Geneva, July 16 -- China's newly enforced Ethnic Unity and Progress Law has drawn sharp criticism from Uyghur activists, who argue that it institutionalises forced assimilation and further threatens the identity, language and culture of non-Han ethnic communities.

Speaking at the 19th session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva, Dolkun Isa, President of the Uyghur Center for Democracy, stated that the legislation, which came into force on July 1, 2026, marks a significant escalation of Beijing's policies toward Uyghurs, Tibetans and other non-Han groups.

Addressing the UN forum, Isa said the law creates a legal framework for promoting a single national identity while further marginalising ethnic...