Dharamshala: The UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Tibet has strongly condemned the implementation of China’s so-called “Ethnic Unity and Progress Law”, warning that the legislation institutionalises the Chinese government’s policy of forced assimilation and poses serious threats to Tibetans and other ethnic nationalities both within China and beyond its borders.

In a statement issued on 30 June, ahead of the law’s entry into force on 1 July 2026, the APPG on Tibet expressed its “grave concern” over the legislation, describing it as “a dangerous legal instrument” that entrenches Beijing’s assimilationist policies despite its benign title.

The parliamentary group stated that the law targets not only Tibetans but also Uyghurs, Southern Mongolians and other ethnic nationalities by threatening their languages, cultures, religions and identities through compulsory Mandarin education, intensified surveillance, demographic engineering and ideological control.

Referring to the Central Tibetan Administration’s assessment of the legislation, the APPG noted that the CTA has warned the law “acts as a death blow to the original constitutional promise of meaningful regional autonomy” for Tibetans.

The APPG further raised alarm over the law’s implications beyond China’s borders. It highlighted Article 63 of the legislation, which it said provides a basis for Chinese authorities to target individuals and organisations overseas accused of having “undermined ethnic unity”. According to the group, this raises serious concerns for Tibetans, human rights defenders, researchers, parliamentarians and others in the United Kingdom exercising their fundamental freedoms.

Condemning the legislation unequivocally, the APPG on Tibet called on the UK Government to formally convey its opposition to the Chinese Government, reject the implementation of the law, work with international partners to resist transnational repression, and urge the repeal of the legislation in accordance with international human rights standards and the values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

The statement was signed by Chris Law MP, Chair of the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet, and issued on 30 June 2026, one day before the law came into effect.