China’s latest draft law on ethnic unity could ramp up pressure on minorities like Tibetans and Uyghurs, Human Rights Watch warns. The proposed rules aim to push everyone toward Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ideals, potentially wiping out cultural differences under the banner of national harmony.
Lawmakers submitted the 62-article draft to China’s National People’s Congress on September 8, 2025. If it becomes law, it would give the government even more power to shape daily life, from schools to social customs. “This isn’t about unity—it’s about enforcing one way of thinking,” said Maya Wang, HRW’s associate director for Asia. She fears it will hit ethnic and religious minorities hardest, deepening repression across the board.
The draft pushes a single story of China’s 5,000-year history and multi-ethnic nation led by the CCP. It would weave this view into everything: education, religion, media, tourism, online rules, and city planning. For instance, Article 14 wants Chinese cultural symbols on public buildings and street signs. Article 23 ties housing policies to “ethnic unity” efforts, while Article 40 nudges people to tweak traditions like marriages to fit CCP values.
One standout rule in Article 20 requires parents to teach kids loyalty to the CCP and skip any ideas that could stir up ethnic tensions. Articles 12 and 44 get schools, religious groups, businesses, and government offices involved in spreading these approved views on history, culture, and faith.
HRW points out how this clashes with China’s 1984 law on regional autonomy, which protects minority languages. The new draft favors Mandarin instead, requiring kids to master it by the end of school. In places like Tibet and Xinjiang, officials have already cut back on mother-tongue teaching, ignoring local pushback.
Human Rights Watch is calling on the world to speak out against the law and press China on its treatment of minorities. They say this push for ideological control doesn’t stop at China’s borders—it’s a global human rights red flag.
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