New York Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) issued a statement on January 27, nominating Hada, the chairman of the Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance (also known as Inner Mongolia in China), as a candidate for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
According to Radio Free Asia, the statement described Hada as a steadfast human rights activist who has dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Southern Mongolians. Over the past 30 years, he has endured ruthless persecution, including an unjust arrest in 1995 and years of imprisonment and house arrest. Despite this, Hada continues to advocate for the rights of the Southern Mongolian people in a peaceful manner, leading to his nomination for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
The proposal was put forward by four members of the Japanese parliament, including Senator and Executive Director of the Southern Mongolian Parliament Union, Hiroshi Yamada, and Hiroichi Shimada, a member of the Japanese conservative party in the House of Representatives, along with two other parliament members who preferred to remain anonymous.
Enhebatu, the director of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center, expressed gratitude for the nomination.
Hada, a 70-year-old former editor of political theory at the Inner Mongolian People’s Publishing House, is a prominent Mongolian scholar and social activist. In 1989, he founded the Mongolian Cultural Rescue Association (later renamed the Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance) and served as its chairman. Additionally, he co-founded the magazine “Voice of Southern Mongolia” with others and wrote numerous articles.
In his book “The Way Out for Inner Mongolia”, he detailed the history and current situation of Inner Mongolia under decades of Chinese Communist Party rule, highlighting the harm caused by various political movements initiated by the authorities and policies such as migration and family planning, calling for people to awaken.
In the winter of 1995, the alliance organized a strike and march led by Mongolian teachers and students at colleges in Hohhot, demanding the realization of constitutional rights and the establishment of a basic law that truly reflects Inner Mongolian autonomy.
As a result, on December 10, 1995, Hada was arrested by the Inner Mongolian police and sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of “splitting the country” and “espionage” on November 11, 1996. After serving his sentence and being released on December 10, 2010, he continued to face prolonged imprisonment.
According to Voice of America, Mongolian girl Temulun Togchug revealed at a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) on December 4 last year that Hada has been under house arrest, his wife has been arrested multiple times, and his son was imprisoned at the young age of 17, with the whole family constantly under strict surveillance by the Chinese authorities.
In related news, RFA reported that Hada was abducted by public security personnel while meeting with foreign journalists on the street.