US returns Cultural Artifacts to PNG

It has being decades since 133 cultural artifacts have being illegally collected and kept in a private museum in the United States until they were returned to the PNG National Museum and Gallery this week.

In a momentous occasion portraying the long standing relationship of United State and Papua New Guinea, the United States Government through the Ambassador to PNG, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands Erin McKee was honoured to return to Papua New Guinea the cultural artifacts that were improperly removed from PNG.

All these items were part of an extensive collection of artifacts that were gathered around the world over several decades by a US citizen and archaeologist Donald Miller.

Ambassador McKee said The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Art Crime Division in 2014 opened an inquiry into the collection and an investigation.

The FBI discovered thousands of artifacts in Mr Miller’s private museum.

She further explained that after Mr Miller admitted that most of the items have being taken in violation of international antiquities laws, the FBI began the laborious task of returning them to their countries of origin.

“One of the many values the US and PNG share is the rule of law and the appreciation for respect for the rule of law”, said Ambassador McKee.

She further stated, “We believe that we have the responsibility to do what is right, what is fair and what is just.”

“Once we had confirmation that these items have being removed illegally, it was our clear duty to return them back to the rightful owner,” she said.

Ambassador McKee apologized to the citizens of PNG, stating it is her privilege to right this wrong and return these incredible artifacts home to PNG.

Ambassador McKee on behalf of the United States Government said she was happy to restore a piece of the cultural heritage that was missing for so long.

PNGFM/PNGToday

Picture supplied: US EMBASSY PNG

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