- What is the difference between Inner (Southern) Mongolia and Mongolia (or Outer Mongolia) ?

Mongolia (or called Outer Mongolia, some time) is a independent country and Inner (or Southern) Mongolia is a Autonomous Region of People's Republic of China now (the Chinese Communist occupied Inner Mongolia in 1947).

- How many is the population of IM?

There are 3.6 million Mongols in Inner Mongolia according to 1992 census. In addition to this, there are more than half million Mongols are living in the other regions of China, most of them are living in Xin Jiang, Khokhnuur (Qing Hai), Kharamuren (Hei Long Jiang), Kirin (Ji Lin), Liao Ning, and Bei Jing. The total population of Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region (IMAR)

was 27 million in 1996.

- How many is the land area of IM?

Inner Mongolia covers the area of over 1.28 million square km or 0.49 million square mile lands. It is the 1/8 of the total China's land.

- Why we are saying IM was not a part of China?

When did Chinese Communists occupy IM?

At the end of the W.W.II, Soviet-Mongolian joint army entered Inner Mongolia in order to expel the Japanese army. After the war, despite the all 51 banners people of Inner Mongolia expressed their will to be independent, Joseph Stalin handed Inner Mongolia to China according to the Yalta treaty. (except a few large city were remain in the control of Kuomintang, the vast rural area of Inner Mongolia fell into the Mao's Communist army after the Soviet-Mongolian army's withdrawal from Inner Mongolia.). On May 01, 1947, the Chinese government declared the establishment of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, after the PLA took control of the entire Inner Mongolia.

- How many Mongols have been killed by the Chinese government during the past 50 years of occupation?

Over 150,000 Mongols very executed or killed and over half million were maimed or injured by the Chinese Government.

- How many temples and monasteries have been destroyed by the Chinese government during the past 50 years of occupation?

Over 2,000 Buddhist temples, which were the priceless treasure of the Mongols' religious and cultural heritage, have been destroyed during the past 50 years.

- How many Lamas (Buddhist monks of Tibet and Mongolia) were forced to leave their Temples?

About all of over 20,000 Lamas were forced to resume their secular life and many of them were killed or maimed just because they were Lamas.

- How many Han Chinese have been settled in IM by the Chinese Government during the past 50 years of occupation?

Over 28 million Chinese, most of them were peasants, were settled by the Chinese government in Inner Mongolia. Permanently occupying the Inner Mongolia is the Chinese ultimate policy toward Inner Mongolia.

- Did the Chinese Government impose forced abortion and sterilization among the Mongols?

Yes. If any Mongol family dare to conceive more children that the Chinese government's rules (which restrict that a Mongol family can rise up to 2 children in their own land), the mother would be forced to abort the baby no matter how many month the mother has conceived it, and the mother would be forced to take the sterilization surgery. If a family were lucky enough to have borne a child without discovered by the authorities, the family would face a heavy fine and even the authorities would confiscate all the property of the family, including the livestock.

- Did the Chinese Government has been protecting the ecological system of IM?

No. during the past 50 years, as a result of millions of Chinese farmers' excessive cultivation on the sensitive soil of Inner Mongolia, one of the world"s most beautiful grassland is turning into deserts. Also as the results of the Chinese governmentÆs plundering on the rich natural resources such as the pine forests and the coal mines and building the backward high-pollution plants in Inner Mongolia severely counterbalanced the ecosystem of Inner Mongolia. People who have visited Mongolia are all fascinated by the blue sky, pure air and the wonderful nature of Mongolia. The same sky, air and nature people had experienced in Inner Mongolia 50 years ago is now totally destroyed by the Chinese.

- Did the Chinese Government has been allowing the Mongols to learn and develop their language, culture, and traditional custom?

No. Afraid of their children can't get higher education, Mongol parents have been forced to send their children to the Chinese schools instead of the Mongol schools. The only reason is that the Chinese government doesn't allow the Mongols to set up colleges and universities to teach in their own language. The Mongol culture and customs were totally banned during the cultural revolution (1966-1976) and it is very hard for the Mongols to restore and develop their culture and traditional customs under the Chinese government's assimilation policies.

- Did the Chinese Government has been allowing the Mongols to exercise their religion freely?

No. All of more than 2000 Buddhist temples were destroyed to the ground and all over 20,000 Lamas (Buddhist monks) were forced to resume the secular life during the cultural revolution (1966-1976). There are a few (less than 50) temples to show the Chinese government's 'freedom of religion' policy and also earn some hard money by attracting tourists.

