The following is the full transcript of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) Statement at the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues 9th Session held in Geneva from November 24-25, 2016. The statement delivered by the SMHRIC Director Mr. Enghebatu Togochog was interrupted by the Chinese Government delegation. Government delegations from Venezuela, Pakistan, Libya, Russia, Mauritania, Syria, Cuba and Iran supported the statement made by the Chinese delegation while the government delegations from Austria, United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Norway expressed their support to the SMHRIC’s right to continue its statement. The chairperson eventually allowed the SMHRIC to continue its statement.

President of the Forum:

Now I would like to give the floor to the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center.  You have the floor.

Enghebatu Togochog:

Mr. Chairperson, distinguished members of the Forum,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise our concerns and issues on the human rights condition of the Mongolian people in China.

As the Chinese authorities intensify their political repression, economic exploitation, cultural eradication and environmental destruction in Mongolian areas, the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of the six million Mongolians are completely deprived off, and their very survival as a distinct people is threatened. Here, I would like to raise the following specific cases to the Forum:

The first is the devastating effect of mining, land-grabbing and environmental destruction by the Chinese in Mongolian rural communities. As the Chinese Central Government announced that the Mongolian regions have become the largest “energy base of China,” Chinese extractive industries are rushing to the Mongolian grassland to open up coal, gas, oil, and other minerals, not only destroying the natural environment, but also escalating the tension between the Chinese and the Mongolians. Violent clashes are taking place on a daily basis between Mongolian herders. Defending the interest of the Chinese, the Chinese authorities are using excessive force, including police and prison system to crack down on the Mongolians. Many herders who defended their land and demand justice have been arrested, detained, and sent to jail.

President of the Forum:

There is a point of order. There is a point of order. There is a point of order that I cannot see from here. Who is raising the point of order? China. The distinguished representative of China is making a point of order. You have the floor.

Chinese delegation:

Mr. Chair, the speaker is talking about the Mongolian and the Mongolian people in China. Yeah, actually, obviously it is a separatist discourse. China is a united multiethnic country, and pursue ethnic equality, and ethnic solidarity and unity. The Forum on Minority Issues is a UN forum, and must abide by the UN charter and purposes and principals, and respect state party’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. China would like to reiterate that the autonomous region of Mongolia in China is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and we are against separatist element using this forum on discourse of separatism to separate our country. It is obvious that this has infringed on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. China would like to request the chairman to rule that this speaker stop that discourse. I thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Original statement in Chinese is follows:

主席先生，该发言者将中国人和中国内蒙古自治区的蒙古族人相提并论，是明显的分裂主义言论。中国是统一的多民族国家，坚持民族团结平等。少数群体论坛是联合国论坛，必须遵守联合国宪章宗旨和原则，尊重会员国主权和领土完整。中方愿意重申内蒙古自治区是中国不可分割的一部分。中国代表团坚决反对分裂分子利用论坛发表煽动分裂国家破坏民族团结的言论。很明显，刚才发言者的言论侵犯中国主权和领土完整。中方请主席要求该发言者停止使用分裂言论。谢谢主席先生。

President of the Forum:

First of all, is there another point of order? Venezuela, the distinguished representative of Venezuela has the floor, please.

Venezuelan delegation:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Venezuela would like to express its support for the statement by China. In this context we think it is an important opportunity and cannot be used to further political agendas, launching attacks on sovereign states, which are unacceptable and will undermine the goals we seek in this forum, whereas we support free expression of ideas and participations by civil society organizations which make valuable contributions in spirit of cooperation and working together which is characteristic of such mechanism as this one. We cannot agree with speakers to use inappropriate language, and with state members which are not being treated with appropriate respect. I would like to ask the chairman to call this speaker to order to address the item under consideration. 

President of the Forum:

Thank you, Venezuela. There is another point of order raised by the distinguished delegation of Austria. I now call upon the delegation of Austria.

Austrian delegation:

The Chair, my delegation attaches high importance to the voices of civil societies being heard. We believe that the presentation of concrete examples of human rights violations under this item is legitimate. States that disagree with the contents of the intervention may use their right of reply. With that, I would like to ask you let the speaker to continue his statement.

[loud applause]

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much, distinguished representative of Austria. I now recognized the distinguished delegation of Pakistan. Pakistan has the floor.

Pakistani delegation:

Thank you Chairperson. My delegation supports the point of order raised by China. We highly value the participation of NGOs, but they should abide by the principals and the purpose of the UN charter. Thank you.

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much. Now, I call on the distinguished delegation of Pakistan. … Cuba.

Cuban delegation:

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. In align with what has been said by the colleagues, we would like there to be compliance with the rules of this forum, and first and foremost, I would like exact clarification from you concerning the subject that is under discussion at this point. I have understood that it is said on the screen the situation of minorities, minorities in situations of humanitarian crisis. I would like everyone to focus on the issue, and for us to debate this, there is a set of recommendations that have been well-drafted, and a very good report from special rapporteur, and digressing from this in this forum would be counterproductive. For achieving the objectives, we set for us that we would request that you urge the speakers, not only the speaker that was just speaking out but all speakers, to refer explicitly to the minorities in situation of humanitarian crisis, which is the subject before this forum at this point in time.

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much, the distinguished representative of Cuba. Now I call on the distinguished delegation of Libya. You have the floor. 

Libyan delegation:

Thank you very much, Mr. President. The issues of minorities are very noble, and it carries a noble message. So, we urge, we plead that representatives of minorities to somehow refrain from being used and misused by hidden agenda, and aiming at dismantling the core of the United Nations which is the state, and being away from the languages of separatists. This is a noble cause, and it has to carry a noble message. Thank you.

