Protesters from Diverse Ethnic and Dissident Groups Gather in Amsterdam as China's "Ethnic Unity and Progress Law" Takes Effect
AMSTERDAM — On July 1, 2026, coinciding with the official enactment of China's "Ethnic Unity and Progress Law," approximately 20 independence advocates from Tibet, East Turkestan, Cantonia , and Kuangsi, alongside several overseas Chinese pro-democracy activists, gathered for a rally at Dam Square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The demonstrators strongly condemned the bill, which is enacted in the name of "unity," arguing that it is essentially a tool for Beijing to enforce assimilation policies through state coercion and further stifle the survival space of ethnic minorities and regional cultures.
The protest was organized by the Tibet Support Group NL, with joint solidarity from the International Campaign for Tibet Europe, Students for a Free Tibet NL, the Support Uyghurs Foundation (Stichting Support Uyghurs), the Independence Party for Cantonia, and Anti-CCP NL. At the scene, a Chinese flag defaced with a skull symbol and a large cross was strikingly displayed. Protesters held English banners reading "SAVE TIBET / REJECT CHINA'S 'ETHNIC UNITY' LAW" and distributed flyers to passersby, exposing the new law's potential threats to fundamental human rights.
"This is the First Day of Our Resistance": Tibetan Representatives Slam the Assimilation Law
"This is the first day of our resistance," stated Tsering Jampa, former Executive Director of the International Campaign for Tibet Europe and current Chair of the Tibet Support Group NL, in her opening remarks. She pointed out that the Chinese government is actively implementing "cultural genocide" in Tibet, East Turkestan, and Southern Mongolia, and the enactment of the new law is precisely to legalize this comprehensive and coercive assimilation policy. She warned that from now on, Tibetan parents could face state surveillance and imprisonment simply for teaching their children their mother tongue or recounting true history.
Norbu Tsering, President of the Tibetan Community in the Netherlands (Tibetaanse Gemeenschap Nederland), also formally declared the local Tibetan community's rejection of the law. He stated bluntly that in China, where even the most basic human rights are nonexistent, this so-called law is "inherently illegal" in the eyes of the civilized world.
Cross-Ethnic Voices Unite: "We Share the Same Executioner"
At the rally, representatives from diverse backgrounds took the stage one after another to denounce the law's destructive impact on their respective communities. Abdurehim Gheni, Chairman of the Support Uyghurs Foundation, held a map of China divided into multiple regions, describing the new law as a "legal weapon designed to completely erase non-Han ethnicities." He argued that Beijing's ultimate goal is to build an "ethnic prison" to forcibly fabricate a single, artificial "Chinese Nation" identity.
Liu Feilong, a member of the Independence Party for Cantonia hailing from Guangdong, delivered a speech in Dutch and displayed the "Cantonia flag" at the scene. He emphasized that the reason advocates for Cantonia were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Tibetans and Uyghurs is that all parties "share the same executioner and share the same destiny." Accompanying the representatives' speeches, the crowd intermittently erupted into chants of "Free Cantonia," "Free Kuangsi," and "China go home," pushing the atmosphere of the rally to a climax.
Article 63 Sparks Alarm: Long-Arm Jurisdiction and the Transnational Chilling Effect
Beyond the oppression of domestic ethnic groups, the "extraterritorial long-arm jurisdiction" stipulated in Article 63 of the new law has also triggered intense vigilance among the attendees. Nyima Rinchen Dorjee, President of Students for a Free Tibet NL, pointed out that this clause extends the threat to overseas exiled communities and scholars. In response, the organization has already submitted a petition to the University of Groningen (Rijksuniversiteit Groningen), urging the university administration to review and terminate its partnership with the Confucius Institute in order to safeguard academic independence.
Several Chinese overseas dissidents also expressed their concerns over transnational repression. Yan Jun, a former VPN operator from Wuhan, drew on his personal experience to state that the pressure of information censorship forces people to "become accustomed to the idea that silence is safer than expression," and the chilling effect created by the new law will eventually affect everyone. Zhang Boyang, a representative of Anti-CCP NL, dissident Hao Wangyong, and Tang Wei, an international student who traveled specifically from Belgium, also spoke sequentially. They harshly criticized "ethnic unity" as nothing more than violent brainwashing and called on overseas Chinese to reject censorship and speak out beyond their fear. Tang Wei also publicly expressed his support for the independence movements in East Turkestan, Tibet, Southern Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Joint Pressure: Urging the Dutch Trade Minister to Express Concerns During China Visit
Regarding the upcoming visit to China by Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Wangpo Tethong, Executive Director of the International Campaign for Tibet Europe, revealed that multiple civil society groups have co-signed a letter of protest. They are urging the Dutch government to confront China's human rights situation and demanding that the Minister explicitly raise concerns with the Chinese side during his visit, to prevent the new law from becoming a tool to intimidate critics within the Netherlands.
As the event drew to a close, Tsering Jampa reiterated the original intent of the rally. She made a point to clarify that the protesters "do not hate the Chinese people, but we strongly condemn the Chinese Communist Party and its dictatorial leadership." She pledged that this struggle for freedom will continue until truth and justice see the light of day. The rally concluded with a group photo, and participants agreed to return to Dam Square on July 5 to celebrate the 91st birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
As of press time, the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands has not issued a public response regarding the rally and the associated allegations.
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