内蒙古独立运动人士哈達於1992年和活躍人士特格喜等幾位知識分子創立「南蒙古民主聯盟」（Southern Mongolian Democracy Alliance, SMDA），其宗旨為「反對漢族殖民統治，爭取南蒙自決、自由、民主」，保護蒙古人的文化遺産和民族傳統，推動蒙族人的公民權利。哈達也編輯出版《南蒙之聲》雜誌（The Voice of the Southern Mongolia），並寫了《南蒙古的出路》一書（The Way Out for the Southern Mongols）。另外，1990年興起的蒙古白色納粹十字組織等極右翼團體成員也積極參與南蒙古議題。1995年，南蒙民主聯盟和哈達在呼和浩特組織了幾次和平的示威游行，要求當局承認和尊重蒙古族的權利。12月，警方闖入哈達家搜走大批與南蒙民主聯盟有關的文件資料並將其拘留。哈達於1996年被中國政府判處15年刑期，2010年刑滿後一直被當局軟禁[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]。
^Uradyn Erden Bulag. Nationalism and Hybridity in Mongolia. Oxford University Press. 1 January 1998: 180– [2013-12-15]. ISBN 978-0-19-823357-2. （原始内容存档于2014-01-07）. The naming of the two Mongolias has heen controversial. The MPR..(p.179) We now see a frequent use of 'Southern Mongolia' (Nan Menggu) and 'Northern Mongolia' (Bet Menggu) by some politically conscious Inner Mongols, delineating geographical separation, hut not political division. Of course, the original meaning was entirely different: Inner Mongolia was suhjected to internal administration — that is, direct rule — while Outer Mongolia had a separate administration, hence indirect rule from the Manchu court. The official names under the Manchu were Gadaad Mongol (Outer Mongolia) and Dotood Mongol (Inner Mongolia). Contemporary Chinese continue to exploit these names; they stick to the use of Ovor Mongol and Ar Mongol or their Chinese equivalents of Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia ... although Outer Mongolia is officially recognized by the PRC as an independent country (p.180)
