China approves 'ethnic unity' law criticized by rights groups

BEIJING

China approved what it called an "ethnic unity" law on Thursday, which rights advocates warn could further marginalise minority groups such as the Uyghurs.

The law, passed by the National People's Congress, formalizes policies to promote Mandarin as the "national common language" in education, official business and public places.

China's government has been accused for decades of pursuing policies to force assimilation across the vast country into the Han majority.

Social cohesion is a key focus of the new "ethnic unity" law, which criminalizes engaging in "violent terrorist activities, ethnic separatist activities, or religious extremist activities."

The law aims to "strengthen cohesion" within China, which the legislation argues is undergoing unprecedented social change.

China officially recognises 55 official ethnic minorities within its borders that speak hundreds of languages and dialects.

Government policies have already directed that Mandarin Chinese be used as the language of instruction in some areas with large minority populations, such as Tibet and Inner Mongolia.

Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, described the new legislation as a "significant departure" from a Deng Xiaoping-era policy that guaranteed the right of minorities to use their own languages.

No minority languages are specifically cited in the new law, although it will likely affect Uyghur, Mongolian and Tibetan speakers.

"It is no coincidence that the law targets spaces where children are most likely to encounter their mother tongue," Erika Nguyen from PEN America told AFP.

"The intent being to sever children's ties with their identity, history, and culture."