Growing up as Cambodian American I always watching Anderson Cooper on CNN today seeing Anderson help spread the words to the world about Cambodian artifacts being stolen is a payoff day for me. Thank you Anderson.
No one cared about those artifacts until someone else did, they were relagated to rot and crumble in the jungle open to the elements until private collectors actually put in the work to have them preserved Kambuja is just as “bloody” as the artifacts that the activist lawyer is talking about
This is how to make a proper documentary! The only background noise are the natural sounds of nature. Incredibly well researched and produced documentary. Thank you so much. 👍
I am a South African living in Cambodia since July 2015 and just have to say that Cambodian people are the best. They are the kindest, most happy and humble people I have ever met. ❤❤❤
The only reason the Great Pyramid is still in Egypt is because neither Europeans nor Americans have figured out how to transport it out of that country.
The looters that cut the feet off the statues and transported them were Cambodian. It is also Egyptians who looted their own tombs. It wasn't until King Tuts tomb was found by a "white man" Howard Carter in 1922 that the first tomb was found intact. He put Egyptian guards on it and carefully excavated the tomb over many years under the guide of the Egyptian government. The artifacts are in a museum in Egypt. Don't be racist. It's not a good look.
I’m English and I agree 100% Greece want their Marbles back they’re not Elgins they belong to Greece. They could have a good look into the Royal Collection to start, the Queens cousin, Anthony Blunt was the curator for her collection also a spy, for the Russians, not what one would call a stand up kinda guy. Of course when he was caught spying it was straight of to the Bloody Tower with him, hell no, I don’t know if the traitor was relieved of his duties, well he’s a cousin of old HRH don’t ya know, nothing to see here. Greedy bunch hey what?
Why in the world would they do that? The Mughal rulers who used their slaves to dig the Kohinoor out of the mountian side are no more the rightful rulers of it than the British Empire? Much less where they took in Duleep Singh and gave him a life and education
Shame! I am not an Arab, but did see US soldiers stealing gold & expensive items from Sadam’s place in Baghdad & shipping them to their homes in USA. No one has questioned them & those soldiers brag about those stolen items that are worth a fortune.
Americans looted the hell out of Iraq and Afghanistan to the point where Afghanistan has literally no material wealth; it's all hoarded in the USA. When they had those horrific floods recently, they begged Biden to release some of the reserves to help them help civilians affected, but nope. The UK and USA are awash in rivers of Middle Eastern blood
Why in the world would it matter from where they came from? Its not like someone stole them out of a museam in Cambodia or out of someone’s house, they were left to rot in crumbling temples exposed to the elements and no one wanted them Its only after they saw that someone took a vested interest in their heritage that they then decided to ex post facto try and claw back their own negligence and distregard
It is good to see some museums are finally taking the theft seriously. I recall going to the Field museum recently with notes stating why items were removed and that they were being returned.
I think the museums find themselves in the precarious situation of balancing their own survival with the repatriation of stolen artifacts, which is a somber and expensive responsibility.
I think it was better that the statues were exported during the period of political unrest in Cambodia. They are still mostly intact. They could’ve been demolished as statues in other sacred sites around the world have been.
@@judah400yrs2 I don't think they stole it to save it, they stole it for money. But, I do think it was saved b/c it was stolen. It would have been demolished.
There is so much more of this stuff from so many different time periods and civilizations that are unknown unseen hidden forgotten lost. Right in front of us. It’s sick really
I mean, if its Cambodian original religious art, how could it possibly legally obtained? That stuff all needs to be sent back to the Cambodian government.
The Met has the burden of not only repatriation but also restoration of these statues and the bases. They should work to help those to reunite the statues as a penace for the destruction and the use of those statues in there collections.
YIKES, this reminds me of the look on all of the bad guys' faces when they heard that Mike Wallace was IN THE HOUSE. It's also reminiscent of 2 great movies: "The Monuments Men" and "Woman in Gold."
I am so proud of Combodians and Cambodian governments to bring back soul of the nation, combodian people, their faith and cultural heritage. When would people of Indian subcontinent and their governments do the same to bring back what was looted, plundered, pillaged and forcefully snatched by brutal conquerers over more than thousands years? Would UK return Kohinoor, Seward of Shivaji and tons of artifacts, deities and treasures in British museums would Indian and Hindu, Jain, Buddhist artifacts, deities, cultural treasures from museums and chests of wealthy and state treasuries be returned to India and Indian people
It's wonderful that precious artifacts are making their way back to Cambodia but appalling that there is still so much resistance from major institutions like the Met and British Museum.