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much, the representative of Libya, and now I call upon the United States of America.

United States delegation:

Mr. Chairman, the United States supports the ability of NGOs to express their concerns in this open forum, and lends our support to the statement of Austria.

[loud applauses]

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much for your statement. Now I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Russia. Russia has the floor.

Russian delegation:

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. Like other delegations that have already spoken, we believe that the statement by this NGO is a politicized statement, and it is counterproductive, and is not such as to foster dissimilar conduct of the discussions and debates on this issue. In this connection, we support the statement by the distinguished delegation of China, and we would appeal to you to ask this NGO to speak with full respect for the principals and goals of the United Nations charter.

President of the Forum:

Perhaps, I hadn’t heard, but I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the United Kingdom.

United Kingdom delegation:

Thank you Mr. President. U.K. finds the importance of respective rights of NGOs to take the floor and express their views irrespective of opposition concerning the substance of the statements. NGO inputs enrich the human rights dialogue, and we believe the statement should not be interrupted because the NGO mentioned concrete examples of human rights violations. Thank you, Mr. President.

[loud applause]

President of the Forum:

Thank you very, the representative of the United Kingdom. Now I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Mauritania. Mauritania has the floor.

Mauritanian delegation:

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. Mr. Chairperson, I have taken the floor to support the point of order put forward by China, which I think is constructive in its spirit. As you know, and you set this out very eloquent at the beginning, this forum is a platform for dialogue, and for it, it deserves that name and that description. It should confine it up to the spirit, prevailing in it the spirit of positive development with a view of finding a solution to the vital issues involved. So, this is important for it to be in compliant and in alignment with the United Nations charter. And with the constructive spirit of that, we hold it not to be transformed into a battlefield, aimed at fueling support for other endeavors that are not in compliant with this constructive spirit which we are deeply devoted to. Thank you.

President of the Forum:

Thank you, distinguished representative of Mauritania. We will give the floor now to the distinguished delegation of Norway.

Norwegian delegation:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. My delegation finds it important to respect the NGOs to take the floor to express their views like others have said before, and we align ourselves with the statements by Austria, United States and United Kingdom. Thank you.

[loud applause]

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much, the distinguished delegation of Norway. Now I will give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Canada.

Canadian delegation:

Thank you Mr. Chair. It is central to respect this forum’s emphasis on open dialogue. In this vein, Canada lends its support to the statement made by the distinguished delegation of Austria. Thank you.

[loud applause]

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much, Canada. I now give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Syria.

Syrian delegation:

Thank you Mr. Chairperson. I would like to join my voice to what was said by the delegation of China. I would like to stress that we all are convinced here that all NGOs are integral component of this forum. We have come forward to hear from them. But, we did not want this forum to be transformed into a place for statements that threaten territorial sovereignty and integrity, and we are all against that. From the point of view of procedure, I would like to ask for clarification from the chairperson. Would it be possible to exercise a right of reply at the end of each meeting. Or would be simply have to refer at the end of the discussions on each item to that right of reply applies.

President of the Forum:

Thank you very much. The rules of procedure indicate that we have time allotted to presentations by different organizations separate from what the panelists have said. There is not infinite time for rights of reply. We can only do so during the allotted time. We have to stick to rules of procedures when doing so. We should remember that we cannot always strictly comply. I can’t see who is asking for the floor. I do apologize. Sometimes difficult to see who is asking for the floor. I give the floor to the distinguished delegation of Iran.

Iranian delegation:

Thank you, Mr. Chairperson. My delegation would like to support the point of order that was made by the delegation of China, and we would like to emphasize on the necessity to respect the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of the state as enshrined in the charter of the United Nations. This is not the matter of being open or not, for all the people that are gathered here in this minority to express themselves. This is the matter of the respect on the sovereignty of the states. Thank you.

President of the Forum:

Very well, thank you very much to all those who have taken the floor. Before moving on, I wish to make clear that this is a platform for open dialogue. This is what this forum is intended for. We need to engage in constructive dialogue. All participants regardless of who they are representing need to be respectful to other participants, all other participants, and to limit themselves to the topics to which this forum is set up. Bearing in mind this point which I must stress once again to the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center, but only will I allow them to conclude within the minute remaining. If that organization restricts itself to the topic that has been previously set up for the discussion at this forum that all respect be shown to both member states and all other participants. On that basis, for one minute you have the floor to conclude your statement provided that you have adopted this procedures and grand rules. Thank you, you have the floor.

Enghebatu Togochg:

Thank you for allowing me to continue my statement. The Mongolians who maintained their pastoralist way of life for thousands of years are now forced by the Chinese authorities to give up their traditional life-style and move to agricultural and urban areas to give way to expanding Chinese encroachment. As a result of unregulated mining, resource extraction and uncontrolled agricultural practices by the Chinese, Mongolian grassland ecosystem has seriously been destroyed; lakes and rivers are dried up; underground water is depleted; air and water is heavily polluted; the Mongolians herders who have been kicked out of their land have become landless and homeless on their ancestral land.

The second issue I would like to raise to the Forum is the extrajudicial detention of Mongolian dissidents and activists. Mr. Hada, who demanded “genuine autonomy” in accordance with Chinese laws, is still being held under a form of house arrest after completing a 15-year imprisonment and 4-year extrajudicial detention.

We urge the Chinese government to respect basic human rights and the fundamental freedoms of the Mongolian people in accordance with United Nations conventions and universally accepted human rights standards.

Thank you.