By RICHARD CHANG
The Tibetan Association of Southern California decided Friday that it won’t participate in a Tibetan New Year festival scheduled Feb. 21 at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art in Santa Ana.
Members of the association are upset that the Bowers’ current exhibition, “Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World,” does not mention Chinese occupation of their homeland, the current Dalai Lama or contemporary life in Tibet. They and other groups are drafting a formal letter of complaint and aim to meet with Bowers’ top officials.
Association members are also disturbed that their organization was listed as a co-sponsor of the festival on the museum Web site and in its newsletters. Though Bowers said Friday that it got the group’s approval in October, Nawang Lhautara, president of the 250-member association, said he never agreed to co-sponsor or attend.
“They asked, but I didn’t respond,” Lhautara said. “No one’s going along with it.”
Bowers spokesman Rick Weinberg said Friday that the association’s displeasure is “unfortunate.” He said a different group of monks is interested in being part of the festival.
CONTACT US: (714) 796-6026 or rchang@ocregister.com
