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On October 3, 2009, Harnuud Halzadiin Batzangaa, an asylum seeker in Mongolia, a native of Otog Front Banner of Southern (Inner) Mongolia, a resident of Ikh Zuu League Ordos Municipality, ethnic Mongolian, and the Principal of the Ordos Mongol-Tibetan Medical School, was arrested at the front entrance to the United Nations Refugee Agency Office building. Along with his wife and 9 year old daughter, he was deported back to China by airplane on the following day. Currently his situation and whereabouts remain unknown.

This arrest made by the police and State Security personnel of the People’s Republic of China with the cooperation of Mongolian police is a clear violation of the Constitution and other relevant laws and regulations of Mongolia. It is also a flagrant violation of international human rights conventions ratified by Mongolia as well as  basic human rights norms that democratic countries around the world uphold. This illegal act by Mongolian police who directly cooperated with police officials of Communist China is evidence that our police authorities who are supposed to implement the rule of law of the democratic nation of Mongolia have been deeply infiltrated by certain forces who hate the solidarity, freedom, democracy, human rights and justice of all Mongolian peoples, who do not obey law and order. These certain forces do not respect human rights and human well-being, abuse their power to destroy human lives, they are corrupt and full of hatred for Mongolian people and are loyal to their foreign masters who satisfy their dirty self-interest. We see the act of our police authorities and officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Office and the Foreign Ministry of Mongolia who allowed the Chinese to commit this extremely callous act as a betrayal of our nation.

Special attention should be given to the fact that Mongolian officials of the United Nation Refugee Agency who should be responsible before the international community for handling refugee issues in a just manner, who should respect the laws and regulations of Mongolia, who should be faithful to UN human rights conventions and other regulations have directly collaborated with the police and secret agents of both China and Mongolia. It is possible that these officials and some police personnel might have gotten paid by the Chinese authorities for revealing the asylum seekers’ personal information to the Chinese. Therefore, we will appeal to the General Intelligence Agency of Mongolia, Mongolian Anti-corruption Agency, and Prosecutor’s Office of Mongolia for a thorough investigation of the case. It is also highly likely that those police authorities personnel who got paid by the Chinese previously for actively spying on, detaining and arresting Southern Mongolian political exiles who came to our country for seeking asylum might have participated this time in this event as well.

H. Batzangaa did not violate any law. He came to Mongolia and stayed temporarily for the purpose of applying for United Nations refugee status in accordance with UN relevant regulations. As stated in the United Nations Refugee Agency documents, one shall not be forcibly returned back to a country where his or her life and personal safety are possibly at risk if returned.

H. Batzangaa has been ill-treated and persecuted due to his activities of creating and running a relatively large Mongol-Tibetan traditional medical school that has trained more than 1000 students including Mongolians from Southern Mongolia, Khukhnuur, Buriatia, Kalmykia, Tuva of Russian Federation and more than 10 students from Mongolia. The Chinese authorities saw him as someone educating and training many doctors who would be dedicated to working towards the well-being of Mongolian peoples around the world, and this effort is understood by them as advocating Mongolian nationalism. After a series of punitive actions which could be understood as persecution, the Chinese authorities caused him substantial economic loss, eventually shutting down the school that was created and run with his own investment and dismissed the students.

Citizens of Mongolia who value human rights and freedom will not accept this egregious act of foreign police and spies carrying out the arrest of Batzangaa, a Mongol nationalist who came to his brothers and sisters trusting our democracy for respecting human rights and freedom. The actions of the Mongolian police were made even more sinister as  as his family members were also arrested on Mongolian soil in front of the eyes of millions of Mongolian citizens at the capital of our sovereign nation. All Mongolian citizens should stand up against this arrogant and oppressive policy of the authoritarian regime that hates the fact that Mongolia chose the path of democracy. We are warning the citizens of Mongolia of the fact that our law enforcement authorities are working for the Chinese under the effective control of the Chinese secret agents. This unfortunate event of Batzangaa and his family who came to Mongolia for seeking asylum is not the first of its kind. The deep-seated Communist mentality of our police authorities who attempt to justify this serious human rights violation under a pretext of implementing bilateral agreements signed between Mongolia and some other countries has proven itself to be contrary to the Constitution of Mongolia and the fundamental rights of Mongolian peoples. Citizens and governments of those countries that provide moral and financial assistance to Mongolia should be aware that Mongolia is still violating human rights.

