China has passed a sweeping law to promote what it calls “ethnic unity” — a move that critics say could further erode the rights of some minorities as authorities tighten assimilation policies.
Give it to her “ethnic unity” was approved this Thursday by the National People’s Congress, the main Chinese legislative body, and aims to promote “a stronger sense of community among all ethnic groups of the Chinese nation”. But what is it about, anyway?
“The people of each ethnic group, all organizations and groups in the country, the Armed Forces, all parties and social organizations, all companies must forge a common consciousness of the Chinese nation in accordance with the law and the Constitution”, the document reads.
The text establishes that ethnic unity must be promoted by all government bodies and private companies, including local governments and organizations affiliated with the State.
Setback to the identity of ethnic minorities
The majority of China’s population is Han and the official language is Mandarin. THE country has 55 ethnic groupswhich represent approximately 8.9% of the population.
The Constitution states that “each ethnic group has the right to use and develop its own language” and “has the right to self-governance,” while the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law promises limited autonomy.
Experts say that despite these provisions, the new law will probably have priority in practice.
“This delivers the final blow to the original promise of the party of a autonomy significant,” he said. James Leiboldprofessor at La Trobe University, in Australia, cited by Lusa.
According to Article 15, Mandarin must be taught to all children before kindergarten and throughout compulsory education until the end of high school.
Mandarin is already the main language of instruction in Inner Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang – regions with large minority populations – but the new law establishes that Minority languages cannot be the main language of instruction.
Until recently, minorities had some autonomy over the language used in schools.
Already In Inner Mongolia, students could study much of the curriculum in Mongolian, but in 2020 books in that language were replaced by manuals in Chinesein a change that provoked protests and repression.
Today, students in the region can only study Mongolian as a foreign language for about one hour a day.
Analysts also highlight the reference in the law to the creation of “mutually integrated community environments”, which could lead to the dissolution of neighborhoods with a large concentration of minorities.
“The intention is to encourage Han and other minorities to migrate to each other’s communities,” he said Zhou Minglangprofessor at the University of Maryland.
The law also creates legal basis for the Chinese government to prosecute people or organizations outside of China if they harm the progress of “ethnic unity”.
Experts say this provision recalls the national security law imposed by Beijing in Hong Kong in 2020, which allows people abroad to be prosecuted for acts considered subversive.
Human rights organizations reinforce that the legislation could reinforce repression against minorities, including Muslim Uighurs in the Xinjiang region.
