China's recently enacted ethnic unity law is causing alarm among human rights advocates and minority communities, who fear it threatens the extinction of the languages and cultures of 55 different ethnic groups.
On July 2, Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen set himself on fire outside the United Nations headquarters in New York City in a political protest against the law. Amnesty International linked his self-immolation to the law, which it says has sparked fears that ethnic minorities could face extinction.
The law, as reported by China's state news agency Xinhua and shared by the Chinese Ministry of Justice, mandates that "upholding national unity and ethnic solidarity is the responsibility of all Chinese citizens," and prohibits discrimination and suppression against any ethnic group. It also targets violent terrorism, ethnic separatism, and religious extremism, holding those involved criminally liable.
However, critics argue the law pushes non-Han ethnic groups—including Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Mongolians—toward a single, state-defined national identity, rather than protecting their distinct cultures and languages. Amnesty International's Tibetan advocate, Kyinzom Dhongdue, stated the law "unambiguously promotes and reinforces China's long-running policies that have already devastated the rights of Uyghurs, Tibetans and other non-Han ethnic groups."
In the Chinese Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Mongols have become a minority, representing just 18 percent of the population according to a 2020 census. Historically, Mongolians were treated as co-rulers of the empire and had rights to manage their internal affairs. Chairman Mao is quoted saying, "We feel that the people of Inner Mongolia have the right to solve all their internal problems, and no one has the authority to interfere by force in their living, habits, religion, ethics, and all other right."
Tensions in Inner Mongolia have a history of protests, including in 2011 when martial law was declared following the death of a Mongol herdsman.
The law's enforcement and its impact on ethnic minorities continue to be a source of international concern.
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