Melbourne Town Hall will today host a photo exhibition funded and organized by the Chinese Government purporting to show the “democratic reform and social and economic development of Tibet, China in the past 50 years”. Read full press release

The booking for the exhibition, titled “Tibet’s Past and Present”, was made under false pretences by Chinese-Australian businessman Anson Hong, Chairman of the National Liaison Council of Chinese Australians - an organization with strong links to the Chinese Communist Party. An invitation leaked to the Australia Tibet Council revealed that Mr. Hong had acted as a proxy for the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne.

The exhibition, a central component in a state-driven initiative to shape international perceptions of the Tibetan situation, has been shown in a number of countries including China, Canada and South Korea. It was recently withdrawn from the Canberra Centre after a series of complaints to the venue and the Canberra Times.

Officials at the City of Melbourne were unaware till yesterday of the exhibition’s link to the Chinese Government. The booking was made directly with Epicure Catering, the company contracted by the City of Melbourne to manage the Town Hall, and was being handled as a commercial booking. A staff member at the City of Melbourne, who wishes to remain anonymous, conceded that they had been “hoodwinked” by Mr. Hong over the exhibition. Nonetheless, contractors Epicure Catering have chosen to proceed with the exhibition and the City of Melbourne has refused to intervene.

Revelation of the exhibition, advertised only through the Chinese language media, has drawn strong reactions from Melbourne’s Tibetan community.

“We are very concerned and upset that Melbourne Town Hall is giving legitimacy to this exhibition. It is deeply insensitive and inflammatory towards our community and we appeal in the strongest possible terms for the City of Melbourne to intervene,” said Samdup Tsering, President of the Tibetan Community Association of Victoria.

Australia Tibet Council (ATC) claims the exhibition grossly misrepresents the realities in modern Tibet and is potentially damaging towards ongoing efforts to promote dialogue and reconciliation between Australia’s Tibetan and Han Chinese communities. ATC recently published a report reveals the alarming extent of covert efforts by Chinese Government officials in Australia to influence Australian politicians, media, NGOs and universities(1).

“This exhibition is a blatant example of the Chinese Government’s determination to avoid dealing with the Tibetan issue. Instead of addressing the legitimate concerns of the Tibetan people, the Chinese Government persists with its attempt to deny the existence of the problem and mislead the international community about the real situation in Tibet,” said Paul Bourke, Executive Officer of the Australia Tibet Council.

The Chinese Consulate General in Melbourne sent invitations for the exhibition’s opening to members of the Victorian Parliament and local councils. Members of the Victorian Parliament and Melbourne City Council have since been advised of the nature of the exhibition and are discouraged from attending.

Chinese dissident groups have also expressed concern at the timing of the exhibition, which will open on the eve of the politically sensitive 20th anniversary of the Tianenman massacre.

Further information and comment:
Australia Tibet Council 02 9283 3466

Notes
1. The full report Courting the Dragon: Chinese Government Influence in Australia and our Response to the Tibetan Situation can be downloaded from www.atc.org.au/courtingthedragon