Demonstrations have been occurring in Inner Mongolia after a Mongolian shepherd was killed by Han truck drivers. It has been announced that marshal law was declared in the region on Friday. Just how bad is the ethnic tension and unrest in Inner Mongolia, comparatively speaking? List of Q&A about the incident from Reuters:
Compared with protests in Tibet and the far western region of Xinjiang in recent years, the unrest has been relatively minor. There have been no reports of deaths nor of demonstrators going on a rampage, smashing and burning.
They have also been limited so far to rather remote parts of Inner Mongolia, though there have been calls for protests in the gritty and populous regional capital Hohhot, less than an hour’s flight west of Beijing.
But the protests come amid serious government jitters about broader instability. The ruling Chinese Communist Party was alarmed by calls that spread online in February for “jasmine revolution” protest gatherings inspired by anti-authoritarian uprisings across the Arab world.
Though the calls never drew big crowds, dozens of dissidents, human rights advocates and persistent protesters were detained or put in informal custody to deter any participation.