- Did the Chinese Government has been allowing the Mongols to use the abundant natural resources of their own land?

No. Inner Mongolia is the one of the richest region in natural resources in China. It's deposits of coal, gold, iron, copper, gas, oil, uranium, and rare-earth metals and forest deposit are all among the richest in China. But the Chinese government has been exploiting those rich natural resources without any compensation to the Mongols for 50 years and the living standard of the Mongols is one of the worst in China Language.

- What language do the Inner Mongolian people speak ?

The Inner Mongols (or Inner Mongolians) speak the Mongol Language.

- Why is (Outer) Mongolian script is different than Southern Mongolian script ?

For many centuries, the Mongols (both Inner and Outer) have been using the classic Mongol script (some times called Uighur Mongol script). In 1940's, Mongolia (Outer) adopted the Cyrillic script and have been using until today (since then, people have been using the term 'classic Mongol script', in order to discriminate it from the Cyrillic scrip). The Mongolian government decided to resume the Classic Mongol script in early 90's, but it seems to have resistance from the people who get used to the Cyrillic script. Children are taught both classic and Cyrillic script in schools. In Inner Mongolia, the Mongols are still keep using the classic script.

- Are there any Inner (Southern) Mongolian script dictionaries into English ?

Yes. But it is hard to find such a dictionary outside of Inner Mongolia.

- Is the Mongol language taught in Inner (Southern) Mongolia ?

Yes. However, the Chinese government is controlling all the schools, colleges and universities and it doesn't give the Mongols many options in higher education (there are only have departments such as Mongolian language, History and Geographic teaching in the Mongol language, and Mongol students have no chance to learn the courses of natural science, engineering and management in their own language). Mongol children have to go to the Chinese schools in order to get better education. This is the Chinese policy to assimilate the Mongols.

* Religion

- What was the religion of the Mongols before the communist takeover?

Yellow sect of the Lamaism, a branch of Buddhism. Same as the Tibetan's.

- What has happened to religion in the last fifty years in Inner Mongolia?

The religion of the Mongols were totally banned by the Chinese government and all the Buddhist temples were destroyed, all Lamas (monks of the Mongols) were forced to resume the secular life.

- What is the state of the religion now ?

There are still no chance for the Mongols to exercise their religion freely. The Chinese government restored a few temples to show its 'freedom of religion' policy.

- What are the differences between the Mongolian religion and the Han Chinese religion ?

Although both the religion of the Mongols and Chinese belong to Buddhism, there are great differences between those two religions: The religion (Buddhism) of the Chinese people was introduced to the Chinese people directly from India about (the year). The Buddhism, in its way to spread among the Chinese, absorbed many thoughts and ideas from Chinese culture, especially from the Confucius. The religion of the Mongols, was introduced to the Mongols from Tibet in late 13 century. The original Mongol religion was Shamanism, people still can find the trace of Shamanism among the Mongols. The Mongols had made great contribution to the Lamaism. The titles of Dalai (the word Dalai is a Mongol term that mean 'great/grand/huge/many or Ocean/sea') Lama and Panchen were both first announced by the Mongols.

* Lifestyle

- What was the lifestyle of Mongols before the communist takeover?

Before the Communist takeover, the most of the Mongols still had been keeping their nomadic lifestyle. They lived in yurts (Mongolian tent), and their living greatly depended on rising the livestock. They kept moving from one place to another freely according to different seasons. Their major food was meat. (Mutton/lamb and beef)

- What has happened to the lifestyle in the last fifty years ?

After the Chinese communist takeover Inner Mongolia, millions of (over 20 million) Chinese were settled in Inner Mongolia by the Chinese government. These Chinese people turned the vast grassland into farm and since the soil and weather are not fit for cultivation, the land of the Mongols is turning to deserts. Because of the mass population, the Mongols have been forced to give up their nomadic lifestyle and forced to live in the house of dirt and bricks instead of the beautiful yurts.

- What is the state of the lifestyle now ?

Few Mongols are still lead their nomadic tradition and the lifestyle of the Mongols are under the great threat of the Chinese.

- What are the differences between the Mongolian lifestyle and the Han Chinese lifestyle ?

Totally different. The Mongols have been leading nomadic lifestyle and the Chinese (Han) people have been leading agricultural lifestyle.

- What does the loss of the grasslands mean to the Inner (Southern) Mongolian people ?

It means the loss of their country.