policy Act is a historic milestone of the United States’ strong commitment to the protection and promotion of rights of the six million Southern Mongolians whose basic human rights and fundamental freedoms have continually been denied by the government of China over the past seven decades,” said Enghebatu Togochog, Director of the SMHRIC. “This bipartisan bill highlights the urgency of immediate actions that the United States government as well as the United Nations human rights bodies must take to prevent China from continuing to perpetrate all forms of human rights violations, in particular the ongoing cultural genocide that is aiming at the total erasure of Mongolian language, culture and identity in Southern Mongolia.”

“There is still a long road ahead before the bill becomes law,” Togochog added. “We urge the Mongolian communities across the United States to reach out to their elected representatives without delay to help expedite the bill’s passage.”

Click here for the press release by Senator Merkley and Senator Sullivan

Click here for the full text of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Policy Act