As police confiscate increasing numbers of looted antiquities, officials are at a loss as to where to put them. Hoping to solve that problem, the Department of Culture in Banteay Meanchey province has proposed that a museum be built to house the items in Serei Saophoan district.
Him Toem, the director of Banteay Meanchey’s Department of Culture, said Thursday he has submitted a proposal to Prime Minister Hun Sen and the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts for the construction of a 40-meter-by-25-meter building. The building would cost $73,000, he estimated, but so far no money has been allocated for the project.
“We want a museum that can keep the confiscated artifacts so people and tourists can see them on display,” Him Toem said.
Banteay Meanchey province is a thoroughfare for smugglers trafficking looted antiquities from all over Cambodia into Thailand. Last year there was a series of seizures, but there are no suitable places to store the artifacts, Him Toem said.
The seized artifacts have been tagged and stored in the offices of the military police and provincial officials, Him Toem said.
Chhoeung Sokhom, the deputy judicial police chief for the province, said that authorities confiscated more smuggled artifacts in 2002 than ever before. He attributed this success to a campaign by cultural officials and military and provincial police .
Last September military police seized several hundred stolen artifacts in Banteay Meanchey. They included ancient statues of Buddha, water jars, vases, beads, kettles and tools made of ceramic and iron. In November provincial police seized 47 looted artifacts.