Four million Mongolian people living on the other side of the border are equally entitled to enjoy the inalienable rights to democracy, human rights and well-being as we are. Southern Mongolian, Tibetans and Uyghur human rights organizations and their supporters are condemning Mongolia for cooperating with Chinese agents in arresting and deporting Mongolian nationalists like Batzangaa. The Great Hural of Mongolia,  sworn to uphold the Mongolian Constitution, responsible to a citizenry that has  chosen democracy as their political status must stop all violations of human rights and jeopardizing individuals’ personal safety. Fundamental rights and the immediate interests of the people are urging Mongolia to work with her neighboring countries to establish bilateral agreements that shall be bound by the United Nations conventions on refugees within the framework of internationally accepted human rights standards.

We see it is the time for all levels of government of Mongolia, all their agencies and workers who have greatly benefited from the financial assistances provided by countries that respect human rights and democracy to respect the rights of foreign citizens who come to our country to seek asylum with a legitimate political reason. Especially those who have fought for the human rights of Mongol ethnicity should be granted political asylum immediately, and should be provided legal assistances  and protection of their personal safety. As an independent country, it is time for Mongolia to create a favorable legal environment in which granting citizenship of Mongolia to all Mongolian peoples holding foreign citizenships shall be considered a top priority.

We urge the Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Batzangaa and other Southern Mongolian political prisoners who have been suffering under the Chinese authorities’ cruel torture and inhumane treatment. These imprisoned activists deserve our support for their tireless struggle to protect the indigenous Mongolian people’s natural resource, tradition, culture, language, identity, and basic human rights including the right to religious belief. Many have been persecuted for their outspoken criticism of the Chinese authorities and have courageously demanded equal political and economic rights for the indigenous Mongolian peoples of China. We call on all Mongolian brothers and sisters and their supporters around the world to initiate a worldwide Mongolian peoples’ movement to defend the rights of all Mongolian peoples.

As the 100^th anniversary of the Mongolian Freedom Movement approaches, we believe that the Mongolian peoples will not forget the Great Edict of Chinggis Khaan, will not forget the historical fact that the Freedom Movement of 1911 and the National Revolution of 1921 were accomplished by the strong solidarity and great sacrifice of the brave and unified Mongolian patriots from all part of the world. We should not forget the great excitement, quick response, strong support and hopeful expectation shown to us by our brothers and sisters from Southern, Northern and Western Mongolia when we chose the path to democracy in 1990. Mongolians are a people who love peace and value harmonious coexistence with all peoples around the world. However, it is also our moral responsibility to remind our children and grandchildren that forgetting our blood brothers and kinsmen is shameful and places us on the ranks of monkeys in the forest.

Dear President, Distinguished Parliament Members, and respected  brothers and sisters! Please pay close attention to this case and start an immediate and thorough investigation. At the same time, those who violated human rights, broke the laws, damaged the image of democratic Mongolia, sabotaged the unity of Mongolian nationalities should be punished accordingly. Let us work together to guarantee that such a shameful act of pouring cold water on our brothers and sisters will never happen again.

Wishing You all the best!

Human rights defender, De Van Association

Pan-Mongolia Movement

October 29, 2009

NOTE: De Van Association is a non-governmental organization of the citizens of Mongolia, dedicated to the protection of human rights and freedom of Southern Mongolia. "De Van" is the acronym of "Prince Demtsegdonrov" who was the leader of independence movements of Southern Mongolia before the People's Republic of China took control over the country in 1949.