FAQ
Q1 : Is the art really stolen? Who does it belong to?
A: The precious artifacts in this exhibit are the rightful property of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan government, and other Tibetan institutions and families. The objects are currently under control of the Chinese government, which illegally acquired them by invading and occupying Tibet a little more than a half century ago. To Tibetans, these objects have indeed been stolen, just as the Chinese government has stolen our land, and our freedom.
Q2 : the Ueno Royal Museum is an art museum, not a political institution. Why should they get into political debates or take sides?
A: By negotiating and signing an agreement with the Chinese government - the government that illegally invaded and occupied Tibet - Rubin Museum officials have taken sides and are operating within the complex political reality of the world beyond art. Furthermore, by hosting this exhibit, the Ueno Royal Museum has provided a platform for the Chinese government to forward its stated political strategy of promoting its rule inside Tibet as acceptable and benevolent.
Q3 : Isn't it good for people to see the exhibit and become aware of Tibetan culture?
A: It is certainly beneficial for people to be aware of Tibetan culture. However, since
there is no present-day context given in the Ueno Royal Museum exhibit, and the historical context for the artifacts themselves is incomplete, the exhibit harms Tibet more than it helps. A large part of the Chinese government's strategy to convince the outside world of the legitimacy of its rule in Tibet is by falsely promoting itself as a benefactor and protector of Tibetan culture while in fact, it has spent the last fifty years systematically destroying Tibetan culture.
Q4 : Do the protesters have a political agenda?
A: Tibetans have been forcibly exiled from their homeland and from the culture that is now benefiting the Ueno Royal Museum. They are forced into speaking up because they have been persecuted and displaced and are fighting to regain their country, and basic human rights. Tibetans inside Tibet are routinely and often arbitrarily imprisoned and tortured as a strategy to maintain China's illegal occupation. Raising awareness in the world outside of Tibet is one of the only avenues Tibetans currently have to press for their freedom that doesn't carry the risk of imprisonment, torture, and death
Q5 : How can the Ueno Royal Museum regain its trust from the public?
A: The Ueno Royal Museum needs to indicate the fact that those artifacts originally belonged to Tibet before the Chinese invasion in Tibet. The museum must present the accurate modern history of Tibet and China, such as the Chinese invasion in 1949 and Tibet's suffering for the last 50 years. Also the museum must explain the Chinese governmnet's cultural destruction and opression in Tibet. By doing so the museum will be able to create a politically neutral stance in order to exhibit the Tibetan history and treasure. Otherwise, the exhibition would be seen as the Chinese government's propaganda to show that Tibet belongs to China.
Otherwise, the museum should cancel the exhibit and its ties with the Chinese government. The simple fact that these artifacts are the stolen cultural heritage of the Tibetan people makes it unacceptable for them to be displayed here. Until the Tibetan people have had their nation restored to them and are able to control their own religious and cultural heritage, no institution should profit or benefit from the thievery of the Chinese government.
Q6 : Didn't Tibetans both inside Tibet and here in Tokyo work on putting this exhibit together?
A: The critique of the Ueno Royal Museum's exhibit has nothing to do with individual Tibetans who have worked on this project. The objects being displayed are cherished, treasured pieces that Tibetans naturally want to take care of for future generations. However, the decisions about this exhibit were made at very high levels within the Chinese government, in cooperation with the Ueno Royal Museum and another American museum that helped bring the exhibit to the United States. In fact, the worrisome responsibility of participating in this exhibition is one of the only ways any Tibetan has of looking after these precious objects until they are returned.