Musée Guimet, a museum in Paris, is facing a lawsuit over allegations of trying to erase the Tibetan Identity in its exhibition.
First reported in French media last week, the lawsuit was filed by four pro-Tibet groups, which remain anonymous. On the other end of the lawsuit is a gallery under Musée Guimet, which is dedicated to the culture of Nepal and Tibet. The issue arose when the museum removed references to individual countries and instead started calling it the “Himalayan world”.
According to the lawsuit, such a move is a direct attempt to erase the Tibetan identity and could cause confusion over the distinctness of the Tibetan culture. The lawsuit also alleged that the museum is toeing the line of the Chinese communist party, which firmly claims Tibet to be its constituent territory and not an independent region. The lawyers of the groups said that it is “hard not to see a political undertone and a deliberate choice by Guimet to align itself with Chinese lobbying efforts.”
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The museum, however, denied such allegations and reaffirmed its commitment to promoting Tibetan culture. It also said that its rationale for renaming it “Himalayan world” was to emphasize the richness and interconnectedness of culture in that region. Nevertheless, this is not the first time the Musée Guimet has faced allegations over its representation of Tibetan culture. Last year, more than 140 entities signed an open letter criticizing the museum for towing the Chinese line and endorsing systemic erasure of the Tibetan existence.
