Thailand takes slow steps to repatriate missing ancient artefacts

After decades of looters stripping Thailand's historical sites and taking many items abroad, the country is still taking steps to repatriate the cultural treasures.

"The big picture like the building was discovered, but the artefacts which tell little details are missing, making a lot of stories untold about Si Thep," said archaeologist Tanachaya Tiandee as quoted by AFP.

Si Thep is an ancient town. Experts are to this date trying to unlock the mysteries there.

"It's like a piece of puzzle was missing," said Tiandee.

Archaeologists think that the site of Si Thep is between 1500 to 1700 years old. This week, the site may be inscribed in UNESCO's Cultural World Heritage list. If it indeed happens, it will be Thailand's first addition to the list since 1992.

It is believed that at least 20 objects have been stolen from the site over the years. Experts have identified 11 such objects in museums in the US.

It is suspected that the real number of looted objects is far higher due to a lack of documentation on the thefts.

In 2017, the Thai government which at the time was led by the military, set up the Committee to Monitor Thai Antiquities Abroad. Since then, about 340 objects have been voluntarily repatriated to the country, according to the committee report cited by AFP.

However, the process of repatriation is going ahead at a snail's pace, particularly due to political compulsions. The government officials are wary of disturbing diplomatic relations with key allies like the US.

AFP quoted the director-general of Thailand's Department of Fine Arts as saying that they "won't accelerate anything".

A recent statement from the committee said that the Norton Simon Museum in California holds nine Thai artefacts. These are reportedly a few of many such artefacts scattered in museums across the US.

While maintaining that it would cooperate with the authorities if contacted, the museum defended its decision to hold the items. The museum reportedly said that the artefacts were legally purchased and "have been carefully preserved and displayed," as per Leslie Denk, vice-president of external affairs at the institution. AFP quoted Denk.

(With inputs from agencies)

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