Dharamshala, 7th March: The recent arrest in Mongolia of a famous anti-China activist has raised the question of whether the Chinese bordered country is following Tibet’s path. Mongolia, a landlocked country in East Asia, relies on mineral exports to China and Russia to survive. Protests against Beijing’s language control in Inner Mongolia are prevalent in Ulaanbaatar.
Critics believe the approach is similar to efforts in Xinjiang and Tibet to incorporate local minorities into the mainstream Han culture and eliminate minority languages. Munkhbayar Chuluundorj, a human rights activist who campaigns for regional freedom, was detained in Ulaanbaatar last month on suspicion of “receiving instructions and funds from a foreign intelligence group” Munkhbayar had “engaged in illegal cooperation activities” according to the country’s spy service, the General Intelligence Agency (GIA).
Munkhbayar, a well-known writer, journalist, and human rights activist, has been a loud opponent of Mongolia’s close connection with China, as well as a staunch supporter of national freedom for occupied portions of the historical Mongolian nation, such as Southern Mongolia, Buriat, Kalmyk, and Hazara.
Authorities, according to the Tibet Press, announced the accusation without providing any other information about the case. Munkhbayar’s criticism of Chinese supremacy in Mongolia, according to critics, has forced the government to dismiss him, putting him under surveillance.
Supporters believe the detention is part of a Chinese cleansing campaign in Mongolia to eliminate Chinese critics. Chinese authorities have recently stepped up their persecution of ethnic Mongolians protesting against attempts to curtail schooling in their native tongue in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
Munkhbayar had harshly condemned practices that infringed on ethnic minorities’ democratic rights. He even organized gatherings, seminars, and movements in Mongolia to protest China’s human rights violations. Munkhbayar had also called for Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene to resign because of his close ties with China. His detention sparked an outcry, and numerous activists said it was part of a Beijing-ordered scheme.