Hada (activist)

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Hada is a Mongol activist, who is fighting for self-determination of Southern Mongolia (Inner Mongolia), who is currently in Chifeng Prison.

Hada was born to a Mongolian family, November 29, 1955. In early 1981 he joined Inner Mongolian student movement, to preserve Mongolian identity in Inner Mongolia under Chinese law. Hada obtained his Master degree from university in 1983, and published articles on political theory in Mongolian. He started research studies in the political theory department of Inner Mongolia Normal University in 1986. With his wife, Xinna, he opened a Mongolian studies bookstore in Hohhot (capital of Inner Mongolia).

In the 1980s, Xi Haiming (Mongolian: Temtselt Shobshuud), Huchuntegus (Chinese: Hu Qing Te Gu Si), Wang Manglai ((Chinese: Wang Man Lai) and Hada, all students at universities in Hohhot, discussed establishment of the Inner Mongolian People's Party, a political party for Mongolians in Inner Mongolia.^[1] Later, in May 1992, Hada and other mongol activists including Tegexi initiated Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance formally named « Mongolian Culture Rescue Committee » of which Hada was chairman. In 1994, this group started a newspaper, Voice of Southern Mongolia, and in 1995 initiated a constitution outlining the Alliance’s main mission as “opposing colonization by the Han people and striving for self-determination, freedom and democracy in Southern [Inner] Mongolia.” Voice of Southern Mongolia, was banned in 1995, and it is still banned nowadays.^[2]

On December 10, 1995, police from the Inner Mongolian Public Security Bureau arrested Hada at his home, and took all documents related to the Alliance, and names and addresses of more than 100 international scholars contacts of Hada. Hada was officially arrested on March 9, 1996.

On August 19, 1996, Hada was charged by the Hohhot People’s Procuratorate with “espionage”, “separatism,” “stealing secrets for the enemy” and “organizing counterrevolutionary forces”. On November 11, 1996, after a closed hearing, Hada was sentenced to 12 years prison for separatism and 10 years for espionage by the Hohhot Intermediate People’s Court, combination of which attained a total of 15 years prison with 4 years deprivation of political rights. The Inner Mongolia Supreme People’s Court rejected Hada’s appeal. Tegexi was sentenced to 10 year prison and 3 years of deprivation of political rights for “separatism,” but was released in December 2002, for “good behavior” ^[3].

After Hada’s arrest, at least 10 other Mongolian intellectuals were arrested. Xinna, the wife of Hada left a note on the door of her book store about Hada’s detention and crackdown on activists. The authorities immediately suppressed a students protest that followed and arrested 12 of them. Xinna was taken into custody and investigated for “inciting students to cause a disturbance.” Although not charged, Xinna was only released 4 months later, on April 12, 1996. The Public Security Bureau closed the bookstore in Hohhot, even though the family had no other source of income.

In June 1998, Xinna wrote an open letter to Bill Clinton, who was visiting China as U.S. President. She described Hada’s condition declaring his health problems were “not taken seriously by prison authorities” and asked the authorities to transfer Hada to Hohhot prison to be able to take care of him and she asked for medical treatment. The Chinese authorities never acceded to these requests.

In 2002, Uiles (or Ulies), the son of Hada was charged and sentenced to 2 years prison.^[4], ^[5]

In 2004, Human Rights in China denounced tortures Hadda was subjected to.^[6]

In August 2007, Uiles could visit the Chifeng Prison and described the terrible condition of detention as well as the difficult health condition of his father in jail.^[7]