Paris [France], November 27 (ANI): Members of France’s Tibetan community staged their 46th consecutive protest outside the Musée Guimet, condemning what they call an act of “cultural erasure” influenced by China. The demonstration, organized by Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) France and the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, denounced the museum’s decision to remove the word “Tibet” from artifact labels and rename its long-running “Nepal-Tibet” gallery as “Himalayan World,” according to Phayul.
The controversy began in early 2024 when the Musée Guimet, France’s premier museum of Asian arts, revamped its Tibetan section. The change immediately sparked outrage among Tibetans in France and across the diaspora, who see it as echoing China’s effort to erase Tibet’s distinct political and cultural identity.
In response, SFT France and allied organizations launched weekly demonstrations that evolved into a sustained campaign. In March 2025, the group issued a legal notice to both the museum and France’s Ministry of Culture, demanding the reinstatement of “Tibet” in exhibition texts. Later, in July, four Tibetan groups jointly filed a lawsuit accusing the museum of aligning with China’s narrative, which seeks to subsume Tibet under vague regional terminology.
Despite growing backlash, Musée Guimet director Yannick Lintz has refused to reverse the decision, stating the new title follows a “neutral curatorial approach.” By contrast, another Paris museum, the Musée du Quai Branly, faced similar criticism earlier and publicly apologized after restoring the word “Tibet” in its displays.
The dispute has drawn international concern. The UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights stated that erasing “Tibet” from museum exhibits undermines Tibetans’ right to identity and heritage. Prominent Tibetologists, including Nicolas Tournadre and Fernand Meyer, criticized the museum’s justification, arguing that “Himalayan” inaccurately merges distinct cultures into a single, China-favored label.
Tibetan activists insist the campaign will continue. “No matter the weather,” SFT France said, “we will not stop until Tibet is rightfully named again,” according to Phayul. (ANI)
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