Demonstrators rallied in the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday (Sept. 15) to protest the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Mongolia, accusing Beijing of suppressing the local language and culture of the Mongolian regions of China. Wang Yi is on a two-day visit to Mongolia on September 15 and 16.
About 100 protesters gathered in Sukhbaatar Square in front of the Mongolian National Palace, chanting “Let’s protect our native language” and “Wang Yi is gone.
Chinese authorities recently issued a notice that, starting September 1, the Mongolian language will be removed from the core curriculum in primary and secondary schools in Inner Mongolia, where subjects including history, politics and language are taught in Mandarin. The decision to gradually replace the Mongolian language with Chinese has sparked ongoing protests in some local areas, which see the policy as destroying Mongolian culture.
China says that the policy of switching the core curriculum to Mandarin is aimed at promoting national unity and insists that there is still room for Mongolian language instruction in other subjects and grades.
The U.S.-based Southern Mongolia Human Rights Information Center accuses Chinese authorities of turning the region into a “police state.
According to the center, between 4,000 and 5,000 people have been detained by police and at least nine people have been killed in the three-week-old protests in Inner Mongolia. The Mongolian government has not commented on the unfolding events in Inner Mongolia.
A shamanic protester in Mongolia was quoted by Reuters as saying that our leaders need to be outspoken. If our government remains silent in the name of international relations and economic stability, he said, Mongolians will be marginalized one by one and the Mongolian people will cease to exist.
AFP reported Tuesday that Indra Batbilig, a 21-year-old Mongolian student, said, “I really hope that our parliamentarians and president oppose China’s new policy of asking China to let Mongolians continue to learn their native language.”
Analysts are skeptical of the Mongolian government’s reference to the protests in Inner Mongolia during Wang Yi’s visit. Mongolia’s economy is seen as heavily dependent on China. During Wang Yi’s visit, China is expected to provide Mongolia with a grant of 700 million yuan ($103.15 million).
Mongolia is one of the countries rich in coal resources, and coal is Mongolia’s main export resource, which has become the pillar of Mongolia’s economic and social development. According to the data, China is the largest market for Mongolian coal exports, accounting for more than 95% of Mongolia’s total exports.
China’s demand for Mongolian coal is shrinking, Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Chai Wenrui said in an interview with Ulaanbaatar’s “Daily Nation” on Monday. Although shipments continue, there is no market for the coal, resulting in a backlog. Chai also reportedly said, “Frankly speaking, we are working for your (Mongolia’s) interests.
Chai said in an interview that in addition to providing the grant, Wang Yi would sign a series of economic agreements with Mongolia.
Wang Yi arrived in Mongolia, the last stop on his trip, after a tour of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia.
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