China passed what it called an “ethnic unity” law on Thursday, which rights advocates warn could further marginalize minority groups such as the Uyghurs.
The law, passed by the National People’s Congress, formalizes policies to promote Mandarin as a “common national 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 on the Han majority.
Social cohesion is the main focus of the new “ethnic unity” law, which criminalises involvement in “violent terrorist activities, ethnic separatist activities or religious extremist activities”.
The proposed law says it aims to “strengthen cohesion” within China, which the legislation argues is undergoing unprecedented social change.
China officially recognizes 55 official ethnic minorities within its borders who 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.
Educational institutions will now have to use Mandarin as the main language of instruction. Teenagers will now be required to have “a basic command” of Mandarin after completing compulsory education.
No minority languages are specifically mentioned in the new law, although it is likely to affect Uyghur, Mongolian and Tibetan speakers.
“It is no coincidence that the law targets the spaces where children are most likely to encounter their mother tongue,” Erika Nguyen of PEN America told AFP.
“The goal is to disconnect children from their identity, history and culture.”
A recent report by PEN and the Southern Mongolia Human Rights Information Center (SMHRIC) said that more than 80 percent of Mongolian-language websites in China are “censored or banned.”
Seeking Mandarin fluency in public life may also hinder the chances of Mongolian speakers advancing professionally, SMHRIC director Enghebatu Togochog said in a statement.
“Economically, it marginalizes Mongolians, as Chinese fluency becomes a gatekeeper for jobs and progress,” Togochog said.
The law also says its provisions can be applied outside China’s borders.
While calling for “strengthening ties” with overseas Chinese communities, it also warns that people outside China who “engage in activities that undermine ethnic unity” or promote “ethnic separatism” will be held legally responsible.
