2011 Xilinhot incident
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Xilinhot incident occurred at the night of May 10, 2011 in Xilinhot
, China when a local herdsman was killed by a coal truck driver. The incident resulted in numerous protests. After the incident, the government provided compensation to the family, upgraded environmental rules, and dismissed the local Communist Party chief. The truck driver was tried, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to the death penalty on June 8.
coal
truck driver named Li Lindong. After the collision, the herdsman's body was dragged for more than 140 feet. This caused anger in the local people.
reported that martial law
was declared in Hohhot
, Tongliao
, Chifeng
, and Dongsheng
, although local officials dispute this. Riot troops and police were deployed in many areas. On May 24 hundreds of people marched to Xilinhot government headquarters to protest against the herder's death. On May 27 more than 40 Mongol herders and students were arrested after a clash with hundreds of police. On May 28 hundreds more Mongol students and herders took to the street to protest. Residents of the provincial capital of Hohhot
gathered in protest on May 30, shouting slogans such as "Chuncheng Group, get out of Xilingol!"
and the July 2009 Ürümqi riots, but the director of SMHRIC said that the protests were focused on legal rights for herders, and that they "didn't mention higher autonomy or independence." An editorial in the Communist Party's Global Times
criticized SMHRIC as having "little connection to the local situation", and criticized foreign media for reading ethnic politics into the protests, saying that "the protests saw no violence between different ethnic groups".
Several of the ethnic Mongolian protestors said their protests were not connected to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
(the protests overlapped with the anniversary of Tiananmen), and did not care about it, the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) reported that a Mongolian "Hohhot University researcher" said ""The June 4 incident has nothing to do with our Mongolian protests, We Mongolians are trying to free ourselves from any form of Chinese control, authoritarian or democratic alike, Our struggle is against a foreign occupation."
After the incident, China have accused unspecified "foreign forces" of exploiting the protests. Li Datong
, former editor of Freezing Point
, was interviewed by Chinese version of BBC
on May 30 on the issue. As early as the 1990s he has been in Xilinhot and warned of the misuse of the Mongol grasslands and related ethnic issues. He said that even when small minority groups are allowed to form representatives, often these representatives are not trusted. He further said that in the past, the Republic of China
with the Five Races Under One Union
allowed different races to live together.
secretary for Inner Mongolia also visited the herdsman's family to express his grief, saying that the suspects would be "severely punished according to law", while the Communist Party chief of Xilingol was dismissed. The family was presented with 10,000 yuan
, and the government announced changes in mining rules to lessen the industry's impact on residents and the environment. Li, the truck driver, was publicly tried and found guilty of murder in the Intermediate People's Court of the Xilin Gol League; he was sentenced to death on June 8. The passenger sitting beside him was sentenced to life imprisonment, and two other men that helped the truck evade police were given jail terms of three years. All of the four convicted are appealing their sentences, but Mergen's brother expressed gratitude for the verdict.
, Inner Mongolia another Han Chinese coal miner named Sun Shuning (孙树宁) drove a forklift and hit Yan Wenlong (闫文龙), a 22 year old Manchu. Yan led a group of 20 people to dispute noise, dust and pollution. When they began smashing properties, a clash ensued. In the clash Yan died, and 7 people were injured.
Xilinhot
Xilinhot is a county-level city which serves as the seat of government for the Xilin Gol league in Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It has a jurisdiction area of , and a population of 177,000, with 149,000 being in the Xilinhot urban area....
, China when a local herdsman was killed by a coal truck driver. The incident resulted in numerous protests. After the incident, the government provided compensation to the family, upgraded environmental rules, and dismissed the local Communist Party chief. The truck driver was tried, found guilty of murder, and sentenced to the death penalty on June 8.
Incident
On May 10 an ethnic Mongol herdsman 'Mergen' was obstructing a mining company, Liaoning Chencheng Industry and Trade Group, from passing onto his pastureland. He was then hit by an ethnic HanHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
truck driver named Li Lindong. After the collision, the herdsman's body was dragged for more than 140 feet. This caused anger in the local people.
Response
Following the incident, Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
reported that martial law
Martial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
was declared in Hohhot
Hohhot
Hohhot , is a city in north-central China and the capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, serving as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural centre....
, Tongliao
Tongliao
Tongliao is a prefecture-level city in eastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It borders Jilin province to the east, Liaoning to the south, Chifeng to the southwest, the Xilin Gol League to the west, and the Hinggan League to the north. The city was the administrative centre of the...
, Chifeng
Chifeng
Chifeng , also known as Ulanhad, is a prefecture-level city in southeastern Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It borders Xilin Gol to the north and west, Tongliao to the northeast, Chaoyang prefecture of Liaoning province to the southeast, and Chengde prefecture of Hebei province to the...
