Commentary Mere weeks ago, the Swedish migration board decided to put the deportation to China of an Inner Mongolian human rights defender on hold. They also ordered a new hearing to take an in-depth look into recent developments in Inner Mongolia and the wave of mass detentions and increased repression in the “autonomous” region since last year. It was just a few years ago that the same body decided to offer extended protection to Uyghurs after an investigation concluded that being a Uyghur was enough to place a person at high risk of human rights violations if returned to China. Several other countries followed suit, expanding available safe havens for Uyghurs who, against all odds, manage to flee China. The situation for Tibetans has long been similar. With each of these developments, China’s ability to exert influence over these key groups abroad diminishes, in direct contravention of the central government’s …