Police in Inner Mongolia, China, have arrested at least 23 people who took part in a protest last week against the authorities’ push to teach Mandarin Chinese as a second language.
The promotion of Mandarin instruction in major minority-inhabited areas has been a longstanding policy of the Chinese Communist Party. The governments of Xinjiang, Tibet, and other places implemented such a policy back in 2017. Protests and strikes have taken place in at least five counties and cities following the recent measure taken by the Communist Party’s Inner Mongolia authorities.
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday (September 8) that in the past few days, public security agencies in nine locations reported that they had arrested 23 people in eight flags. The reasons for the arrests were that they were “organizing and collecting petition signatures” and “picking a fight. Provoking trouble is a crime that is not precisely defined and can be used by authorities to arrest anyone for any act that causes the government displeasure.
Enghebatu Togochog, director of the New York-based human rights group Southmont Human Rights Information Center, said it is increasingly difficult to get information about the situation in Inner Mongolia. The Associated Press quotes him as saying that until now, “we could get pretty accurate information through microblogging.” Now, he said, “the information channel is almost completely cut off.”
At the same time, the Chinese government has stepped up its efforts to promote positive messages about its Mandarin teaching policies. More and more schools are going back to teaching Mandarin, the report said.
The Inner Mongolia Daily, an official media outlet, said, “There are still many young, middle-aged and herdsmen who do not know how to communicate in basic Mandarin.” “This has become an obstacle to poverty alleviation efforts.”
Many people in rural areas have yet to send their children back to school, Enhe Batu said. But officially released videos show students happily attending classes and moving about in the schoolyard.
One high school student interviewed by The Associated Press said he left school last week with a teacher who told the students to go back to class. Some students said their parents were threatened with losing their jobs if they didn’t let their children return to school.
One student texted Sunday, “I have a feeling I’m going to be in trouble soon,” he said. Many of the students’ parents have been arrested. I’m speaking out to tell everyone to stick it out.”
The student also said, “I’m deleting the texting app. People won’t hear my voice anymore.”
In addition to arresting and detaining protesters, the government at all levels in Inner Mongolia has threatened parents who insist that their children not return to school with suspensions, expulsions, confiscation of property, and reductions in social security, according to a press release issued Monday by the South Mongolian Human Rights Information Center.
According to the press release, the Bahrain Right Banner Party Committee issued a written warning to Party committees at all levels, government agencies and local Party branches, administrative bodies, civil associations and business groups, asking their employees to send their children back to school by Sept. 7. Otherwise they will be subject to suspension and salary freeze starting September 8.
On August 16, the Inner Mongolia Education Department issued a notice requiring that the first grade of elementary schools and the first grade of junior high schools that use Mongolian as the language of instruction will be taught using the national standardized “language” textbook.
This decision by the authorities has provoked strong opposition from teachers, students and parents. They argued that the implementation of such a policy would lead to the marginalization of the Mongolian language and eventually to a crisis of Mongolian culture and identity.
Protests ensued in Xilingol, Xilinhaote, Zalut Banner, Tongliao, and Wengniut Banner, Chifeng.
Recent Comments