China's draft 'Ethnic Unity' law raises alarm over minority rights

New York [US], September 30 (ANI): A new draft law proposed in China could significantly intensify repression and forced assimilation of ethnic and religious minorities, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Submitted to the National People's Congress on September 8, 2025, the 62-article draft Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress reportedly seeks to legally enforce ideological conformity under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), raising serious human rights concerns both domestically and internationally.

Human Rights Watch warned that the law, if enacted, would broaden state authority to erase cultural and linguistic diversity, particularly targeting Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minority groups. Maya Wang, associate Asia director at HRW, said the legislation would deepen repression, mobilising all sectors of society to serve CCP ideology under the guise of "ethnic unity."

As per HRW news release, the draft law promotes a single narrative that emphasises China's supposed uninterrupted 5,000-year civilisation and the formation of a "unified multi-ethnic nation" under the Party's leadership. It mandates the integration of this ideology across key areas such as education, religion, media, tourism, internet governance, and urban development.

According to HRW, Article 14 calls for embedding Chinese cultural symbols in public infrastructure and place names, while article 23 links housing policy to promoting ethnic unity. Article 40 encourages reshaping social customs, such as marriage practices, to align with CCP values.

A particularly controversial provision, article 20(2), obliges parents and guardians to instill loyalty to the CCP in minors and to avoid teaching ideas that might challenge ethnic unity. Article 12 and article 44 further mobilize state institutions, schools, religious bodies, and enterprises to indoctrinate the public with CCP-approved views on culture, history, and religion.

Human Rights Watch highlighted that the draft undermines existing protections under the 1984 Law on Regional National Autonomy, which guarantees the right of minorities to use and develop their own languages. The new law instead prioritises Mandarin and demands preschool children achieve fluency by the end of compulsory education. In practice, this shift is already visible in regions like Tibet and Xinjiang, where mother-tongue education has been severely restricted despite protests.

Human Rights Watch has urged the international community to oppose this law and hold China accountable for continued persecution of minority groups and the extension of ideological control beyond its borders. (ANI)

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