The Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC)  reported on February 23, 2016, that Mongolian herders from western Southern (Inner) Mongolia’s Urad Middle Banner (“wu la te zhong qi” in Chinese) gathered in front of the local government building in Haliut Township (“hai liu tu zhen” in Chinese). Holding a long banner reading “Confiscate cadre-occupied land, defend herders’ rights,” they protested the local government officials’ illegal occupation of herders’ grazing lands and demanded adequate compensation and immediate return of their grazing lands. SMHRIC quoted a a herder’s representative named Burinzayaa as saying “Today we gathered in front of the Banner government building from all corners of Urad Middle Banner, urging the government to force those government officials to give up their land illegally appropriated from the local herders. Hundreds of government officials have illegally occupied our collective land under various pretexts. In accordance with relevant laws and regulations, these officials must give up the land immediately and unconditionally.” The SMHRIC said it had a written statement from the protesters alleging that the Bureau of Animal Husbandry of Urad Middle Banner has been engaging in illegal appropriation and auction of grazing lands collectively owned by local pastoralist communities. More than 1,000 Mongolian herders’ households are affected by illegal land transactions.