Hada at the Inner Mongolia Jail No.4 in eastern Southern Mongolia's Chifeng City

The following is the English translation of Hada’s son Uiles’ written communication on his father’s current prison condition based on his visitation in August 2007. Hada, an ethnic Mongolian political prisoner in China, was arrested in 1995 and sentenced to 15 years in jail in 1996 on a charge of “splitting the country and engaging in espionage” for organizing the Southern Mongolian Democratic Alliance. He is currently serving his jail term at the Inner Mongolia Jail No.4 in Chifeng City of Southern Mongolia. In 2002, his son Uiles was also sent to jail for three years under an allegation of “robbery”.

Hada’s son Uiles wrote:

At the end of August 2007, I went to see my father. I had to wait from 9:30 to 11:15 am before I was able to see my father. My father has already become totally gray-haired, and he looked so thin and small. He lives in an 8-inmate small prison cell where there is no sunlight. I brought a cotton-padded mattress for him. My father brought his mattress with him out from the cell. It was so thin and dirty. The prison authorities refused to allow the old mattress to be taken out from the prison, nor was the new mattress allowed to be brought in. According to him, two people are specifically monitoring him in the Prison Unit yard. He was not allowed to leave the Unit gate, and talking to others is prohibited. He said he suspects he is being given some sort of special drug. He hasn’t received a single page of the newspapers “Nan Fang Weekend” and “Can Kao News” which he had ordered last year. When I asked what he needs, he said he needs a thick sweater. When I asked the head of the Culture & Education Department, Mr. Yu, why the newspapers haven’t been given to him, Mr. Yu said that my father didn’t want to read. My father is still denied access to the books we sent him. Mr. Yu said he is not doing hard labor because his health condition is poor. I waited for a very long time at the jail entrance. My father said he has had incontinence of urine and feces. I asked my friend who was majoring in medical science about this and he told me that it must be caused by a nerve system disorder. When I waited in the reception room, I happened to see a prisoner who was also in jail with me when I was serving my term in the Youth Jail. He had been sent to jail again. He asked me why I am here. I said I am here to see my father and that my father’s name is Hada. He didn’t seem to know him so I said my father was sent to jail for political reasons. He said, “oh, him. He is monitored every day and not allowed to talk to anybody.” When I asked how is the food here, he said it is even worse than that in the Youth Jail. I know for a fact that the food in the Youth Jail was terrible. I discussed with my father about applying for a transfer to have him moved to another prison. He said it is impossible. I asked why we are not allowed to do this while others can. He asked me “do you think we are treated equally with others?” It seems his logic is clear. He quit smoking. He said he always feels abnormal heart pulses. Imagine that Prison No.4 is a prison for felons. Most of the inmates are criminal felons whose sentences exceed 10 years. How stressed they must be.

Purchases are generally permitted in prisons, for example buying some instant noodles and so on. But my father has never been allowed to purchase any basic supply even once during these more than 10 years. Inmates and visitors are usually allowed to have lunch together. But we have never been allowed to have a lunch together even once. I asked the prison authorities, “you are building a big building. Can I have a meal with my father during my next visit?” They said, “this we can’t decide.”

My mother suffers from myocardial ischemia and a fatty liver. I explained why my mother was not able to be here to see him. I also encouraged him and told him that everything will be fine as long as he keeps on.

Since I was released from the Youth Jail, I haven’t been allowed to have an ID card. This year the vice-head of the local police station in my area called me and told me that I can have an ID card if I and my mother promise not to “bring trouble” during the Autonomous Region 60’s anniversary. The vice-head also mentioned that what the Chinese Communist Party is afraid of most is people like us.

We hope we can transfer my father to a prison in Huhhot City where we live.

(English translation by SMHRIC)

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