Exiled Tibetan artists and activists on Thursday have strongly condemned the removal of Tibetan and other diaspora artworks addressing themes of state violence, authoritarian partnerships, and grassroots resistance from an international exhibition at Thailand’s Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) due to reported pressure from Beijing officials.
On July 24, the BACC had taken down several artworks by artists from Tibet, Hong Kong, Myanmar, and the Uyghur diaspora after reported pressure from Chinese officials, prompting criticism from artists who argue that this represents Beijing’s expanding efforts to silence overseas dissent.
Speaking to ANI, Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan writer and activist based in Dharamshala, criticised the Chinese government for allegedly forcing the removal of the artworks.
“There are Tibetans living all around the world, and they are making their representations in the form of different arts, and this has happened in Thailand. But it is the Chinese government that seems to be very insecure about its single narrative,” he said.
Tsundue accused Beijing of using its economic and political influence to export censorship beyond its borders, while expressing disappointment that Thailand “had to buckle” under pressure this time.
Despite the setback, Tsundue vowed that Tibetan artists and activists would intensify their efforts, noting that the community would be reaching out to more such artists, including holding screenings and exhibitions in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore.
“We want to do more such types of exhibitions in Thailand and in Southeast Asian countries. Now we want to do more paintings, exhibitions, maybe even film screenings and theatres in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore,” he stated.
“We will reach out to more, and we have a huge network of Tibetan Buddhist followers in those countries. I am sure China will find it interesting, and they will be very, very engaged and busy in trying to stop everybody else’s work but trying to show only their kind of efforts. It’s funny that the Chinese government is so insecure about their single narratives,” Tsundue added.
The works that were removed were part of an exhibition titled ‘Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity’, which featured ten artists and was curated by the Myanmar Peace Museum.
Another member of the Tibetan diaspora, Visual artist Tashi Nyima, also expressed his deep frustration over the incident, accusing China of extending censorship tactics beyond its own borders.
“I am disturbed by this news. As an artist, when you express something through your art, you want to do it freely, honestly and truthfully, but the Chinese government doesn’t seem to like it and they are controlling it and censoring it in a free world. They do it in their own home, but then they are extending it to other countries where we have the freedom to speak and all other freedoms,” he stated.
He noted that the censorship at BACC not only affected Tibetan artists but also those from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Uyghur community, noting that China was just “scared” as these artists were unwrapping what Beijing was trying to hide “from the free world”.
“There are not only Tibetan artists but also some Hong Kongers, Taiwanese and Uyghur artists whom they have tried to censor. China is just scared, I think, because they think that these artists are speaking the truth and trying to unwrap the things that the Chinese government is trying to hide from the free world,” Nyima added.
According to Phayul, among the pieces that were taken down was a 12-minute conversational film by trans Tibetan artist Tenzin Mingyur Paldron titled ‘Listen to Indigenous People’, which investigated the origins of a controversial viral 2023 video that showed the Dalai Lama instructing an Indian boy to “suck” his tongue, alongside footage of Tibetans waving Palestinian flags and calling for accountability regarding genocide.
Curators mentioned that personnel from the Chinese embassy in Bangkok, along with officials from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), visited the exhibition shortly after its opening and demanded its closure.
