Cambodia to keep ivory for exhibition

[geovalin]

Prime Minister Hun Sen announced on Friday that Cambodia will keep confiscated ivory, rhinoceros horns and other confiscated goods to show in an exhibition Cambodia will not burn or destroy the items, he said.  Speaking at a closing ceremony for the Interior Ministry’s annual meeting on Friday, the prime minister agreed to an Environment Ministry request to not destroy all the seized ivory, rhinoceros horns and other animal parts and keep them to be exhibited. Mr. Hun Sen said: “Our America counterparts asked us to destroy it, but it is not the duty of America in Cambodia. America has no rights here. Cambodia will keep it [ivory] for an exhibition.” 
 

He added that some ivory was from South Africa, a region in Africa where elephants are under threat. If the ivory was destroyed, all the evidence would also be destroyed, he said. “America has no rights to order Cambodia’s administration to do anything and I agreed to keep it for exhibition,” Mr. Hun Sen said, adding that the ivory is scarce. If other countries wanted to borrow it from Cambodia for an exhibition, Cambodia would agree, he said.
 

According to the law, selling, importing or exporting ivory or pangolin scales is strictly prohibited. In 2014, a total of three tons of ivory was seized after being discovered by Sihanoukville customs officials in two containers mixed with beans.

 

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