Official disputes Inner Mongolia turmoil

A herdsman pastures sheep on August 8, 2006 in Xilinhot of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.The region in northeast has long been the scene of ethnic tensionThe tension is between Mongolians and Han peopleHan people are the majority ethnic group in China

(CNN) -- An official in Inner Mongolia is disputing an Amnesty International report that parts of the region are under martial law.

"We did not enforce martial law. Everything is normal," said Chao Lumen, an official with the information department of Xilingol prefecture.

In the report released Friday, Amnesty International detailed protests in and around the city of Xilinhot, the prefecture's seat of government.

"Nothing happened here. There were no demonstrations or protests," Chao said Monday.

The Amnesty report said Chinese authorities declared martial law in some parts of the autonomous region in an apparent response to days of protests.

The region has long been the scene of ethnic tension between Mongolians, who have lived in the area for centuries, and the Han people, who arrived in larger numbers after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Han people are the majority ethnic group in China.

According to the human rights organization, 2,000 Mongolian students took to the streets Wednesday in Xilinhot, in a show of solidarity with an ethnic Mongolian herder by the name of "Mergen," who was killed earlier this month when he was hit by a coal truck that was driven by ethnic Hans.

Amnesty reported that the drivers of the coal truck are both in custody of Chinese authorities.

In a clip posted to YouTube that purports to show that same demonstration, a large group of people, many of whom are young people wearing school uniforms, can be seen walking through the streets.

The students were marching toward the building that houses the regional government, shouting, "defend our land and defend our rights, according to the New York-based Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center. The group refers to the area as "southern" -- not "inner" -- Mongolia, and would like to see the region achieve independence or merge with Mongolia.

CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the clip.

According to Amnesty, the protests, which started May 23, have been largely peaceful, but at least 18 people were reported injured in confrontations with police northeast of Xilinhot, in Right Ujimchin Banner, or Xi Wu Qi in Mandarin.

"The protests are a wake-up call for the authorities. As in other minority areas, authorities must start heeding the message rather than attacking the messengers," said Catherine Baber, Amnesty's Asia pacific deputy director.

Protesters say their culture is under threat as pastoral herders are pushed out from the grasslands and forced to move to the cities, or to places where animal grazing is not possible, according to Enghebatu Togochog, Director of the Southern Mongolian Human Rights Information Center.

He traces the motivation for recent demonstrations to the Chinese central government's efforts, in recent years, to expand coal mining and production in areas that have traditionally been used for grazing.

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Inauguration ends Ivory Coast turmoil

French leader Nicolas Sarkozy, right, arrives Saturday in the Ivory Coast capital for President Alassane Ouattara's inauguration.NEW: Alassane Ouattara is inaugurated as president of Ivory CoastNEW: He calls for a moment of silence to remember victims of the bloodshedHe takes the reins after a political standoff with his predecessor His administration faces a huge task of reuniting a divided country, rights group say

(CNN) -- Alassane Ouattara was inaugurated Saturday as president of troubled Ivory Coast in a ceremony that marked a symbolic end to months of political turmoil.

In his speech, Ouattara recognized the 20 heads of state who were present at the ceremony in the capital, Yamoussoukro, mentioning French President Nicholas Sarkozy first. He then called for a moment of silence to remember compatriots killed in the bloodshed that followed the disputed November election.

Ouattara's predecessor Laurent Gbagbo refused to acknowledge defeat at the polls and cede power. Ouattara finally became president after Gbagbo's capture last month.

Ouattara had already been sworn in but Saturday's event was a formal start to a presidency challenged by myriad issues plaguing Ivory Coast. Ouattara's administration faces a huge task of reuniting a divided country, human rights groups have said.

In the months after the November vote, spiraling violence between forces loyal to both sides left hundreds dead, and cases of enforced disappearances and sexual violence were reported.

Human rights investigators said this month that they have found a total of 10 mass graves near the commercial capital of Abidjan.

In a letter sent to Ouattara before his inauguration, Human Rights Watch urged the new president to hold perpetrators of past atrocities accountable

The global monitoring group called on the president to address the communal divisions through a truth-telling mechanism, ensure discipline among security forces and establish an independent judiciary.

"President Ouattara will be sworn in as head of a deeply fractured nation still reeling from the horrors of recent months," said Corinne Dufka, senior West Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. "He should waste no time in moving (Ivory Coast) out of this dark period through justice that is blind to political affiliation or rank."

One of his main challenges will be reconciliation among citizens, according to a humanitarian worker in Abidjan.

It will be critical for the new government to avoid reprisals between different ethnic and tribal groups, between political foes and between victims and perpetrators of murder and other atrocities, said Stephen Wallace, director of the international aid organization CARE in Ivory Coast.

CARE has established a "listening center" at a camp for displaced people and hopes to open many more.

It's a place where traumatized people can go to work through what they saw and what they feel. It's a good way to prevent acts of vengeance, Wallace said.

Ouattarra has urged the International Criminal Court to investigate "the most serious crimes committed" after the presidential vote.

CNN's Moni Basu contributed to this report.

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