Cambodia Condemns Thai Military Attack on Preah Vihear Temple | Cambodia Confirms Troops Still Holding Mount Trop as Thailand Cannot Raise Flag on Sovereign Territory | Cambodia and Thailand Clashes Enter Third Day as Casualties Rise to 33 | UN Security Council Urges Restraint as Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Intensify | Cambodia Condemns Thai Aggression at UN, Calls for Ceasefire and International Intervention | Techo Hun Sen Advises Military Strategy Amidst Border Clashes with Thailand | 45 Staff Rescued After Being Trapped at Preah Vihear Temple Amidst Clashes | BREAKING: Cambodia Denies Firing Projectiles into Laos, Accuses Thailand of Disinformation | Cambodia's Tourism Ministry Seeks Aid for Troops, Refugees; Reaffirms Commitment to Peace | BREAKING: Laos Denies Border Clash with Cambodia; Cambodia Rejects Thai Accusations of Shelling Laos | BREAKING NEWS: Andrew MacGregor Marshall Claims Queen Mother Sirikit Has Died, Alleging Concealment by Thai Authorities | BREAKING NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Malaysian Mediation Amid Escalating Border Clashes | Ministry of Education Announces Postponement of 2025 Baccalaureate Examination | Cambodian Community in Korea Holds Mass Protest Against Thailand’s Invasion | Techo Hun Sen: “In Times of National Crisis, We Have No Right to Rest or Fall Ill” | UN Secretary-General and Cambodian Officials Call for Immediate Ceasefire Amid Border Clashes | Lieutenant General Duong Samnieng Dies Fighting Thai Invaders at Preah Vihear | BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Hun Manet to Lead Cambodian Delegation to Kuala Lumpur for Special Meeting on Ceasefire | Secretary Rubio Calls for Immediate De-escalation in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | TOP NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Ceasefire After Malaysia-Mediated Talks | ASEAN Issues Statement Supporting Ceasefire and Peaceful Resolution in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | BREAKING: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Welcomes Cambodia-Thailand Ceasefire Declaration | TOP NEWS: President Trump Announces Ceasefire and Peace Agreements with Thailand and Cambodia | Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet Reports Successful Ceasefire Negotiation with Thailand, Thanks U.S. Support | Techo Hun Sen Commends Trump Initiative That Saved Thousands of Lives During Cambodia-Thailand Conflict | Cambodia and Thailand Engage in High-Level Military Meetings Amid Ceasefire Implementation | All My Feelings at This Time Are Connected to Some Major Tasks: Prime Minister Hun Manet Shares Personal Reflection on Social Media |
Cambodia Condemns Thai Military Attack on Preah Vihear Temple | Cambodia Confirms Troops Still Holding Mount Trop as Thailand Cannot Raise Flag on Sovereign Territory | Cambodia and Thailand Clashes Enter Third Day as Casualties Rise to 33 | UN Security Council Urges Restraint as Thailand-Cambodia Clashes Intensify | Cambodia Condemns Thai Aggression at UN, Calls for Ceasefire and International Intervention | Techo Hun Sen Advises Military Strategy Amidst Border Clashes with Thailand | 45 Staff Rescued After Being Trapped at Preah Vihear Temple Amidst Clashes | BREAKING: Cambodia Denies Firing Projectiles into Laos, Accuses Thailand of Disinformation | Cambodia's Tourism Ministry Seeks Aid for Troops, Refugees; Reaffirms Commitment to Peace | BREAKING: Laos Denies Border Clash with Cambodia; Cambodia Rejects Thai Accusations of Shelling Laos | BREAKING NEWS: Andrew MacGregor Marshall Claims Queen Mother Sirikit Has Died, Alleging Concealment by Thai Authorities | BREAKING NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Malaysian Mediation Amid Escalating Border Clashes | Ministry of Education Announces Postponement of 2025 Baccalaureate Examination | Cambodian Community in Korea Holds Mass Protest Against Thailand’s Invasion | Techo Hun Sen: “In Times of National Crisis, We Have No Right to Rest or Fall Ill” | UN Secretary-General and Cambodian Officials Call for Immediate Ceasefire Amid Border Clashes | Lieutenant General Duong Samnieng Dies Fighting Thai Invaders at Preah Vihear | BREAKING NEWS: Prime Minister Hun Manet to Lead Cambodian Delegation to Kuala Lumpur for Special Meeting on Ceasefire | Secretary Rubio Calls for Immediate De-escalation in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | TOP NEWS: Cambodia and Thailand Agree to Ceasefire After Malaysia-Mediated Talks | ASEAN Issues Statement Supporting Ceasefire and Peaceful Resolution in Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute | BREAKING: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Welcomes Cambodia-Thailand Ceasefire Declaration | TOP NEWS: President Trump Announces Ceasefire and Peace Agreements with Thailand and Cambodia | Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet Reports Successful Ceasefire Negotiation with Thailand, Thanks U.S. Support | Techo Hun Sen Commends Trump Initiative That Saved Thousands of Lives During Cambodia-Thailand Conflict | Cambodia and Thailand Engage in High-Level Military Meetings Amid Ceasefire Implementation | All My Feelings at This Time Are Connected to Some Major Tasks: Prime Minister Hun Manet Shares Personal Reflection on Social Media |

