Campaigners told a UN meeting that China’s new ethnic unity law could further erode the cultural and linguistic rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities…reports Asian Lite News Desk
Uyghur activists have criticised China’s newly enforced Ethnic Unity and Progress Law, alleging that it institutionalises forced assimilation and poses a growing threat to the identity, language and culture of Uyghurs, Tibetans and other non-Han ethnic communities.
The concerns were raised during the 19th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva by Dolkun Isa, President of the Uyghur Center for Democracy, who said the legislation, which came into force on July 1, marked a significant escalation in Beijing’s policies towards ethnic minorities.
Addressing the UN forum, Isa alleged that the law establishes a legal framework for promoting a single national identity while further marginalising ethnic languages, religious practices and cultural traditions.
He claimed the legislation strengthens state control over education, public life and the transmission of cultural identity across generations.
According to Isa, the law follows years of policies that he alleged included arbitrary detentions, family separations, restrictions on the Uyghur language, destruction of cultural and religious heritage and the displacement of Uyghur communities.
He argued that the legislation could legitimise and expand measures that are incompatible with the principles of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the rights to preserve language, practise religion and maintain distinct cultural institutions.
On the sidelines of the session, Isa claimed that conditions for Uyghurs in East Turkistan continued to deteriorate. He alleged that forced labour, family separations and restrictions on Uyghur identity remained widespread, and said the new law sought to eliminate Uyghur and Tibetan identities from schools, public administration and everyday life.
Isa also accused Beijing of intensifying transnational repression against Uyghur activists living abroad. He alleged that Chinese officials and affiliated organisations monitored, intimidated and recorded activists attending UN meetings and pressured UN bodies to restrict their participation.
He further claimed that one of his colleagues was unable to obtain accreditation for the EMRIP session and alleged that Chinese authorities had previously attempted to block his own participation in UN events.
China has consistently rejected allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, saying its policies are aimed at combating extremism, promoting economic development and maintaining social stability.
