It’s Time for French Museums to Return Cambodian Artifacts

[geovalin]

 

A new report recommends returning artifacts seized from French colonies in Africa. Cambodia should also be included.

 

The debate as to whether international museums and governments should return cultural artifacts acquired during the colonial period is not a new one. However, it has now been re-energized by French President Emmanuel Macron’s decision that France will return 26 cultural artifacts to Benin. The announcement follows the release of a presidential-commissioned report by French art historian Bénédicte Savoy and Senegalese economist Felwine Sarr, calling for thousands of African cultural artifacts taken during the colonial period to be returned to their respective countries, if requested. Although the report is only limited to Africa, as a former French colony, Cambodia should demand the repatriations of its cultural artifacts as well.

 

read more https://thediplomat.com/2018/12/its-time-for-french-museums-to-return-cambodian-artifacts/

[Sydebolle]

So they can be destroyed in the next civil war/genocide? Why not send them replicas and keep the originals; wondering what the world would be without the British Museum! 

[zaZa9]

I think that the whole world benefits from the arts  of each nation/culture  being exhibited across the world.

It goes a very long way , for students studying the Khmer Empire  , for instance  , to be able see examples of ancient Cambodian art in Museums in the capital .

What better way to make a kid understand that his culture isnt the be-all and end-all of the World ,  than to show what The Egyptians were doing whilst  pointing out that his own tribe at the same time were fighting in the mud?

I mean , short of taking him overseas.

The real issue is , of course , more about how these precious artifacts were acquired.

And unfortunately , no permission was usually sought.

So to me , surely there could be an option to offer to actually buy the items in question , and if not , return them and replace them with very good copies in the Museum?

I get what Syd is saying above , thats why Im against any concentration of these sort of things in any ONE place.

 

Sure  Hun Sen may well pocket the money ... but I  may also add that the French rabble  in Paris only the other day set fire to buildings at the Louvre ...