The Tibetan Parliament's exile agency re-approves China's "National Unity and Progress Law" and the UN synchronizes attention to tightening Tibetan religious rights

The 18th Tibetan People's Assembly held its second meeting on September 16 in exile in Daransara, India. In its opening speech, President Dolma Tsering Teykhang listed China's National Unity and Progress Promotion Law as a key topic, saying that the law will affect the language, religion, culture, identity and fundamental rights of Tibetans.

The core of the controversy is not just the policy slogan of “ethnic unity”, but how the state defines ethnic minority identity, language education, religious practice and political identity in legal form.The China State Council Press Office held a special conference in June this year.The law translates the "consciousness of the Chinese national community" into state system arrangements, and guarantees the comprehensive leadership of the Communist Party of China over the work of the nation from the system and the legal level.The Chinese officials also emphasize that the law aims to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups and promote common development and exchanges and exchanges.

It is worth noting that the meeting report released by the Tibetan People's Assembly on September 16 wrote the date of entry into force of the law as June 1, but the information published by the Press Office of the State Council of China shows that the law is officially implemented on July 1, 2026.

International human rights mechanisms have expressed concerns about the impact of the law on minority languages, religious and cultural spaces.UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Walker Tilke said in his opening speech to the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council on September 7.Restrictions on Tibetan rights, including religious freedom, are being tightened and policy changes are being called for.Earlier this year, the UN Special Procedure also raised questions on the Law on the Promotion of National Solidarity and the Progress and Changes in the Education Policy for Orthodox Speakers.Focus on the impact of national ethnic policy frameworks on minority languages, educational and cultural rights.

According to the official explanation of the State Council Press Office, the new law is based on the provisions of the Constitution and aims to establish a unified legal framework for national affairs, and emphasizes the promotion of the common language of the country, while safeguarding the rights of ethnic groups to use and develop their own language.

For Tibet, this dispute has a more specific institutional background. Religious activities, school education, the use of Tibetan language and the legacy of religious leaders have long been topics of concern for international human rights agencies.This time the Tibetan People's Assembly included the new law on the important agenda of the second session of the new parliament, while lobbying international institutions, showing that the dispute around the law has extended from domestic legislation in China to international human rights and diplomacy.

Parliamentary meetings on the same day also dealt with legislative amendments, departmental annual reports, and silence for recent deaths and victims of the Nepal-Tibet border flood on August 26.