Mongolian language under threat in Inner Mongolia

I normally do not want to use this space for political topics, as Tolin Center is dedicated to helping us find ways we can connect with each other and better understand each other and ourselves in a spirit of peace and harmony. However, as a native of Inner Mongolia, I feel I cannot remain silent on this issue.

Inner Mongolia is an autonomous region of China, much like Tibet in terms of a political unit in the eyes of the Chinese government, but it is just to the north and west of Beijing and thus was much easier for the Chinese government to flood with Chinese settlers after the Communists took over. That, and the fact that precious minerals and valuable coal mines have been discovered in the province, drawing even more companies and people, means that the Mongolians have become a minority in our own land.

Mongolians in Inner Mongolia could choose to attend either Mongolian schools or Chinese schools. Although attending Chinese schools generally opened more opportunities for students in terms of higher education and jobs within the Chinese system, many Mongolians opted to attend Mongolian schools, where we learned about our history and culture in our language.

Now the Chinese government wants to change that. This summer, the government proposed that two subjects—history and politics—be taught only in Chinese in all schools. In addition, they proposed that Chinese literature be taught a year earlier.

The policy change, which is against the government’s own mandates about preserving ethnic languages and cultures, is clearly meant to ultimately make Mongolian culture and Mongolian identity nothing but a memory in Inner Mongolia. People in Inner Mongolia understood this, and there were protests throughout the province unlike anything seen since 2012.

There is a change.org petition to the United Nations where you can show your support against China’s attemps to stamp out Mongolian culture in our homeland. You can also read an article that explains this unjust policy in Radio Free Asia.