What’s China’s new ethnic unity law? | Explained
The Hindu – International
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Summary
Subscribed with another email? Logout and Login with that one. Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription China officially recognises 56 ethnic groups. According to the 2020 census, the ethnic minority population crossed 125 million, or 8.89% of the national total. This includes around 11 million Uyghurs and 7 million Tibetans. | Photo Credit: Reuters A new ethnic unity law, the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, came into effect in China on July 1. The legislation is the culmination of a policy trajectory that has been building for over a decade, beginning with the 2014 Central Ethnic Work Conference under President Xi Jinping. According to Article 1, the law was enacted to “promote national unity and progress”, strengthen “the sense of community of the Chinese nation”, and advance the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” The law, approved by the National People’s Congress, the country’s ceremonial legislature, is designed to foster “a stronger sense of community among all ethnic groups in the Chinese nation,” said Lou Qinjian, a delegate to the NPC who introduced the proposal. Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, said the law “does the opposite” of protecting minority communities. “Rather than celebrating difference, it is about pushing ethnic groups such as Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongolians to adopt a single, state-defined national identity dominated by Han Chinese culture,” she said. “’Unity’ in this context is not harmony between different communities - it is political and ideological alignment with the Chinese Communist Party.” Critics see the law as a final step in a years-long evolution of Chinese policy to emphasise national identity over ethnic autonomy. Critics have viewed that policy shift as being aimed at assimilation.
From the source
The legislation is the culmination of a policy trajectory that has been building for over a decade, beginning with the 2014 Central Ethnic Work Conference under President Xi Jinping.
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