Beijing [China], May 31 : Protests over Beijing's language policy in Inner Mongolia have become commonplace in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Organizations like Voice of Southern Mongolia, Inner Mongolian People's Party, and Save the Mongolian Language are leading efforts to draw attention to the situation in Southern Mongolia, Voice Against Autocracy (VAA) reported.
China's recent crackdown on dissidents and the arrests of activists in Mongolia have brought forth a pattern of politicized prosecutions in the country. The arbitrary nature of these prosecutions is also an indicator of deep-rooted issues within China's legal system.
Voices Against Autocracy (VAA) is a private, non-governmental organisation based in Vienna, Austria.
China's influence in Mongolia has also raised concerns, particularly regarding its language policy in Inner Mongolia. Mongolia which is a landlocked country in East Asia, is dependent on mineral exports to its neighbors China and Russia.
The arrest of activist Munkhbayar Chuluundorj in Mongolia and the deportation of a well-known Southern Mongolian writer Lhamjab Borjigin back to China have sparked outrage and underscored fears of China's interference in Mongolia's internal affairs.
Munkhbayar Chuluundorj, a human rights activist who advocates freedom for the region, was arrested in Feb 2022 and charged with "receiving instructions and funds from a foreign intelligence group".
The case of Lhamjab Borjigin is even more disturbing for the human rights activists in the region. On May 3, 2023, a few Chinese policemen reached Mongolia and arrested Borjigin from his temporary residence in Ulaanbaatar, VAA reported.
Shortly after the arrest, he was deported back to China on the same day. Borjigin was earlier sentenced to two years in prison in China in 2019 for writing a book titled 'China's Cultural Revolution'.
After completion of the prison term in 2021, he was placed under indefinite "residential surveillance," a form of house arrest. In March 2023, Borjigin reportedly managed to escape from China and reached Mongolia, VAA reported.
According to some activists belonging to the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC), his plan was to publish his books in Mongolia to reveal the manner in which the Chinese colonial regime was established in Southern Mongolia and how the Mongolian resistance had been quashed.
Armed with extensive surveillance capabilities, the Chinese authorities are openly intimidating individuals and foreign entities operating in China, Voice Against Autocracy (VAA) reported.
The actions align with Beijing's efforts to assimilate local minorities and suppress minority languages, similar to what has been observed in Xinjiang and Tibet.
China's legal system is known for its significant population of political and religious prisoners, VAA reported.
Even minor infractions or actions acceptable in democratic countries are met with severe punishments and restrictions on freedom. The shifting redlines defined by the Chinese Communist Party make it difficult for individuals to anticipate what actions may be deemed illegal, VAA reported.
Safeguard Defenders and Human Rights Watch have expressed concerns about the increasing use of exit bans and tight controls on passport applications, particularly targeting Tibetans and Uyghurs. Detainees facing political prosecutions endure poor conditions, torture, and denial of medical treatment while in custody, VAA reported.
Moreover, their families often suffer from eviction and harassment. Beijing's arbitrary actions call for greater attention of the global community towards the cases of targeted activists and religious believers. International support and attention will be crucial in holding China accountable for its human rights abuses and suppression of dissent.