Oh goodness I will never skip calling the authorities is I see these beautiful treasures, the Gods of the people, for centuries. Shame shame shame on the thieves and THE BUYERS. Thank you Anderson. You are my new hero. This brings tears to my eyes
"For many people in the art world, there was a sense of protecting great objects that stood a chance of being destroyed." Destroyed by whom??! By these VERY people who want to "protect" it! Weird logic!!! Similarly, your church "adopted a brilliant, creative, family with a rich culture to save his soul by killing his culture! A very Christian thing to do indeed!
Would be nice if the major museums were held accountable for their stolen artifacts. The Rapa Nui from Easter Island have been trying for decades to get the Moai back from the British Museum. It is widely known to have been stolen in a similar fashion- like most things at the museum- and then gifted to the museum. Seems to me like the BM is a crime scene that is being ignored.
No, there are over 900 current Moai on the island; one or two not being there is no issue at all Plus on top of that in the contemporary time in which Hoa Hakananai'a was brought from the island was a time in which all of the moai on the island had been topped by the Rapa Nui
@@pheona1164 the premise of the video is based upon a false premise and an apples to oranges comparison, retriving artifacts that no one care about previously is nowhere near stealing and destroying artifacts that were cherished and cared for properly
Thank you for emphasizing the looting of artifacts. When I visited Ulan Batare, Mongolia, shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, I was tempted to take a roof tile stacked in the backyard of a temple. Having a piece of this Mongolian history in my hands, I realized, I was about to steal a piece of the piece of history, of another culture, so I put it back onto the pile of tiles.
I worked for a company that catered parties in some of the most extravagant homes in the world. Homes a person can only dream of owning. The artwork and statues from all around the world makes you wonder.
Please investigate the disappearance of Terrance Woods, Jr. in Idaho. He was working for Discovery on Dave's Lost Mines - and - just ran down the mountain! He's from Baltimore! On Dr. Phil, the top cop said - he trusted the people he asked! Where is Terrance! What Happened To Our Boy?!?!?! We work with his Dad - and the family has been decimated - Where Is Terrance, Jr.?
I know of an abandoned house in San Francisco that has a few chinese statues that are legitamate pieces of their peroid. There is a very interesting story about this house and its owner and the family..Its in Pacific Hieghts and if ya know ya know..
I‘m disgusted by the Met. Will never visit this museum again and pay an entrance fee to see stolen items. It is outrageous! Why is there not an outburst? The way this „lady“ looks to the side to get permission to answer the question. It is so obvious that they are aware that they are in fault! Crisis PR at its worst!
Those statues couldn't protect themselves! Now the government has them locked away in a warehouse. Who gave the government ownership? They're better off in a museum.
Certified diamonds fetch big bucks from insurance companies, the jewelers know diamonds are worthless and probably made out better thru the theft. Most of the diamonds would have sat forever without selling.
If you should ever see any of these ancient statues from pretty much anywhere in Southeast Asia, they feel like they have souls. It is extraordinary whatever mojo the artists had who made them. More recent statues and replicas don't have that magic, no matter how close they are to the originals. Good to see them back home.
The pink panther segment was very interesting. But I’m confused as to why they blurred out most their faces. And when they said they were ruthless and by No means would I condone the killing of a person but I’m sure it was by accident or more to the story. I not on their side though it does sound like it. 😉🤔
The poverty, the Khmer Rouge slaughter of millions, more poverty...How could Cambodia pay any attention to these artifacts until recently. I would guess that so much is in wealthy properties all over the wealthy countries and I'll bet: China....China which is taking over in Cambodia, a country of lovely very impoverished people. I spent months there and I witness that many people are very poor. The National Museum in Phnom Penh. it was not well protected in the early 2000's. Many poor countries with price treasures are not able or interested in protecting them. In Mexico, Mayan structures were destroyed to build Catholic Churches. All that nice precut stone block..........
You do realize that there were countless centuries between the time of the end of the Khumer Empire and the rise of the Khumer Rouge? No one cared about the artifacts until outsiders did
I have seen the looting of Cambodia for myself, rows of statuary all without head, it's shameful. You know when you go to an regular Decor store your sure to see an inexpensive stone head on a marble block, that is representative of the real expensive fashion of having the real thing in you penthouse apartment. If you walk around the Wats (temples) there are pieces of stone carvings everywhere. As you struggle with the heat just imagine how hot it would be in a Cambodian prison.
There are still so many in display in the MET museum in NYC, with the plaque saying it was gifted by so and so family. Indian and south east Asia, it would be nice to return it to its countries of origin 🙏🏼
3 months on, where is the industry on these archived pieces that are the actual issue in the diplomatic process from the ruins of past dynasties and empires no one wishes to admit they trafficked in front of us all. Bought and Sold legitimately would not cause these ethical questions on the boards and their other financial and community actions as the stock would have been confirmed for legal sale. Just give people's beloved artefacts back and rebuild, there are so many ways to grow and evolve the industry without further loss of actual life for rich bad guys interior design.
