PRESS RELEASE: The Metropolitan Museum in New York decides to return ancient Khmer statues

Following discussions with the Office of the Council of Ministers of Cambodia, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has recently decided to repatriate to the Kingdom of Cambodia two 10^th century stone statues of “Kneeling Pandavas” (sometimes known as “Kneeling Attendants”) illicitly removed from Prasat Chen in Koh Ker at the time of the country’s civil war in the 1970s.

These two statues form part of an ensemble representing the famous duel between Bhima and Duryodhana from the Mahabharata, all of which were brutally severed from their pedestals and found their way to various museums and private collections around the world.

In its press release dated May 3, 2013 the Metropolitan Museum quoted its director Mr. Thomas P. Campbell, as saying: “The Museum is committed to applying rigorous provenance standards not only to new acquisitions, but to the study of works long in its collections in an ongoing effort to learn as much as possible about ownership history. This is a case in which additional information ... has led the Museum to consider facts that were not known at the time of the acquisition and to take the action..... In returning the statues, the Museum is acting to strengthen the good relationship it has long maintained with scholarly institutions and colleagues in Cambodia and to foster and celebrate continued cooperation and dialogue between us.”

Excellency Chan Tani, Secretary of State of the Office of the Council of Ministers was quoted in the International Herald Tribune on May 4-5, 2013 as saying: “ The above gesture clearly shows the high ethical standards and professional practices of the Met which they are known for. This also will strengthen the excellent cooperation between the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its Cambodian counterparts in the area of cultural heritage.”

On behalf of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, Minister in charge of the Office of the Council of Ministers and Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee stated from UNESCO Headquarters in Paris today, “We would like to take this solemn occasion to express our sincere thanks and profound gratitude to the Met in New York, which has taken such a laudable decision to return these priceless ancient Khmer artifacts, which represent part of the soul of the nation. We also thank the US Government for its support in this endeavour.

“Furthermore, the RGC appeals to other museums and art collectors around the world to follow this example of returning plundered treasures to their rightful owners as part of the worldwide campaign for the protection of cultural heritage.”

The return of these statues can be attributed to the government’s strenuous efforts and is not only the success of the Royal Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia Samdech Akka Maha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, but also the success and pride of the whole Cambodian nation.

Phnom Penh, 9 May 2013

Press and Quick Reaction Unit

ប្រវត្តិរបស់មហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី ឬអង្គមិញ ដែលយួនលើកបន្តប់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧

ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ ឬ អង្គមេញ ទ្រង់ជាមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរទី៩៧ នៃរាជាណាចក្រខ្មែរឧដុង្គ ទ្រង់គឺជាអ្នកមានអំណាចម្នាក់នៅក្នុងចំនោមស្ត្រីបីនាក់នៅសម័យនោះដែរ។ ព្រះនាងត្រូវបានវៀតណាមលើកឲ្យក្លាយជាព្រះមហាក្សត្រីខ្មែរ នៅក្នុងអំឡុងពេលដែលក្រុងកម្ពជាមានសង្រ្គាមជាមួយសៀម។ ព្រះនាង គឺជាសែលោហិតរាជវង្សនរោត្តម មិនតែប៉ុណ្ណោះទេទ្រង់មានឥសរយស្សជា សម្តេចសិល្បៈករប្រចាំក្រុងកម្ពុជានាសម័យនោះ ព្រះអង្គឡើងគ្រោងរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ (១៨៣៥-១៨៤១) ព្រះអង្គសោយរាជ្យបានរយៈពេល៦ឆ្នាំ។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីព្រះបាទឧទ័យរាជា (ព្រះ បាទឧទ័យរាជា ជាទទៅនៅសម័យនោះគេហៅព្រអង្គថាអង្គច័ន្ទ) ទ្រង់ឡើងសោយរាជ្យបន្តពីបិតារបស់ព្រះអង្គ គឺព្រះអង្គអេង។ នៅរាជសម័យបន្ទាប់ពីព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមុី គឺព្រះបាទហរិរះរាមាឥសារាធិបតី ដែលយើងស្គាល់គ្រប់គ្នាគឺ ព្រះបាទអង្គឌួង ព្រះអង្គប្រសូត្រនៅឆ្នាំ១៧៩៦ ហើយសោយទីវង្គត់ នៅខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ ១៨៦០ ក្នុងព្រះជន ៦៤ព្រះវវស្សា ព្រះអង្គគឺជាក្សត្រមួយអង្គដែលបានសង្រ្គោះកម្ពុជាពីកន្តាប់ដៃសៀមនឹងវៀតណាម។ ព្រះអង្គឡើងសោយរាជចាប់ពីឆ្នាំ ១៨៤៧ ដល់ ១៨៦០។ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រីអង្គមីុ សោយទិវង្គត់នៅ ក្នុងខែធ្នូ ឆ្នាំ១៨៧៤ ក្នុងព្រះជន្មាយុ ៥៩ ព្រះវវស្សា ក្ន...

សារលិខិតរំលែកទុក្ខរបស់ ឯកឧត្តម Kim Sung-Hwan រដ្ឋមន្រ្តីការបរទេសនៃសាធារណរដ្ឋកូរ៉េ ជូន សមេ្តចអគ្គមហាសេនាបតីតេជោ ហ៊ុន សែន នាយករដ្ឋមន្ត្រី នៃព្រះរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា

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