Statement on International Mother Language Day
South Mongolia Congress
21 February 2026
In South Mongolia, Mongolian-language education has been systematically curtailed, and the traditional Mongolian script has been progressively excluded from formal institutions. These measures form part of what can only be described as a systematic assimilation campaign targeting the linguistic and cultural foundations of the Mongolian people.
Such policies go beyond administrative reform. They undermine the collective existence of a distinct cultural community and raise serious concerns under international human rights standards.
The deliberate dismantling of linguistic transmission mechanisms, particularly when directed at a specific ethnic group, has increasingly been discussed in international legal scholarship under the concept of cultural genocide.
We therefore call for the immediate cessation of assimilation policies and the restoration of full mother-tongue education rights in South Mongolia.
We remain committed to peaceful, rational, and principled advocacy to ensure that the children of South Mongolia can learn, think, and pass on their heritage in their own mother tongue.