Switzerland returns Buddha statue

Bern: Switzerland, on the 6th of February, 2024, a momentous cultural event took place as Mr In Dara, Cambodia's Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Organizations in Geneva, led a significant restitution ceremony of a Buddha statue back to the Kingdom of Cambodia. The ceremony saw the participation of Mrs. Fabienne Baraga, Head of the Special Body for International Transfer of Cultural Property, Federal Office of Culture, and Mrs. Anna Mattei Russo, Head of the Regional Coordination Southeast Asia and Pacific, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, accompanied by officials and diplomats from both countries.

The returned Buddha statue, an emblem of Cambodia's rich artistic, historical, and religious legacy, is made of metal and measures 41.5 cm in length, 22.5 cm in depth, and 49 cm in height. While Swiss experts initially believed the statue could be from the pre-Angkor or early Angkor periods, over 1,000 years old, Cambodian cultural specialists from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts have identified it as an 18th or 19th-century piece depicting the Buddha overcoming the devil. This detailed examination highlighted the statue's authentic Khmer craftsmanship, affirming its invaluable artistic, historical, and religious significance that warrants its preservation as a national treasure.

This Buddha sculpture's repatriation followed its seizure by authorities in the Canton of Basel in 2014, after documents suggested it was part of Cambodia's cultural heritage. Swiss legislation necessitates that confiscated cultural assets be returned to their countries of origin, facilitating this meaningful restitution.

Ambassador Dara In expressed immense joy and appreciation for the statue's return after a long absence due to Cambodia's civil unrest and the perils of smuggling and trafficking. He extended his gratitude to the Swiss government, especially the Federal Office of Culture and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Basel Canton, for their crucial support and collaboration in thwarting the smuggling of Cambodian cultural artifacts and ensuring their return.

Highlighting ongoing initiatives to recover stolen cultural items, Ambassador Dara urged global museums, institutions, and curators of Khmer artifacts to proactively return Cambodian cultural items of significance. He emphasized that such repatriations are acts of ethical respect that contribute significantly to the cultural restoration and emotional healing of the Cambodian people, who have suffered from prolonged civil conflict.

Mrs. Fabienne Baraga reinforced this message, affirming Switzerland's commitment to preventing the illicit trafficking and illegal trading of cultural properties and to preserving the cultural heritage of mankind. She described the restitution as not only a return of a cherished object but also a symbol of the solidarity and respect shared between Switzerland and Cambodia, highlighting the role of cultural diplomacy in fostering global understanding and cooperation.



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