Taipei exhibition exposes China’s brutal oppression of Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Hongkongers

Inspired by the Dalai Lama’s call, the Taipei exhibition highlights China’s repression of ethnic groups, aiming to raise awareness and strengthen support for the causes of Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Hongkongers.

A week-long exhibition focusing on contemporary Tibetan history and the global advocacy of the Dalai Lama opened on Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Taipei, featuring quotes and artworks highlighting human rights issues and China’s oppression of Tibetans, Hongkongers, and Uyghurs, according to Focus Taiwan.

This inaugural event, organised by the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan (HRNTT), was launched Saturday morning at Xinfu Market, a cultural hub in Taipei’s Wanhua District. The exhibition is titled “From the Snowy Ridges to the Ocean of Wisdom.”

Tashi Tsering, secretary-general of HRNTT and organiser of the event, said, “It would be impossible for Tibetans inside Tibet to hold an exhibition like this. We can do it because we live in a free and democratic country.”

Tashi Tsering, a Tibetan based in Taiwan who has never visited his homeland, fondly recalled meeting the Dalai Lama—the widely recognised spiritual leader of Tibetans and a key figure in Tibetan Buddhism—before founding the organisation in 2016.

He recounted that the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate advised them: “You should not only focus on human rights in Tibet, but also care about human rights in China, and those of the Uyghurs, Hongkongers, and Taiwan.”

Guided by this advice, HRNTT collaborated with civic groups across Taiwan to organise the exhibition, aiming to raise awareness of Tibet’s struggle against Chinese rule and to highlight the Dalai Lama’s broader humanitarian efforts, Tashi Tsering said.

According to Focus Taiwan, the exhibition features quotes from the Dalai Lama advocating for causes such as LGBTQ+ rights, the abolition of the death penalty, and support for Hongkongers and Uyghurs. It also includes artworks by artists from Tibet, Taiwan, and Hong Kong inspired by these themes, as noted by HRNTT.

The exhibition, which also includes discussions on human rights in Tibet and other regions, will remain open until July 6, coinciding with the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday.