New Policies and Practices under Communism

Abstract

When the Common Program of the People's Republic of China was promulgated in 1949 all nationalities were to enjoy equal rights and obligations and autonomous government was introduced. Minority languages were allowed ``freedom to use and develop their own languages and scripts, and to maintain or reform their customs or religion'' (Stalin, 1913, p. 21). A complementary decision was taken to establish more minority schools, train cadres in minority languages, and translate material into minority languages (Zhou, Q., 2003, p. 47). The constitutional right was intended to signify a long term program for action. In 1952 the Guidelines for Regional Autonomy for Minority Nationalities in the PRC stated that authorities in the Autonomous Regions should adopt a commonly used minority language when carrying out official duties with the selected language used to promote local culture and education.1 Rights were further extended in 1954, when the CCP's language policy gave minority languages official status in legal proceedings, administration duties and educational instruction (Zhou, Q., 2003, p. 44). Even in small regions that held multiple nationalities, local languages could in principle be used for proclamations, legal documentation and for sentencing, and minority nationality scripts could be utilized.