Tibetan Parliament in Exile Criticizes French Museums for Using Chinese Name for Tibet

The Tibetan parliament in-exile has expressed deep concern over the decision by two French museums, Musee du quai Branly and Musee Guimet, to replace the term “Tibet” with the Chinese name “Xizang Autonomous Region” in their catalogues and exhibitions. The Musee Guimet also renamed its Tibetan exhibit spaces as the “Himalayan world.”

The Tibetan parliamentarians accused the French museums of attempting to rewrite Tibetan history and aligning with Chinese propaganda to legitimize China’s claim over Tibet. They believe this decision was influenced by Chinese state pressures, which they see as a distortion of history and a denial of Tibet’s cultural and historical identity.

The issue was discussed in the Tibetan Parliament in-exile in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. Lha Gyari Namgyal Dolkar, a member of the Tibetan Parliament in-exile, stated, “Two very well-known museums in Paris have displayed a Chinese propaganda exhibition. The reason why I raised it personally in the parliament is the increasing number of developing CCP’s propaganda across the world.”

Dolkar called it a “serious threat” that should be countered, adding that China is investing in various kinds of propaganda to spread their rebranding efforts worldwide, including the term Xizang. She emphasized the importance of India being cautious and countering this move, especially given the challenges from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in renaming areas in Arunachal Pradesh.

Thubten Gyatso, an MP in-exile representing Tibetans across Europe, also alleged a “Chinese political agenda” behind the renaming. He expressed shock that French institutions would use a Chinese term instead of the Western term “Tibet.” Gyatso stated, “The Chinese political agenda is to sinicize Tibet and eradicate Tibetan identity, language, and culture under a systematic framework.”

Gyatso mentioned that they have written to the concerned French authorities, requesting them to respect the Tibetan people’s identity. He noted that the Musee Quai Branley expressed readiness to correct the situation, but criticized the Musee Guimet for renaming the Tibetan section to “Himalayan World,” which he argued is not a real cultural or linguistic entity.

“We have called the concerned French authorities and the French government. We have written a letter and asked for appointments to really hear the Tibetan voice and to respect the Tibetan people’s identity. We also raised the issue in the parliament session,” Gyatso added.