Original report from Phnom Penh
29 January 2009
Cambodia has sent a package of documents to Thailand to initiate the repatriation of 18 ancient statues from a total 43 seized by Thai authorities from traffickers over the past decade, a top official said Wednesday.
“We sent the documents to clarify that among 43 statues, 18 belong to Cambodia,” Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told VOA Khmer Wednesday. “We will conduct a study on the rest of the statues to find reasoning that they are antiques that belong to Cambodia.”
During years of civil war, antiques and statues were pillaged from ancient temples, pagodas and other sites and smuggled from the country, sometimes by armed men that authorities were reluctant to stop.
The 43 statues in Thailand were taken after they crossed the border in smuggling operations since 1999.
“Among those statues are the head of a Buddha, the head of a giant, a lion, and [partial] statues of Buddha,” said Hatt Touch, director of the museum department of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. “They were stolen from Bantheay Chmar temple in Bantheay Meanchey province, stolen from the Bayon temple [in Angkor Wat] and from other temples also.”
The Joint Border Committee between Thai and Cambodia will meet next week to discuss options for returning the first 18 statues, Hor Namhong said.
“We sent the documents to clarify that among 43 statues, 18 belong to Cambodia,” Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told VOA Khmer Wednesday. “We will conduct a study on the rest of the statues to find reasoning that they are antiques that belong to Cambodia.”
During years of civil war, antiques and statues were pillaged from ancient temples, pagodas and other sites and smuggled from the country, sometimes by armed men that authorities were reluctant to stop.
The 43 statues in Thailand were taken after they crossed the border in smuggling operations since 1999.
“Among those statues are the head of a Buddha, the head of a giant, a lion, and [partial] statues of Buddha,” said Hatt Touch, director of the museum department of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts. “They were stolen from Bantheay Chmar temple in Bantheay Meanchey province, stolen from the Bayon temple [in Angkor Wat] and from other temples also.”
The Joint Border Committee between Thai and Cambodia will meet next week to discuss options for returning the first 18 statues, Hor Namhong said.
5 comments:
We praise on Hor Nam Hong in dealing and negotiate with Thailand for seized statues. If no cooperation from the Thai thieves, he would be out of luck.
Let’s say that if a Thai official bribes him for $2,500/statue for 18 statues, he would probably abundant this process and take the money instead; who cares about the statues.
This is my opinion and based on corruption case for a Cambodian gov’t. official witnessed by a Thai ancient statue dealer. He’s interviewed by a local press in Bangkok.
Enough excuses, it aint Thailand fault that the artifact got into their territory.
If success we appreciate and repect him. If not, it is absolutely clear as the above comment made regarding the corruption.
Let wait and see the progress.
ការងារដែលធំមួយទៀតហើយដែលមិនទាន់បានធ្វើនៅឡើយរហូតដល់ថ្ងៃនេះចាប់តាំងពីឆ្នាំ១៩៦២គឺការរៀបចំឯកសារដើម្បីទារនូវវត្ថុបូរាណដែលសៀមបានយកចេញពីប្រាសាទព្រះវិហ៑ារទៅតាមសាលក្រមតុលាការក្រុងឡាអេដែលបង្ខំឲសៀមប្រគល់មកឲខ្មែរយើងវិញ។
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