Washington DC, March 13 -- A newly enacted Chinese law aimed at promoting "ethnic unity" has triggered sharp criticism from the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), which warns that the legislation could deepen repression against ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Southern Mongolians. The Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress was approved during the Chinese Communist Party's annual parliamentary session.

In a press release, WUC stated that the law formally embeds long-standing assimilation policies into China's national legal framework, providing authorities with stronger tools to regulate and control minority communities. By linking the concept of ethnic unity to national security and anti-separatism policies, the legislat...