VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHUM #0374 3630449
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 290449Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY ULAANBAATAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3182
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6588
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2682
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 3873
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3513

C O N F I D E N T I A L ULAANBAATAR 000374 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM, G/PRM, G/DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2029 
TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL MG
SUBJECT: GOM: INNER MONGOLIAN "VOLUNTARILY" RETURNED TO 
CHINA 
 
Classified By: Political Officer Dan Rakove for reasons 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
GOM: Inner Mongolian "Voluntarily" Returned to China 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a meeting with PolOff, Chief of Mongolia's 
Immigration Agency Murun defended his government's conduct 
against allegations they had deported an Inner Mongolian with 
an appeal pending before the UNHCR.  Murun explained that the 
Chinese citizen, Batuzhangga, and his family returned home 
under their own will on October 10, and that his government's 
actions were legitimate given Batuzhangga's illegal status in 
Mongolia.  Murun stated that Batuzhangga chose to buy his 
family's return tickets.  Though Batuzhangga had only shortly 
before filed an appeal before the UNHCR regarding its October 
2 rejection of his application for refugee status, he and his 
family left Mongolia before the UNHCR addressed the petition. 
 This occurred after he was questioned by the Mongolian 
Immigration Agency at the request of two Chinese immigration 
officials who traveled to Mongolia on this case.  Though 
invited to attend, the UNHCR declined to send a 
representative. END SUMMARY 
¶2. (C) Murun stated that Inner Mongolian resident Batuzhangga 
entered Mongolia on May 26 with his wife and child and failed 
to register with the authorities as required of all foreign 
entrants staying more than thirty days.  Though Batuzhangga 
filed a petition for refugee status with the UNHCR, Murun 
reported that the UN office too failed to notify his Agency 
of the would-be refugee's presence.  Upon word from Chinese 
immigration officials regarding Batuzhangga and allegations 
of embezzlement, Mongolian officials located the man and his 
family.  They served notice to the UNHCR that Batuzhangga was 
wanted by Chinese authorities.  Meanwhile on October 2 the 
UNHCR rejected the man's claim for asylum, at the first stage 
of the refugee status determination process. 
¶3. (C) Murun stated that his Agency then hosted a meeting 
with Batuzhangga at the request of two Chinese immigration 
officials who came to Ulaanbaatar.  Though he invited UNHCR 
officials to attend they declined to do so.  Murun stated 
that the meeting was conducted in Mongolian and focused on 
Batuzhangga's alleged criminal conduct in China.  Murun 
declined to share the transcript of the meeting. 
¶4. (C) The Chinese officials asked questions through 
interpreters regarding Batuzhangga's activities.  Murun 
denied that the Chinese intimidated Batuzhangga, and 
characterized his Agency's role as encouraging the man to 
return with his family to China so as to clear his name. 
When asked about the Chinese role, he stated firmly that that 
his government had not kowtowed to the Chinese on the matter, 
stating firmly that they acted fairly and autonomously. 
Nonetheless Murun offered his sense that Batuzhangga was 
indeed implicated in the alleged wrongdoings. 
¶5. (C) Murun stated that Batuzhangga and his family then flew 
home to China on tickets they purchased themselves.  When 
asked if Batuzhangga and his family had any alternative, 
Murun acknowledged that they would have been deported in any 
case.  He reasoned that the UNHCR had failed to issue him a 
temporary permit and their presence in Mongolia was illegal. 
 The UNHCR Senior Regional Protection Officer Nai Jit Lam had 
however e-mailed Murun on October 2, requesting that "should 
Mr. Batuzhangga choose to appeal the decision, you will 
continue to extend your cooperation for UNHCR to review the 
case to enable us to make a final decision." 
¶6. (C) COMMENT: Murun's Immigration Agency appears to have 
approached this issue as both one of law and order as well as 
a bilateral issue with their southern neighbor.  Murun 
believes that criminals under apprehension in China are 
increasingly seeking asylum in his country, and referenced 
Nai Jit Lam's words to that effect.  He reaffirmed his 
Agency's sincerity in dealing with refugees, mentioning ten 
currently in country from such places as Inner Mongolia, 
North Korea, and Tibet.  Batuzhangga's case was rather 
peculiar, and the Immigration Agency appears to have been 
reacting to apparent failures of the applicant and the UNHCR 
to follow registration procedures. 
¶7. (C) More broadly, the Agency has taken a much firmer 
stance on deportation since Murun took office two years 
prior.  In 2009 they deported over 2,500 foreigners, of which 
more than 80 percent were Chinese.  Mongolian firms, 
particularly in construction, often turn a blind eye toward 
their Chinese workers' visa status.  Murun's predecessor was 
soft on deportations, and was reportedly suspected by some of 
being bribed by Mongolian firms to allow the foreign workers' 
continued presence.  In contrast, former prosecutor, police 
chief, and U.S. FBI academy attendee Murun has sent signals 
that he takes a firmer line on immigration violations since 
entering the job in 2007.  END COMMENT. 
ADDLETON