Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, June 30: The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Penpa Tsering on June 26 issued a strong appeal to governments and civil society organisations worldwide, urging coordinated and concerted opposition to the People’s Republic of China’s newly enacted “Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress Law.” The appeal was made during a recent panel discussion where he warned that the legislation—set to come into effect on 1 July 2026—represents a significant escalation in policies aimed at assimilating Tibetans and other ethnic minorities.
According to the President of the Tibetan government in exile, while Beijing presents the law as a framework to promote national unity and social harmony, it in reality establishes a comprehensive legal mechanism that could accelerate the erosion of distinct ethnic identities. He cautioned that the law targets the weakening of minority languages, cultural practices, religious traditions, and collective identities, effectively advancing assimilation under the rhetoric of “ethnic unity.”
Following these warnings, bipartisan members of the United States Senate, including Senators Jacky Rosen, John Curtis, Jeff Merkley, and Jim Banks, introduced a resolution condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s policy direction. The senators on June 29 collectively criticised what they described as systematic attempts at cultural and religious erasure affecting Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other minority communities. They also raised concerns that the law’s implications extend beyond China’s borders through mechanisms of transnational repression, while reaffirming the need to defend global religious freedom and human rights.
International parliamentary reactions have been equally strong. In Switzerland, the Parliamentary Group for Tibet (PGT) issued a formal protest, warning that expanded state control over education and public life under the new law could further intensify the separation of Tibetan children from their families through boarding school systems. The group also highlighted concerns that propaganda targeting young children may contribute to the gradual erosion of Tibetan identity, and pledged to raise the issue within Swiss parliamentary committees and international forums.
In the Czech Republic, senior lawmakers across both chambers voiced alarm, describing the legislation as a serious threat to the survival of Tibetan cultural identity. Hayato Okamura warned that the law would deepen restrictions on Tibetan language and culture, while Senator Přemysl Rabas characterised it as a potential tool of cultural destruction. The Vice-President of the Czech Senate, Jiří Oberfalzer, went further, describing the law as a form of forced assimilation that violates international human rights standards and reflects a broader pattern of repression.
Italian parliamentarians also issued strong condemnations, framing the law as part of a wider effort to eliminate minority identities. Former Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi criticised the legislation as an instrument of homogenisation that undermines Tibetan language and culture, while highlighting concerns over boarding school systems and restrictions on education. Senator Andrea Di Priamo and MP Ilenia Malavasi both warned that the law threatens the survival of Tibetan identity and accelerates cultural erosion. Former Senator Roberto Rampi added that linguistic diversity should be protected as a strength rather than suppressed through state policy.
Against the backdrop of growing international opposition to the law, a coalition of Tibetan civil society organisations including Wasur Circle, Blackneck Books, and The Tibet Fund convened a panel discussion on June 28 to examine the implications of China’s “Law on Promoting All-Around Ethnic Unity” ahead of its implementation on July 1. Speakers unanimously agreed that the response from the Central Tibetan Administration and Tibetan organisations should extend beyond issuing statements of condemnation, calling instead for sustained, practical initiatives and coordinated action to counter the legislation’s long-term impact on Tibetan identity.
The panelists warned that Beijing’s policies are systematically targeting the very foundation of the Tibetan language and urged relevant institutions to allocate greater financial resources toward Tibetan-language education and preservation initiatives. They also stressed the need to encourage the use and reading of Tibetan across all sections of society and platforms. Emphasising the importance of nurturing national consciousness among younger generations, the speakers called for stronger efforts to instil pride in Tibetan identity while fostering deeper appreciation for Tibetan religion, culture, and language, describing these as essential to safeguarding the nation’s heritage in the face of increasing assimilation pressures.
The CTA President on June 30 issued an urgent global appeal through tibet.net, the official website of the Tibetan government-in-exile, urging governments, foreign ministries, parliamentarians, think tanks, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) worldwide to take note of the People’s Republic of China’s newly enacted Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress.
The statement highlighted several key concerns, including the mandatory use of Mandarin Chinese as the primary language of instruction in schools, policies promoting mixed-ethnic communities and population transfers that could weaken traditional Tibetan communities, expanded state surveillance and control over Tibetan society, and Article 63’s extraterritorial provisions, which could enable transnational repression of Tibetans and critics abroad.
According to the statement, the law represents a significant escalation of Beijing’s efforts to integrate Tibetans into a state-defined Chinese national identity, undermining promises of regional autonomy and potentially criminalizing expressions of Tibetan language, culture, religion, and identity. It warns that these policies threaten the long-term survival of Tibetan heritage and may contribute to cultural destruction.
The statement once again called on governments, international organizations, and the wider international community to oppose the law and urge its repeal, initiate investigations through relevant United Nations mechanisms, hold those responsible for implementing assimilation policies accountable, press for meaningful dialogue between China and Tibetan representatives to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict, and support efforts to preserve Tibetan culture and identity in exile while raising awareness of the situation inside Tibet.