| SMHRIC |
| June 13, 2011 |
| New York |
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Link returns: "the file cannot be downloaded due to its controversial contents"
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On May 29, 2011, one day before the planned large-scale Mongolian demonstration in Hohhot, regional capital of Southern Mongolia, a rap song dedicated to Mr. Mergen was banned and removed from all Chinese Internet sites immediately after it was posted.
Mergen was a Mongolian herder who was brutally killed by a Chinese coal hauling truck in Southern (Inner) Mongolia's Shiliin-gol League for defending his grazing land from Chinese miners. His killing sparked the recent large-scale protests and demonstrations by Mongols all over Southern Mongolia.
Originally posted on a Chinese popular discussion site "Wang Pan 115.com" (
http://u.115.com) , the song was intended to tell the Chinese authorities what the Mongols think about Mergen's death, the economic exploitation of the grasslands and Internet censorship.
Immediately after it appeared on the Internet, many Chinese micro blogs and Internet discussion forums quickly disseminated the song. This was picked up within several hours by the Chinese Internet censorship apparatus which removed it from all sites in China. The song was posted on one of the most popular Chinese social media "Tui Ya" (
www.tuiyia.com ), the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, but was removed immediately. The links appear to be live but return the following message "The file cannot be downloaded due to its controversial contents". (See the screenshot)
Reportedly the author and singer of the song is a Mongolian college student from eastern Southern Mongolia's Tongliao City. Since the publication of his song on the Internet on May 29, he has been repeatedly summoned to the local State Security Bureau and warned not to go online or have any contact with outsiders. Friends have lost contact with him since then.
The Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) was able to obtain a copy of the song along with its Chinese transcript. The following is an English translation of the lyrics and the original song in mp3 format with its Chinese transcript.
Song Dedicated to Mergen, Hero of the Grasslands: (click here to play the song)
Yo, I am a Mongol even if I sing my rap in Chinese No matter what you say I am a Mongol Mongol blood flows in my veins The vast Mongolian steppe is my homeland Once green Mongolian plateau turned to yellow Beautiful grasslands turning to desert The government says it is the herders' fault Have you ever thought about it carefully? Whose fault is it really? Overgrazing is a myth and a lie We have grazed animals here thousands of years Why has the desertification started since only a few decades ago? How many people are coming here to open up mines and plunder our resources? How many people are coming here to cultivate the grasslands and plant those crops? How many dams are built to deplete the water that sustains the grassland? How many rivers are stopped to water the farm lands? Our homeland is ruined like this Thatfs why I say damn shit your "Western Development" You sacrifice our environment, develop your economy and spend the money made out of it With the leftovers you hire the dogs to oppress us Halt all industries and projects that destroy our grassland ecosystem! Grassland is mother of all Mongols that can no longer survive the destruction On May 11 something there happened Something that broke the hearts of all Mongols A fellow Mongol was intentionally killed Mergen is his name The name means intelligence and wisdom He wakened us all with his death United