The Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC) censored an exhibition titled 'Constellation of Complicity: Visualising the Global Machinery of Authoritarian Solidarity' after pressure from the Chinese Embassy in Thailand. Works by artists from Hong Kong, Tibet, and the Uyghur diaspora were blacked out or removed to avoid 'diplomatic tensions between Thailand and China.' The curators fled the country after Chinese officials and Thai police visited the museum. Affected artists include Doc Tenzin, Mukaddas Mijit, Clara Cheung, and Gun Cheng Yee Man, whose names were blacked out, along with Tibetan and Uyghur flags and a graphic comparing China to Israel.
This incident matters because it demonstrates how China's diplomatic influence can directly suppress artistic expression in neighboring countries, even in a public cultural institution like BACC, which is supported by Bangkok's Metropolitan Authority. The censorship of works referencing China's treatment of Uyghurs and Tibetans highlights ongoing tensions between free speech and international relations. The curators' flight and the museum's compliance under pressure raise serious concerns about the autonomy of art spaces in the region and the chilling effect on artists addressing human rights issues.