Bangkok Arts Centre Removes Tibetan, Hong Kong, Uyghur Art After China Pressure

The Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre (BACC) removed and altered several artworks from the international exhibition "Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity" after pressure from Chinese authorities, sparking condemnation from artists who see it as an attempt to silence critics abroad. The exhibition, which featured works from Tibetan, Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Uyghur diaspora artists about authoritarianism and state violence, was censored following demands from the Chinese Embassy and instructions from Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Bangkok Metropolitan Administration to remove references to "Tibet," "Hong Kong," and "Uyghur." China accused the exhibition organizers of distorting its policies and promoting separatist fallacies, asserting that these themes undermined China's core interests and political dignity. While the Chinese Foreign Ministry neither confirmed nor denied direct embassy involvement in the censorship, it criticized the use of cultural exchanges for political interference. The curators of the exhibition have reportedly fled Thailand due to the pressure. This incident highlights China's growing influence in Southeast Asia and the delicate balance regional governments maintain between economic cooperation and political sovereignty.