Hundreds of Tibetan exiles gathered in New Delhi to protest China's newly enacted ethnic unity and progress law, with many demonstrators shaving their heads in a symbolic act of defiance. Protesters chanted slogans against Chinese President Xi Jinping and called on the United Nations to intervene against what they describe as a systematic effort to erase Tibetan identity.

The law, which came into force on 1 July, bans acts deemed likely to encourage divisions among ethnic groups and requires schools, families, public institutions and other organisations to actively promote national unity. It also notably extends Beijing's reach beyond its borders, allowing for action against individuals or organisations outside China judged to have harmed ethnic unity. Beijing says the legislation is designed to foster development, patriotism and solidarity among China's 56 officially recognised ethnic groups.

Tibetan demonstrators rejected that characterisation. Protesters argued the law threatens their language, culture, religious traditions and distinct identity, and could provide a formal legal basis for what they describe as a state-driven policy of assimilation. Tibet, a high-altitude plateau in Central Asia, has been governed by China since 1950, and tensions over cultural and religious autonomy have persisted for decades. A large community of Tibetan exiles, including a government-in-exile, is based in India.

The protest also served as a memorial for Lobsang Palden, also known as Lobga Rangzen, who Tibetan organisations say died on 2 July after setting himself on fire outside United Nations headquarters in New York, where he had been demonstrating against Chinese policies in Tibet. Demonstrators held prayers in his memory, adding a solemn dimension to the rally.

The protest highlights the deep unease among Tibetan exile communities over Beijing's legislative direction. The law's extraterritorial provisions, which could theoretically be applied to diaspora activists and organisations, are of particular concern to groups advocating for Tibetan rights from abroad. The UN has yet to publicly respond to the demonstrators' calls for intervention.