China's Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which came into effect on 1 July 2025, has already begun inflicting measurable harm on Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians, and other ethnic minorities — and the international community must act urgently to challenge it, according to a detailed report published in The Diplomat. The legislation extends the reach of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) into schools, homes, religious institutions, and diaspora communities abroad.

What the Law Mandates

Under the new law, all levels of government, schools, religious institutions, and families are legally responsible for instilling the CCP's definition of 'ethnic unity.' Parents are required to educate children to love the CCP, bilingual education is to be replaced with Mandarin-only instruction from preschool, and religious institutions must continue efforts toward the 'Sinicisation' of religion — meaning any faith is permitted only insofar as it is reshaped to serve the state.

The joint statement issued by over 50 Uyghur civil society organisations in July 2025 described the law not as a 'technical administrative measure' but as a 'legislative instrument of forced assimilation.' The statement noted that the legislation explicitly conflates the Chinese nation with the CCP and demands that ethnic groups abandon distinct identities in favour of loyalty to the Party and Han-defined cultural norms.

Impact Already Visible on the Ground

The consequences have been swift and documented. Videos circulating on Chinese social media platforms show Uyghur-language signs being removed from city streets and replaced with Chinese script. Affected communities reportedly cannot express grief over these changes — CCP cadres monitor public behaviour, and any negative comment risks being classified as resistance to 'ethnic unity,' potentially resulting in questioning or arrest.

Just three days after the law took effect, two Uyghur sisters and their mother in China were reportedly detained for sending merchandise to a sister living in Turkey. Authorities accused them of 'supporting terrorism' for assisting a family member's business — an indication of how broadly the law's provisions are being applied.

Transnational Repression Under Article 63

Article 63 of the law extends its jurisdiction beyond China's borders, allowing the state to pursue organisations and individuals abroad for activities deemed to undermine 'ethnic unity' or cause 'ethnic division.' Uyghurs and others with ties to East Turkestan living in Kazakhstan have reportedly described 'feeling the pressure' since the law's implementation.

In a high-profile case, prominent Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa was arrested and deported from Morocco while travelling to attend a religious freedom conference — a development critics say illustrates China's growing capacity to pressure third countries into restricting or intimidating Uyghur diaspora communities.

What Rights Groups and Civil Society Are Demanding

Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, stated in The Diplomat: 'The damage caused by China's ethnic unity law is no longer hypothetical. Governments must respond with urgency before forced assimilation and transnational repression become even more deeply entrenched.'

The coalition of over 50 Uyghur civil society organisations has urged the international community to take 'meaningful action' to repeal the legislation. They argue that under the law's framework, Uyghur, Tibetan, Mongolian, and other non-Han identities are permitted to exist only insofar as they are absorbed into a single, CCP-defined Chinese national identity.

What Comes Next

With the law now fully operational and enforcement cases already emerging, rights organisations are calling on democratic governments and multilateral bodies to formally challenge the legislation — both through bilateral diplomacy and international legal mechanisms. The cases of detained family members and deported activists suggest that the window for preventive action may be narrowing rapidly.