“It makes our ancient culture and our civilization disappear”: Parisian museums accused of erasing the name of Tibet from their exhibitions

Researchers and members of the Tibetan community deplore that certain Parisian museums do not use the term “Tibet” in their exhibitions, preferring Chinese propaganda terms.

At the end of August, a group of researchers warned, in a column published by the newspaper The World, on the attitude of certain French museums, accused of bowing to the Chinese communist regime, which is constantly trying to rewrite history in its own way. These include the Quai Branly Museum and the Guimet Museum of Asian Arts.

On Sunday September 29 in Paris, associations, particularly Tibetan, are mobilizing to denounce this attitude and remind people that China is destroying Tibetan culture in Tibet as much as possible.

Tibet specialists criticize these museums in particular for having replaced the name Tibet with the term “Himalayan world”, or with the name Xizang, which is the Chinese name for the region. In addition to making Tibet invisible, it is a historical and geographical error, explains Françoise Robin, Tibetologist and university professor. “The Himalayan world is a small part, the southern part of the great Tibetan plateau, so it is a place of junction between the Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan world. This would reduce France to the Pyrenees. Moreover, the Tibetans don’t say they are Himalayan, they say they are Tibetan.”

“As Tibetans, we are convinced that this is not a trivial decision.”

Ténam, originally from Tibet

at franceinfo

For Tibetans, removing the name Tibet from certain museums is considered a political act which turns into an injury for the diaspora, explains Ténam, originally from Tibet. “The disappearance of the mention of Tibet makes our ancient culture and our civilization disappear.”

Note that the Quai Branly museum has recognized its error and intends to correct it. The Guimet museum refutes the accusations, pointing out that the change of name was made as part of a global reflection, and that Tibet remains mentioned within the museum.