China: Draft ‘Ethnic Unity’ law tightens ideological control

A newly proposed law in China would provide a broad legal framework to justify existing repression and force assimilation of minority populations throughout the country and abroad, Human Rights Watch said today. Once passed, the law could be used to facilitate intensifying ideological controls, target ethnic and religious minorities including by erasing minority language rights, and foster control beyond China’s borders. Above: High school students attend a Chinese language class at a public boarding school for students from northern Tibet, in Lhasa in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, 2021.