The Taiwan Friends of Tibet yesterday said it was dismayed by an exhibition of Tibetan religious and artifacts at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, calling it an exhibition of “stolen Tibetan art” and a tool for China’s political propaganda.
“The ‘Treasures from the Roof of the World’ exhibition that opened on July 1 is actually an exhibition of ‘Tibet’s stolen treasures,’” the organization said in a press statement.
“The exhibition, organized with the help of China’s Tibet Autonomous Region Administration of Cultural Heritage, not only tries to create an image that China is the legitimate ruler of Tibet, but also attempts to cover up the fact that China rules over Tibet with an iron fist,” the statement said.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Many of the religious items on display in Taipei, the statement said, had been collected from the more than 6,000 Buddhist monasteries that were destroyed after the People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet in 1959.
The majority of those monasteries were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976.
Former Taiwan-Tibet Exchange Foundation deputy secretary-general Own Su-jei (翁仕杰) reminded visitors to “be aware of the underhanded political intentions behind the exhibition, which has all the appearance of a purely artistic event.”
Items on exhibit include centuries-old Buddhist sculptures, traditional Tibetan silk paintings known as thangka and other religious items.
Regional Tibetan Youth Congress Taiwan chairman Tashi Tsering said that as a Tibetan, the exhibition made him furious.
“The religious art crafts on display are sacred items for Tibetans,” he said. “These items are all in the hands of Chinese and they are sending them to exhibitions in whichever country they want without asking Tibetans, as if these were their own national treasures.”
Li Jieh-mei (李介媚), another member of the organization, said: “How would Taiwanese feel if China organized a tour of Taiwan’s Atayal Aboriginal dance around the world, only to tell people that it’s a traditional Chinese folk dance?”
“Visitors may be under the impression that China is taking good care of Tibetan religious crafts, but in fact, the Chinese government is repressing Tibetans’ freedom of religion,” Li said.
In related news, the exhibition organizer had asked Dawa Tsering, chairman of the Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama — the de facto representative of the Tibetan government-in-exile — to offer recommendations for the exhibition, but he turned the request down because Dawa said the wording in the official exhibition guide presented a Beijing-centric view of Tibetan history.
The Dalai Lama, who was forced into exile in India in 1959, will be celebrating his 75th birthday tomorrow.
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had
RSS