The following is the full transcript of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center's (SMHRIC) intervention at the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues 10th Session held in Geneva from November 29 to December 1, 2017, as well as the transcripts of responses from a Chinese GONGO (government operated non-governmental organization) and the Chinese Government delegation. The statement delivered by the SMHRIC Director Mr. Enghebatu Togochog was interrupted by the Chinese Government delegation who asked the chairperson not to allow him from further speaking. The chairperson did not honor the Chinese delegation's request although he warned all speakers not to use any derogatory language. Shortly after the Chinese Government delegation's interruption, a Chinese GONGO representative who identified herself as an "ethnic Mongolian born in China's Inner Mongolia" and an employee of the China Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences responded to Enghebatu Togochog's statement, claiming that "what she has been witnessing is totally different from what was said in the intervention of SMHRIC".

Transcript of the SMHRIC intervention and the Chinese delegation interruption:

Moderator:

Next speaker is the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Info Center.

Enghebatu Togochog:

Mr. Chair, distinguished members of the Forum, My name is Enghebatu Togochog. On behalf of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center, I would like to bring to the attention of the Forum some of the issues and challenges faced by Mongolian youths in China who have been struggling to maintain their traditional way of life and distinct identity. Designated as one of the 55 “ethnic minorities” of China, the Mongolians have not only been denied their minority rights, but also have long been subjected to systematic persecution, forced assimilation, discrimination, and even denied the most basic human rights and fundamental freedom. Although Chinese laws state to guarantee the rights of minorities to use their native language in education and public life as well as the right to practice their tradition and unique way of life, these rights are not respected in practice. For example, the Chinese Government has adopted a series of discriminatory policies toward the Mongolian nomadic way of life including “ecological migration”, “ban over livestock grazing”, eliminating and reducing rural Mongolian schools. These practices are reaching a new height under the leadership of Xi Jinping, highlighted by increasing violence and crackdowns against young Mongolian activists who rallied the Mongolians over the Internet and social media to defend their rights.

Moderator:

Excuse me, excuse me, there is a point of order"

Chinese Delegation:

Moderator, we hope the forum on minority will be a platform to protect and promote rights of minorities and is a constructive platform. However, the statement by the NGO has nothing to do with the item under discussion. According to the rules of the procedure, I hope Mr. Moderator will stop that representative from further speaking.

[Original in Chinese]

我们希望少数群体论坛是一个各方交流促进和保护少数群体权利的建设性的平台。但是，我们认为该非政府组织代表的发言与目前讨论的议题无关。根据我们的议事规则，希望主席先生中止该代表的发言。

Moderator:

Thank you very much. Is there any point of order on the subject? If not I would like to repeat again and again that we should not use derogatory language. We should not use abuse language. We should refrain from deviating from the subject of discussion. Please stick to the discussion subject and use acceptable language. Thank you. Back to the speaker.

Enghebatu Togochog:

Three young Mongolian women, Ms. Bao Guniang, Ms. Ying Ge, and Ms. Man Liang are still under extrajudicial detention for mobilizing their communities to defend their land from illegal occupation by Chinese companies. Another young Mongolian activist, Mr. Wen Ming, was sentenced to 2 years in prison few months ago for disseminating information over the Chinese social media about the Chinese authorities’ violation of rural herders’ legal rights. Thank you!

Chinese GONGO "ethnic Mongolian" member's intervention:

Moderator:

We will take as the next speaker China Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences.

China GONGO "Ethnic Mongolian" Member:

I am here, 大家好！Good afternoon. I am from the research institute of humanity. I have just heard the intervention by the Southern Mongolia [Human Rights] Information Center. I believe the intervention is not based on facts. I am someone born Mongolian in Inner Mongolia in China. My growth circuits is the embodiment of the development in China. When I took the examination for the university entrance examination, I was given a preferential treatment by adding ten points on it, and I was also given the opportunity to do a master's course. Although I live in Beijing now, I still visit Inner Mongolia three or four times a year, and the life and living standard of my family and relatives have been bettered a lot. The children can have the opportunity to learn their tradition and culture, and they also conduct traditional wedding ceremonies in Inner Mongolia. So, what I have witnessed is totally different from what was said in the intervention. I live in Beijing, and am also involved in the effort to protect the rights of the minorities. Our work is to support minority young people to involve in the development in the cities. The urbanization and development in China is moving rapidly forward. Many young people from the rural areas are seeking for better life in the cities. In order to help them integrate into urban life better, our focus is on the communities to allow the young people of the ethnic minorities to have the opportunity. They have very strong ability to accept new way of life. And they can become the bridge between today's under-developed ethnic minority groups, and we also do best to help them to provide public service to them to help develop their culture and language and so on so forth. Thank you very much.