herders finally stood up Together we demonstrated to mourn a son of the grasslands For what cause had Gaadaa Meirin fought against [the Chinese]? I am sure it refreshed the memory of every Mongol When the truck wheels crashed over his head When the herders became completely helpless The arrogant driver even claimed A herder's life costs no more than 400,000 (yuan) Flame of anger started to set the prairie ablaze We are arrows bundled together tightly No one can sever the bonds of souls and minds among us We stand together to protest We march together bravely Right Ujumchin, Left Ujumchin, plus Shuluun Huh and Huveet Shar No matter where we are from, we are always together To protest strongly against the violence the authorities apply against us Peaceful protest is a right of the people When this huge event is taking place, you pretend as if nothing happened No single word is mentioned in CCAV[1] "Social harmony" (he xie in Chinese) flooded the Internet, but no one knows what the exact situation is Internet sites in China are damn shit Mother f**king Ren Ren Site (www.renren.com) deletes all Mongolians posts Mother f**king micro blog (www.weibo.com) removes my blog Mother f**king the State Security, mother f**king "tea invitation" (meaning detention, "bei he cha" in Chinese) Mother f**kers, I will say whatever I want to say I want freedom, yeah, return my freedom I want freedom, return my freedom Saying singing is my freedom, yeah, my damn freedom We will never ever be doomed, We are the Mongols, descendants of Chinggis Khan! United we stand together! Yeah, stand up my fellow Mongols! 献给草原英雄莫日根的歌（听歌请点击这里）
yo 我是一个蒙古人 虽然用汉语在rap 但是不管怎样我都是蒙古人 蒙古的血液在我身体里面流淌 幅员辽阔的蒙古地方那是我的家乡 蓝色的蒙古高原已经变成黄色 美丽的草原以后都要变成沙漠 政府却说这是牧民惹的祸 可是你们到底有没有想过 这些究竟都是谁的错 过度放牧的谎言它不是真的 我们在这片土地上放牧数千年 为什么沙化发生在最近几十年 有多少人来到这里开矿掠夺资源 有多少人来到这里种地开垦草原 有多少水坝劫走草原维持的水源 有多少河水都被用于农田 我们的家 就这样被糟蹋 所以我说去你妈的西部大开发 牺牲环境发展经济换钱留着自己花 另一些钱雇一些狗来把我们镇压 停止一切以破坏草原生态环境为代价的矿业工业项目！草原是蒙古人的母亲，经不起蹂躏。 五月11日 发生了一件事 一件让所有蒙古人心痛的事 我们的同胞被故意压死 莫日根是他的名字 那是聪明智慧的意思 换来我们觉醒他用他的死 牧民终于 团结一致 一起示威追悼草原之子 要说造反的嘎达梅林是为了什么 我想每个蒙古人都应该记得 当卡车的轮子压过他的头颅 当牧民们已经走投无路 肇事的司机甚至扬言 牧人的命最多值四十万 愤怒的火焰 开始燎原 我们都是捆在一起的箭 永远不会断我们心手相连 站在一起游行我们勇往直前 西乌旗东乌旗还有蓝旗黄旗 不管来自哪里我们都在一起 对当局的暴力严重抗议 和平游行是公民的权利 出了这么大的事你们假装没事 ccav甚至 不提一个字 网上河蟹横行没人知道实情 国内的网站都是吃屎的玩应 操你妈的人人网删除蒙文状态 操你妈的微博删除我的微博 操你妈的安全局操你妈的被喝茶 操你妈的我想说啥就他妈的说啥 我要自由 yeah 给我自由 我要自由 给我自由 用我的说唱就是他妈自由 yeah 我们永远不会完蛋 我们是成吉思汗的子孙 蒙古人！团结一致走起来！yeah bosoo mongolchuud
[1]. CCAV: A term in China used by most Chinese internet users to mock and ridicule the state owned media CCTV which is known for producing fake news. It intends to fool people by these fake news, but the majority of the Chinese internet users don't buy it. And CCAV became a pop term when CCTV's evening news broadcast a piece of news trying to propagate the need to crack down on pornography and prostitution industry. While many thought that this action was actually aimed to fetter the internet. Now the term can also be used as an adjective which has the similar meaning with hypocritical. Hey, dude! Could you please do better? Behave like a human being rather than a being! You are quite CCAV! http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=CCAV
Beyond
Great Walls: Environment, Identity, and Development on the Chinese
Grasslands of Inner Mongolia
The
Mongols at China's Edge: History and the Politics of National Unity
China's
Pastoral Region: Sheep and Wool, Minority Nationalities, Rangeland
Degradation and Sustainable Development
Grasslands
and Grassland Science in Northern China: A Report of the Committee
on Scholarly Communication With the People's Republic of China
The
Ordos Plateau of China: An Endangered Environment (Unu Studies on
Critical Environmental Regions)