Beijing is preparing to consider a sweeping new law called “Ethnic Unity and Development,” which experts warn could escalate the persecution of China’s 56 officially recognized ethnic minorities, particularly in Tibet and Xinjiang, home to the Uyghur population.
The proposed law, set for debate at China’s National People’s Congress, would impose restrictions on minority marriages, education, and freedom of expression, while prioritizing Mandarin over regional languages. According to a policy report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the legislation is designed to enforce integration with the Han majority by creating “mixed communities” in ethnic regions and penalizing parents who teach their children ideas deemed contrary to Beijing’s concept of “ethnic harmony.”
Experts warn that the law could also provide a legal cover for ongoing human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including the forced relocation of Uyghur Muslims, mass imprisonment, sterilizations, and “re-education” programs designed to erase cultural and religious traditions. Beijing’s policies have already included preventing Uyghurs from attending prayers and demolishing historic mosques.
Human rights advocates caution that if enacted, the law would accelerate Beijing’s efforts to erase minority identities, suppress cultural traditions, and enforce a uniform national identity, heightening the risk of systemic cultural destruction and forced assimilation.
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