France's Guimet Museum returns looted statue head to CambodiaJanuary 20, 2016 - 16:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A French museum has returned the head of a statue of a Hindu god that was taken from a Cambodian temple 130 years ago, the Culture Ministry said Tuesday, January 20, according to AFP. The head of the Harihara statue, a combined representation of the Hindu gods Vishnu and Shiva, was returned by France's Guimet Museum on Saturday at the kingdom's request, according to Thai Noraksathya, a spokesman for the Ministry of Culture. "The head and the body of the statue had been separated for 130 years," Noraksathya told AFP. "When the head is reattached to its body, it is like we are reconnecting the soul of our national heritage." He said the statue's head was removed from a temple in southern Takeo province during the French colonial period and shipped to Europe in 1886. Cambodia is hunting down its lost artworks and statues in a bit to retrieve valued historical artefacts. Museums in the United States have returned several ancient statues in recent years, following negotiations and some legal battles. Noraksathya said the restored Harihara statue will be presented to the public during a ceremony at the national museum on Thursday. The full statue could also be taken for display in France in the future, he said, where there are still a number of other pieces of ancient Cambodian artwork. Photo: AFP Top stories The creative crew of the Public TV had chosen 13-year-old Malena as a participant of this year's contest. She called on others to also suspend their accounts over the companies’ failure to tackle hate speech. Penderecki was known for his film scores, including for William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist”, Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”. The festival made the news public on March 19, saying that “several options are considered in order to preserve its running” Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. |