China pressures Bangkok gallery to redact works on Uyghurs, Tibet and Hong Kong
A Bangkok exhibition on authoritarian governments has been partly censored after what organisers say was pressure from Beijing, with works about Tibet, Uyghur detainees and Hong Kong either removed or redacted and some artists’ names blacked out. The incident has renewed concern about China’s reach into regional cultural spaces and the chilling effect on exiled and diasporic artists. Reuters
Organised by the Myanmar Peace Museum and titled “Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity”, the show opened at the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre on July 24 and featured multimedia works by artists in exile addressing Beijing’s policies in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. According to curators and communications seen by reporters, references to the words “Hong Kong”, “Tibet” and “Uyghur” were redacted from multiple pieces, and at least one multimedia installation by a Tibetan artist was removed entirely. ReutersRadio Free Asia
Organisers said the Chinese embassy — accompanied by local officials in some accounts — raised objections after viewing the exhibition, prompting the gallery to alter or take down certain items to avoid diplomatic tensions. The Myanmar Peace Museum’s co-founder (identified as Sai in reporting) said removed items included Tibetan and Uyghur flags and postcards showing Chinese President Xi Jinping; other works were modified with black bars or with artists’ names obscured. Artists and human rights advocates described the move as a form of transnational censorship. ReutersRadio Free Asia
Beijing criticised the exhibition and said it distorted China’s policies, accusing the show of promoting separatist ideas related to “Tibetan independence,” “East Turkestan” (a term Chinese authorities use regarding Uyghur groups) and “Hong Kong independence.” China’s foreign ministry said cultural exchanges should not be used for political interference, though it did not formally confirm whether the embassy demanded specific removals. The backlash highlights ongoing tensions as Southeast Asian institutions balance cultural freedoms with diplomatic and economic ties to China. Reuters
The censorship comes against a recent backdrop of controversy over Thailand’s treatment of Uyghurs in detention. Earlier this year Thai authorities repatriated at least 40 Uyghur men to China — a move denounced by U.N. experts and human rights groups, which warned the returnees faced risk of torture, ill-treatment and other irreparable harm. International organisations and observers say such high-profile deportations and diplomatic pressure create an atmosphere that can encourage self-censorship at cultural institutions. ReutersHuman Rights Watch
Civil society groups and exiled artists have called the gallery alterations a worrying example of how authoritarian governments can extend their influence beyond borders to suppress dissenting voices. Art and free-expression advocates argue cultural spaces should be safe venues to interrogate human-rights abuses and authoritarian networks — especially when created by displaced or diaspora communities whose firsthand experiences are central to the work. HyperallergicRadio Free Asia
The Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre and Thai co-curators had not issued a detailed public response by the time of reporting. The story has drawn commentary from international media and rights organisations and is likely to add pressure on regional cultural institutions to clarify editorial independence and protections for artists whose work addresses sensitive geopolitics. Reuters+1