Students for a Free Tibet France has taken formal legal action in response to the Musée Guimet’s decision to erase the name “Tibet” from its labels, publications, and exhibitions.
In February 2024, the museum replaced the term with generic phrases like “Himalayan World” and “Tibetan Art,” stripping away vital historical and cultural context. After 25 consecutive weeks of protest outside Musée Guimet, demanding the restoration of Tibet, SFT France has escalated the campaign to a new level.
A formal notice has been sent to Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture, as well as Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Yannick Lintz, President of the Musée Guimet. In the letter, SFT France demands the immediate reinstatement of the term “Tibet” across all museum materials relating to Tibetan heritage.
As a public institution under the Ministry of Culture, the Musée Guimet has a legal obligation to maintain impartiality in its representation of art and history. The legal notice asserts that replacing “Tibet” with alternative terminology, especially in exhibits featuring objects created in an independent Tibet, is a direct violation of this obligation.
In a public statement, SFT France President Tenzin Yangchen emphasized:
“The Guimet Museum must honor its commitment to present Asian arts in all their richness and diversity, without censorship or historical distortion.”
SFT France remains committed to defending Tibet’s rightful place in history—and to ensuring that public institutions do not become complicit in its erasure.