The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is heavily focused on consumption and, for years, has targeted individuals who don’t fit its strict ideological framework. Under Xi Jinping, this fixation has escalated. We’re witnessing a systematic effort to erase the cultural identities and freedoms of the Uyghur, Tibetan, Southern Mongolian, and Hong Kong populations.
Recently, this cultural erasure has been codified into law. Beginning July 1, 2026, the “Act on the Promotion of National Reunification and Progress” takes effect. Don’t let the title deceive you; it doesn’t promote unity. Rather, it aims to dismantle distinct cultures. This legislation is a chilling blueprint that threatens to obliterate individual identities, ultimately enforcing absolute loyalty to the state.
The bill serves as a wide-ranging measure to silence groups under the control of the Chinese government. Beyond Uyghurs and Tibetans, it also seeks to undermine the cultural heritage of Southern Mongolians, diminish the rights of Hong Kong residents, and marginalize practices like Falun Gong. Additionally, it jeopardizes the existence of independent interfaith communities in China that resist state-imposed ideological conformity.
Moreover, this internal cultural erasure is likely a precursor to external aggression. This totalitarian approach poses a significant threat to Taiwan’s democracy and serves as a warning for all free societies. If the international community fails to recognize that domestic oppression fosters global authoritarianism, efforts to defend freedom may not succeed. Under this new law, it could become a crime for Uyghur girls to decline marriage to Han Chinese individuals, the right to education in one’s native language may be effectively abolished, and programs will force children to “love the Chinese Communist Party.” Citizens will also be encouraged to report any deviations from state-approved beliefs.
For me, these issues aren’t just abstract political themes; they’re personal. It’s a wound that never quite heals.
In September 2018, shortly after I exposed the realities of China’s concentration camps in discussion panels in Washington D.C., my sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, was taken by the Chinese Communist Party. She was a medical professional with no criminal record and was later convicted during a secret trial based on dubious charges. She had recently celebrated her 64th birthday. For nearly eight years, my family has lived in anguish, counting the days of her wrongful detention, a consequence of my efforts to speak out against oppression.
The loss of my sister exemplifies the CCP’s so-called agenda of “ethnic unity.”
Additionally, Article 63 of the law asserts that organizations and individuals outside China that are deemed a global threat to free speech and disrupt China’s narrative of national unity will be pursued. This alarming assertion grants the CCP the authority to target anyone globally. Speaking out against human rights violations from places like Washington or London could lead to asset freezes or bounties imposed by Beijing.
Just three months ago, on March 30, my husband, Abdulhakim Idris, a U.S. citizen and executive director of the Uyghur Research Center, became a victim of this cross-border repression. He was detained in Malaysia while on a legitimate academic trip for his book that discusses the CCP’s actions against the Uyghur people. After considerable pressure from the CCP, Malaysian officials held him for nearly 22 hours, denying him basic needs, seizing his passport, and forcing him back to the U.S.
If the CCP can orchestrate such actions now, it raises concerns about how aggressively they will act once Article 63 is fully in effect. We’ve already observed them applying similar tactics to go after Hong Kong dissidents, and this law will likely escalate risks, impacting international academia, journalism, and human rights advocacy. UN officials and global leaders have raised alarms about this new law, arguing that it violates international guidelines and undermines national sovereignty. Blaming the CCP without action isn’t sufficient.
On July 1, the Chinese Communist Party bared its intentions, declaring war on diversity and freedom. We cannot afford to remain passive until the next activist faces extradition or persecution. The U.S. government must take swift action to warn the CCP: totalitarian laws will not be tolerated on our soil, nor will we allow oppression to cross our borders. The world must stand firm. Silence in the face of such evil is complicity.
