An art exhibition in Thailand has become the centre of international concerns over censorship by China after artworks by Tibetan, Uyghur and Hong Kong artists were removed or altered following an alleged pressure campaign by Beijing. The exhibition at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) by Burmese artist Sai opened on 26 July, featuring artwork by exiles from China, Russia and Iran.
Titled Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity, the show aimed to expose the collaborative repression tactics of authoritarian governments. However, just three days later, Chinese embassy staff, accompanied by Bangkok city officials, visited the BACC and demanded the removal of elements critical of Beijing’s policies.
The co-curator, Sai, fled Thailand for the UK with his wife on 29 July, fearing deportation to Myanmar, where he believed he would be punished by the military-run junta for his activism. After the Chinese official and Thai police’s intervention, the exhibition was forced to remove Tibetan and Uyghur flags, a novel about a Tibetan family in exile, and a film by Tibetan artist Tenzin Mingyur Paldron addressing the Dalai Lama.
References to “Tibet”, “Hong Kong”, and “Uyghur” were obscured with black paint while television screens meant to display Paldron’s films were switched off, and artists’ names were redacted. Sai told Reuters China’s response showed it was “engaging in systematic political manipulation far beyond its borders”, such as in his own country, where Beijing backs the ruling military.
The Chinese foreign ministry said the exhibition distorted Chinese policies and “undermined China’s core interests and political dignity”. It neither confirmed nor denied that the Chinese embassy was behind the alterations. Thailand’s police denied that officers were looking for Sai in a response to the BBC.
The Human Rights Foundation labelled it “intimidation”, reflecting a coordinated effort to suppress artistic expression. The exhibition remains open at the BACC but in its censored form, with an expected end date in October 2025. Visitor numbers have surged due to online buzz about the controversy, turning the censorship into unintended publicity for the exhibition.
