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China passed a new ‘Ethnic Unity Law' requiring Mandarin in schools, promoting assimilation of minorities, and allowing prosecution of parents teaching “detrimental” views. Critics warn that it threatens minority languages and cultures.
China on Thursday (local time) approved a new law that the Chinese authorities say will promote “ethnic unity”. However, critics believe this sweeping law will erode the few remaining rights of minority groups in Beijing, AP reported.
The "ethnic unity" law was approved at the annual parliamentary session, and reportedly aims to foster a “stronger sense of community among all ethnic groups in the Chinese nation”, Lou Qinjian, a National People’s Congress delegate who presented the proposal to the assembly, said.
What does China's “ethnic unity” law say
The proposed law also calls for promoting ethnic unity across all government bodies and private enterprises. This includes local governments and state-affiliated groups such as the All-China Women’s Federation.
It read, “The people of each ethnic group, all organisations and groups of the country, armed forces, every Party and social organisation, every company, must forge a common consciousness of the Chinese nation according to law and the constitution, and take the responsibility of building this consciousness.”
The Ethnic Unity Law makes Mandarin compulsory
On paper, it aims to promote unity among the 56 officially recognised ethnic groups in Beijing. The ethnic groups are dominated by the Han Chinese, who make up for 90% of the country's 1.4 billion population, through education and housing. However, critics believe that it will cut the minorities off from their language and culture. Under the new sweeping law, teaching Mandarin will become mandatory from kindergarten through the end of high school. According to a BBC report, earlier, the students were allowed to study most of the curriculum in their native language, such as Tibetan, Uyghur, or Mongolian.
While the Chinese government states that teaching the next generation Mandarin will improve their job prospects, Magnus Fiskesjö, an associate professor of anthropology at Cornell University, said the law will isolate the next generation, forcing them to forget their own language and culture.
Beijing also said the law for "Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress" is significant for promoting "modernisation through greater unity".
The law grants legal power to prosecute parents
The Ethnic Unity law also gives officials the legal power to prosecute parents or guardians who teach children what it considers “detrimental” views, which could harm ethnic harmony in the country. China has also called for "mutually embedded community environments." However, the BBC report, citing analysts, said this is likely to lead to the breakup of neighbourhoods with high concentrations of minorities.
Beijing accused of restricting the rights of minority ethnic groups
Beijing has long been accused of curtailing the rights of ethnic minority groups, especially in regions like Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. In Tibet, authorities have often seized control of monasteries to prevent them from worshipping the Dalai Lama. In Xinjiang, several human rights groups have recorded the detention of over a million Uyghur Muslims. However, China has always described them as camps for "re-education," but the United Nations has accused Beijing of serious human rights violations.
In 2020, ethnic Mongolians in northern China staged rallies against the government after measures were taken to reduce teaching in the Mongolian language in favour of Mandarin.
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