The recent arrest of a prominent anti-China activist in Mongolia has begged the question of whether the Chinese border region is heading the path of Tibet.
Mongolia, a landlocked country in East Asia, is dependent on mineral exports to its neighbours China and Russia. Protests are commonplace in Ulaanbaatar over Beijing's language policy in Inner Mongolia.
Critics of the policy say it mirrors moves in other areas such as Xinjiang and Tibet to assimilate local minorities into the dominant Han culture and eradicate minority languages.
Munkhbayar Chuluundorj, a human rights activist who advocates freedom for the region, was arrested last month in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar on suspicion of "receiving instructions and funds from a foreign intelligence group".
The General Intelligence Agency (GIA), the country's spy agency said Munkhbayar had "engaged in illegal cooperation activities".
According to the Tibet Press, authorities had made the accusation without disclosing further details about the case.
Critics argue that Munkhbayar's criticism of the Chinese dominance in Mongolia has caused disregard to the government which brought him under the surveillance of authorities.
Supporters suspect that the arrest is part of a cleansing campaign by China to eradicate the Chinese critics in Mongolia.
In the recent past, Chinese authorities have intensified their crackdown in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on ethnic Mongolians who are staging protests against measures to reduce education in their native language.
Munkhbayar had strongly criticized the policies that violated the democratic rights of ethnic minorities.
He even conducted various meetings, conferences and organized movements against the human rights abuse of China in Mongolia.
Munkhbayar had also demanded the resignation of Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene for his close relations with China.
His arrest triggered outrage and several activists claimed that it was a plan instructed by Beijing.
( With inputs from ANI )
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