The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has expressed worry about China’s recent approval of the “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress” law. The organization fears that this law, passed during the Chinese Communist Party’s annual parliamentary session, could lead to increased repression against Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Southern Mongolians. By linking “ethnic unity” to state security and anti-separatism policies, the law is seen as granting authorities broad powers to penalize those seen as undermining unity.
The WUC highlighted that this legislation effectively enshrines long-standing assimilation and repression policies by Chinese authorities into national law. It is believed that this law could further solidify state control and assimilation measures aimed at ethnic minorities in China. The organization warned that the new law might provide officials with a more detailed legal basis to impose restrictions, potentially escalating fear and repression in regions like Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (East Turkistan), Tibet, and Southern Mongolia.
According to WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun, the Counter-Terrorism Law, coupled with this new legislation, could exacerbate repression against Uyghurs, particularly concerning linguistic, cultural, and religious freedoms. The organization emphasized that policies of forced assimilation and Sinicisation have already severely impacted Uyghur cultural and religious identity over the past decade. The WUC also mentioned that the Chinese Communist Party’s intensified efforts to disrupt the transmission of language, culture, and religious knowledge in East Turkistan are concerning.
