Chile's youngsters demand return of their country's 'stolen friends' from British museum
An ancestor figure 'moai' known as Hoa Hakananai'a in British museum
The British Museum is facing mounting pressure from social media users in Chile demanding the return of a stone monument stolen from Easter Island. The controversy surrounds two moai statues, originally from the Chilean territory of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island, which were acquired by the museum in 1868.
The online campaign gained momentum after a Chilean influencer encouraged his followers to inundate the museum's Instagram posts with comments advocating for the repatriation of the moai statues.
The British Museum responded by deactivating comments on a particular social media post.
About Rapa Nui and'Stolen Friend'
Rapa Nui, located about 3,700 kmoff Chile's Pacific coast, is renowned for its moai statues.
The statues are believed to embody the spirit of ancestors of the locals. Dating back to the period between 1400 and 1650 AD, many moai remain on the island, but others, including the Hoa Hakananai'a in the British Museum's collection, have been transferred to museums worldwide.
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The Hoa Hakananai'a, commonly referred to as the "Stolen Friend",along with a smaller moai named Hava, were presented as gifts to Queen Victoria in 1869 by Commodore Richard Powell, captain of a ship named HMS Topaze. Queen Victoria subsequently donated the statues to the British Museum.
Calls for the return of the Hoa Hakananai'a to Rapa Nui have persisted for years, and a recent campaign led by Chilean social media influencer Mike Milfort intensified the online movement.
Milfort's followers flooded the comments sections of the museum's Instagram posts with demands for repatriation.
Chile's President Gabriel Boric has also expressed support for the campaign.
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The museum has presented a flimsy defence of why it continues to keep these important Chilean cultural figurines.
A spokesperson told the BBC that such debate mustbe "balanced against the need for safeguarding considerations, especially where young people are concerned".
The controversy follows a similar global debate, as last yearGreece's prime minister called for the return of the Parthenon Sculptures, also known as the Elgin Marbles, from the British Museum.
(With inputs from agencies)