Overseas Chinese democracy groups rally in Flushing, New York, condemning the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress
On October 6, Beijing Spring magazine, the Chinese Alliance for Democracy and the executive committee of the China Democracy Party held a forum in Flushing, New York, attended by more than 20 overseas scholars, democracy activists and independent journalists. They condemned the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress — in effect since July 1 — as Han-centric assimilation in the name of 'unity,' warned that non-Han groups risk being labelled 'separatist' or 'terrorist' for voicing grievances, and demanded that the CCP repeal the law.
Why it matters
This is the first condemnation forum held by the overseas Chinese democracy camp specifically targeting the law three months after it took effect. Speakers linked it to the early-2000s 'second-generation ethnic policy' debate, and the Central Tibetan Administration's Chinese liaison officer in Washington was an invited speaker — signalling a convergence of Tibetan and Han dissident camps on this issue. The forum's proceedings are drawn from the Central Tibetan Administration's report; a full transcript of the speeches has not been obtained by this site.
Full report
According to the Central Tibetan Administration's website, the forum was held on October 6 in Flushing, New York, coinciding with the 115th anniversary of the Republic of China's 'Double Ten' National Day. It was organised by Beijing Spring magazine, the Chinese Alliance for Democracy and the executive committee of the China Democracy Party; Beijing Spring publisher Yu Dahai hosted, honorary editor-in-chief Hu Ping delivered the keynote, and more than 20 scholars and activists spoke across five panels, including commentator Chen Pokong, lawyer Gao Guangjun, Tibet-China Friendship Group president Xue Wei and alliance president Chen Liqun. [1]
In his keynote, Hu Ping said that although the law does not name the Dalai Lama or Tibetan Buddhism, its substance strips Tibetans of core rights; he also mentioned a letter from a group of CCP 'princelings' to Xi Jinping condemning the regime's harsh policies toward ethnic minorities. Chen Liqun apologised to the communities directly affected by the law and denounced the CCP's 'ruthless policies' against Tibetans and other ethnic groups. [1]
Several speakers argued that despite its 'promoting unity' packaging, the law reinforces the official coercive narrative of 'ethnic identity' and 'national unification,' severely restricting the religious, cultural and political activities of minority groups, and that non-Han individuals risk being labelled separatists or terrorists for voicing grievances. Tsultrim Gyatso, the CTA's Chinese liaison officer in Washington, said the law achieves 'the exact opposite of its stated name': it strips ethnic minorities of constitutional rights and codifies a Han-centred assimilation policy under the slogan of 'forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation,' while its Article 63 extraterritorial clause could be weaponised against Tibetans abroad and their supporters. [1]
Tsultrim Gyatso also noted that more than one million Tibetan children are now placed in state boarding schools, many systematically losing their mother tongue, and cited the July 2 self-immolation of Lobga Rangzen outside the United Nations — following approximately 170 previous cases — as an act that drew renewed global attention to the crisis. The forum concluded with a unified condemnation demanding the CCP repeal the law; the World Journal, a major North American Chinese-language newspaper, subsequently reported on the event. [1]
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