, and Dongsheng
Dongsheng District
Dongsheng District is a District and the seat of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China. It has a district population of 230,579, with 162,317 in the urban area. The district is predominantly Han Chinese, but has a significant Mongol minority....
, although local officials dispute this. Riot troops and police were deployed in many areas. On May 24 hundreds of people marched to Xilinhot government headquarters to protest against the herder's death. On May 27 more than 40 Mongol herders and students were arrested after a clash with hundreds of police. On May 28 hundreds more Mongol students and herders took to the street to protest. Residents of the provincial capital of Hohhot
Hohhot
Hohhot , is a city in north-central China and the capital of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, serving as the region's administrative, economic, and cultural centre....
gathered in protest on May 30, shouting slogans such as "Chuncheng Group, get out of Xilingol!"
Reporting
During the unrest, previously unknown pro-independence and annexationist groups like the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) became sources for foreign media of unconfirmed allegations of tensions, leading China to criticize overseas groups who it says are "trying to play up this incident for ulterior motives". Initial Western media reports described the protests as "ethnic unrest" and likened them to the 2008 Tibetan unrest2008 Tibetan unrest
The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
and the July 2009 Ürümqi riots, but the director of SMHRIC said that the protests were focused on legal rights for herders, and that they "didn't mention higher autonomy or independence." An editorial in the Communist Party's Global Times
Global Times
The Global Times is a daily Chinese tabloid under the auspices of the official Chinese Communist Party newspaper, the People's Daily, focusing on international issues...
criticized SMHRIC as having "little connection to the local situation", and criticized foreign media for reading ethnic politics into the protests, saying that "the protests saw no violence between different ethnic groups".
Several of the ethnic Mongolian protestors said their protests were not connected to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
(the protests overlapped with the anniversary of Tiananmen), and did not care about it, the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) reported that a Mongolian "Hohhot University researcher" said ""The June 4 incident has nothing to do with our Mongolian protests, We Mongolians are trying to free ourselves from any form of Chinese control, authoritarian or democratic alike, Our struggle is against a foreign occupation."
After the incident, China have accused unspecified "foreign forces" of exploiting the protests. Li Datong
Li Datong
Li Datong was the Managing Editor of Freezing Point, a section of China Youth Daily. He was fired, and his popular column closed, because of a published letter condemning censorship and government intrusion into the press in China...
, former editor of Freezing Point
Freezing Point
Freezing Point is a news journal in the People's Republic of China which has been the subject of controversy over its criticism of Communist Party officials and the sympathetic ear it lent to a Chinese historian who had criticized official history textbooks...
, was interviewed by Chinese version of BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on May 30 on the issue. As early as the 1990s he has been in Xilinhot and warned of the misuse of the Mongol grasslands and related ethnic issues. He said that even when small minority groups are allowed to form representatives, often these representatives are not trusted. He further said that in the past, the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
with the Five Races Under One Union
Five Races Under One Union
Five races under one union was one of the major principles upon which the Republic of China was originally founded in 1911 at the time of the Xinhai Revolution.-Description:...
allowed different races to live together.
Aftermath
The suspected driver was arrested. The company's chairman, Guo Shuyun, visited the deceased herdsman's family and bowed to relatives and apologised for his company's involvement in the incident. He promised to respect local people and protect the environment. The deputy partyCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
secretary for Inner Mongolia also visited the herdsman's family to express his grief, saying that the suspects would be "severely punished according to law", while the Communist Party chief of Xilingol was dismissed. The family was presented with 10,000 yuan
Renminbi
The Renminbi is the official currency of the People's Republic of China . Renminbi is legal tender in mainland China, but not in Hong Kong or Macau. It is issued by the People's Bank of China, the monetary authority of the PRC...
, and the government announced changes in mining rules to lessen the industry's impact on residents and the environment. Li, the truck driver, was publicly tried and found guilty of murder in the Intermediate People's Court of the Xilin Gol League; he was sentenced to death on June 8. The passenger sitting beside him was sentenced to life imprisonment, and two other men that helped the truck evade police were given jail terms of three years. All of the four convicted are appealing their sentences, but Mergen's brother expressed gratitude for the verdict.
Other similar events
On May 15 in Abag BannerAbag Banner
Abag Banner is a county of Inner Mongolia, China. It is under the administration of Xilin Gol League. The local dialect has variously been classified as Chakhar or Khalkha.-Bibliography:...
, Inner Mongolia another Han Chinese coal miner named Sun Shuning (孙树宁) drove a forklift and hit Yan Wenlong (闫文龙), a 22 year old Manchu. Yan led a group of 20 people to dispute noise, dust and pollution. When they began smashing properties, a clash ensued. In the clash Yan died, and 7 people were injured.