New Zealand Tourist Wanted for Breaking Buddha Statue

The Apsara Authority and local police are searching for a tourist from New Zealand accused of breaking a statue of the Buddha inside Bayon temple at Angkor Archaeological Park last week, according to a statement issued by the Apsara Authority on Sunday.

The tourist, Willemijn Vermaat, 40, went missing inside Bayon temple on Thursday evening and her tuk-tuk driver asked the local tourism police for help finding her, according to the statement. They mounted a search party, but could not locate her until early Friday morning, when she was spotted by restoration workers and police detained her for questioning.

Police released Ms. Vermaat later on Friday, but shortly thereafter discovered that a statue inside the temple where she had been found was broken into several pieces. When they sought to take the woman back into custody, she had already left the country, the statement says.

“The Apsara Authority is cooperating with the heritage protection police and tourism police to find a criminal who destroyed the statue to condemn her according to the law,” it says.

The statue Ms. Vermaat is accused of destroying dates from the reign of Jayavarman VII in the late 12th century. It was already broken into several pieces when it was originally discovered, but was restored in 1988 so that it could be put on display at Bayon.

Provincial heritage protection police chief Man Chhoeun admitted that what happened inside the temple on Thursday night was not clear, and that there was no direct evidence to show that Ms. Vermaat was responsible for the damage.

“We don’t have evidence to prove that the woman destroyed the statue, because we didn’t see it with our eyes, but we suspect this woman did it, because she was there,” he said.

Mr. Chhoeun said Deputy Prime Minister Sok An, the head of the Apsara Authority, would meet with New Zealand officials to discuss the incident.

The Apsara Authority temporarily closed Bayon temple to visitors on Saturday and transported the pieces of the statue to.....

...click link to continue reading...

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/touri ... tue-69638/




EARLIER:



Seems like Apsara Authority is denying that they caught a lady from New Zealand destroying a Buddhist statute in Siem Reap, and later letting her go. We might never know the whole story. Any talks of this amongst the expats living in Siem Reap? It also says she allegedly fled to Thailand. Maybe not the safest of places to flee to these days, LoL.







Google Translate:

Siem Reap: Deputy Director of Apsara Authority, Mr. aoe Sok Rithy told Information Center Ampil afternoon Saturday that their organization was not a release of women, New Zealand (New Zealand), who beat destroy image Buddha in the temple, but the story is the responsibility of officials protecting heritage.

He aoe Sok Rithy, confirmed that cases destroyed statues have a height of about 1 meter happen tonight 9th into the 10th October 2014, while the visitors a New Zealand man aged about 40, was kept in the temple until the time early morning on 10 October and had beaten destroyed Buddha once.

He said that Buddha was broken 4 pieces, and not the original amount, but statues copy. He said during the period of liability Apsara Authority from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, while protecting heritage from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.

Another source said that now the aliens who destroyed Buddha images out of the country, and they suspected that she had fled to Thailand.

សៀមរាប៖ អនុប្រធាននាយកដ្ឋាន នៃអាជ្ញាធរអប្សរា លោក អ៉ឹម សុខរិទ្ធី បានថ្លែងប្រាប់មជ្ឈមណ្ឌល ព័ត៌មានដើមអម្ពិល នៅរសៀលថ្ងៃសៅរ៍នេះថា ស្ថាប័នរបស់ខ្លួនមិនមែនជា អ្នកដោះលែងស្រ្តីជនជាតិ ញូវហ្សេឡែន (New Zealand) ដែលវាយបំផ្លាញរូបព្រះពុទ្ធបដិមា នៅក្នុងប្រាសាទបាយ័ន នោះទេ ប៉ុន្តែរឿងនេះ គឺជាការទទួលខុសត្រូវ របស់មន្រ្តីការពារបេតិកភណ្ឌ។

លោក អ៉ឹម សុខរិទ្ធី បានបញ្ជាក់ថា ករណីវាយបំផ្លាញរូបបដិមា មានកម្ពស់ប្រហែល ១ម៉ែត្រនោះ កើតឡើងនៅរាត្រីថ្ងៃទី៩ ចូលទី១០ ខែតុលា ឆ្នាំ២០១៤ ខណៈដែលអ្នកទេសចរ ជនជាតិញូវហ្សេឡែនម្នាក់ មានវ័យប្រហែល ៤០ឆ្នាំនោះ បានសំងំនៅក្នុងប្រាសាទ រហូតដល់វេលាទៀបភ្លឺ ថ្ងៃទី១០ ខែតុលា ហើយបានធ្វើសកម្មភាព វាយបំផ្លាញព្រះពុទ្ធបដិមាតែម្តង។

លោកបានបញ្ជាក់ថា រូបព្រះពុទ្ធបដិមាបានបែកបាក់ ៤បំណែក ហើយមិនមែនរូបបរិមាដើមនោះទេ គឺរូបបដិមាចម្លង។ លោកថា អំឡុងពេល នៃការទទួលខុសត្រូវ អាជ្ញាធរអប្សរាមើលពីម៉ោង ៦៖០០ព្រឹក ដល់៦៖០០ល្ងាច ដោយឡែកផ្នែកការពារបេតិកភណ្ឌ ពីម៉ោង ៦៖០០ល្ងាច ដល់៦៖០០ព្រឹក។

ប្រភពមួយផ្សេងទៀត បាននិយាយថា ពេលនេះជនបរទេសដែលបានវាយបំផ្លាញ ព្រះពុទ្ធបដិមានេះ បានរូបចេញពីប្រទេសកម្ពុជាហើយ ដែលគេសង្ស័យថា នាងបានរត់ទៅកាន់ប្រទេសថៃ៕

Local Translation:

Siem Reap: Vice-president of Apsara Authority, Mr. Am Sokrithy, spoke to Dap news on Saturday stating that his department did not allow the Zealand women that destroyed the statue in Bayon temple, but that it is the official protection heritage's responsibility.
Mr. Rithy confirmed the statue, about 1 meter in height, was destroyed on 9th October 2014 by new Zealand woman around 40 years old. She hid herself in the temple until very late and start to destroying the statue.
He said the statue broke into four portions and that statue is a copy.
He said apsara authority responsible from 6am to 6pm and official protection heritage responsible from 6pm to 6am.
Other source has said that now the women has left Cambodia and they think she has run to Thailand.

http://www.dap-news.com/2011-06-14-02-3 ... 49-02.html

I have my wife taking a look to see if she feels up to the task.

I call it BS. The locals won't take this lightly.

I'll summarize it. The article says a man destroyed the buddha statue at Bayon temple (it didnt say how, and the at the end saying it's a SHE). The statue isn't original but a replicated one.

flying chicken wrote: The article says a man destroyed the buddha statue at Bayon temple (it didnt say how, and the at the end saying it's a SHE). .

Well...having such a rapid sex change would make anyone upset enough to knock a replica stature about.

maybe someone got some souvenir pieces out of the stone (without completely destroying it)