rights of a minority citizen, and encourage the development of the economy and culture of a minority people. Some local governments had laid down provisions to protect the equality of minority languages, freedom of religious beliefs and respect for local customs. With regard to laws for the elimination of racial discrimination, he said that, under the Constitution, all citizens enjoyed an equal status whatever their nationality. In accordance with the provisions of the law on regional national autonomy, autonomous regions, prefectures or counties were established where one or more minority nationalities lived in a concentrated community. The organs of self-government of national autonomous areas worked out the policies and plans for economic development in the light of local characteristics and needs, and independently arranged for and administered local economic development. With regard to religion, the Constitution stipulated that any civil servant who sought to restrict or hamper the exercise of freedom of religion would be subject to punishment. In accordance with other regulations concerning the disturbance of the civil order, any person who sought to create ethnic unrest or cause any kind of discrimination was liable to punishment. As a result of differences in economic and social development, the situation of various national minorities in the country as a whole was uneven. For example, national minorities in the eastern part of the country lived in better conditions than those in western areas. In addition, minorities in towns and villages were better off than those in the countryside. With respect to education, in 1988, minority students enrolled in higher educational institutions had accounted for 6.1 per cent of the total, whereas in 1950 the figure had been merely 0.93 per cent. CERD/C/SR.871 page 4 All minority nationalities had the right to use their own language in 
**Analysis**
The text appears to discuss the rights and conditions of minority citizens, including their economic, cultural, and educational development. It highlights the efforts of local governments to protect minority languages, religions, and customs, as well as the provisions in place to eliminate racial discrimination. The text also mentions the uneven economic and social development among national minorities, with some living in better conditions than others. This suggests that the category should focus on social and cultural aspects, rather than purely economic or environmental topics.

**Category**
Education, Culture