[Original in Chinese]

大家好！我是来自中国人类学民族学研究会的。刚刚听到南蒙古人权信息中心的发言内容。我认为这是不真实的。因为我就是一个出生在中国内蒙古的蒙古族。我的成长经历呢，就是中国的民族政策受益的一个过程。我参加高考的时候政府给了我十个分数的优惠。当我上大学的时候，还通过少数民族高级人才计划读完了硕士学位。然后，我现在虽然生活在北京，但是每年还会到内蒙古两到三次。我的亲人们生活都得到了极大的改善。尤其是在生态环境保护方面。家里面的孩子们呢都能够享受到学习传统文化的机会。我的许多亲友们呢至今也在举行蒙古族的传统婚礼。所以我看到的这些现状跟刚刚被指责的情况完全不同。现在呢，我生活在北京，也从事着少数民族权益保护的相关工作。我感到非常的自豪。我们的好多工作内容呢，就是支持少数民族的青年人有机会融入城市里面。现在中国的城镇化和现代化的发展进程非常快。许多少数民族和其他公民一样都愿意到城市中追求更好的生活。为了帮助他们更好地融入城市，我们的经验做法呢，就是把重点放在社区里面，让一些少数民族的青年人发挥他们的主动性。他们接受现代文明的能力很强，可以成为政府和少数民族群众之间的桥梁。同时呢，注重保护少数民族的权利，给予他们提供咨询和各种公共服务，比如就业，语言，社会保障和法律援助等。好，谢谢大家。

Chinese Government delegation's intervention:

Moderator:

People's Republic of China please.

Chinese Delegation:

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to thank you for giving the right of reply to the delegation of China. China is a united multiethnic country, and pursues equality and unity among all ethnic groups. In recent years, China's ethnic minority regions have seen continued development in all aspects of life. The civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the people in these regions have been further guaranteed. Under China's constitution, the state has the obligation to guarantee the application of the commonly used language. At the same time, the state fully guarantees the rights of ethnic minorities to use their own languages. These languages are widely used in the judicial process, administration, education, media, printing, TV and broadcasting, Internet, social and public affairs. In the current national human rights action plan, the Chinese Government is committed to providing all ethnic minority people with equal access to public service. China is promoting the measures to ensure preferential treatments in terms of public service resources allocation, including education resources, is made towards autonomous regions of ethnic minorities. As it is made to establish and develop minority schools, university prep-schools, bilingual teaching, boarding schools in nomadic areas, and preferential school and university admission criteria for students with minority background, all with the aim to promote equal education, and to defend the right of education of ethnic minorities, especially minority youths. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Moderator: Thank you very much!

[Original in Chinese]

主席先生，感谢您给予中国代表团答辩机会。中国是统一的多民族国家，坚持民族平等和民族团结。近年来，中国少数民族地区各项事业不断发展。少数民族的公民政治权利和经济社会文化权利进一步得到保障。根据宪法规定，国家在依法保障推行通用语言文字的同时，充分保障各少数民族使用本民族语言文字的权利。民族语言文字在司法，行政，教育，新闻出版，广播电视，互联网，社会公共事务等领域得到广泛应用。在新一期国家人权行动计划中，中国政府承诺，切实保障少数民族均等享有公共服务的权利。推动包括教育资源在内的国家公共服务资源，向民族自治地方倾斜。通过建立和发展各类民族学校，置办民族预科班，实行双语教学，在广大的农牧区推进即素质教育，对少数民族考生升学予以照顾等，促进教育公平，维护少数民族，特别是少数民族青年的受教育权利。谢谢，主席先生。