Cambodia News (Phnom Penh): On September 27, 2020, the Sihanoukville Royal Gendarmes coordinated by Hout Vichet, the prosecutor, and Mr. Buth Bopha, director of the Provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts, arrested a man for collecting ancient jars from the sea bed at Royal Pier, Sangkat 3, Sihanoukville.

The suspect was identified as Leh Vanghoun, a 42-year-old Vietnamese man. The police confiscated 281 ancient jars. The suspect with the evidence was sent to the Sihanoukville Royal Gendarmerie.

Apart from being Vietnamese what is his crime?

How ancient are those jars? What are they doing there on the sea bed? What were they used for? What are they worth? How did the perp know the exact location? Is it a crime or a case of finders/keepers?

Thought it would be illegal in most countries to loot historical items without even reporting the findings first?

For Cambodia as follows:

Section 8: Archaeological Excavations
Article 40:
No one may carry out excavations or surveys, on land or under water, for the purpose of bringing to light
cultural property likely to be of relevance to the study of prehistory, history, archaeology, ethnology,
paleontology or other branches of science dealing with the past or of human sciences in general, without
the prior authorization of the competent authority.

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Tue Sep 29, 2020 10:15 am

How ancient are those jars? What are they doing there on the sea bed? What were they used for? What are they worth? How did the perp know the exact location? Is it a crime or a case of finders/keepers?

From Cambodian News

"UPDATE: Mr. But Bopha, Director of the Department of Culture and Fine Arts of Preah Sihanouk Province, finally confirmed that the 281 small and large exhibits are ancient artifacts made sometime between the 15th-17th centuries. This is considered to be the first time that such artifacts have been found on the Cambodian seabed that may have been caused by the sinking of a ship.

According to the latest report, the Vietnamese man is not a fisherman. According to his confession, he said that he had hired a fisherman to explore the seabed three months ago, which uncovered the first 10 items. The point of the seabed where the artifacts were found is 200 meters from Koh Russey and at 7 meters depth."

They should hire him as a consultant.

He finds the stuff, brings it up then they can arrest him and take everything themselves . Gee never happened before

I admire his initiative, the existence of the artifacts were probably well known in certain circles.

Diver arrested with almost 300 centuries-old jars
A man in Cambodia has been arrested for possessing almost 300 centuries-old earthenware jars that he is believed to have salvaged from a shipwreck
Via AP news wire
15 hours ago
A man on Cambodia’s southern coast was arrested for possessing almost 300 centuries-old earthenware jars that he is believed to have salvaged from a shipwreck an official said Tuesday.

Khieng Phearum, a spokesman for Preah Sihanouk province, said the 42-year-old man was arrested late Sunday after authorities determined that he was illegally keeping 281 small and big jars presumed to be legally protected antiquities at his home

The man, who was still being interrogated on Tuesday, is an expert diver and had been spotted in the area of an underwater shipwreck in the Gulf of Thailand off the coastal city of Sihanoukville from which the pottery is believed to have been retrieved, Khieng Phearum said,

He said he did not know how the man retrieved the jars or how long they have been in his possession, but the authorities had become aware of his collection, and after observation, arrested the man at his home.

It was not known if the man intended to sell the jars, but he is expected to be charged under a law protecting Cambodia’s cultural heritage.

Long Punna Serivath, a spokesman for the Culture and Fine Arts Ministry, said Monday that judging from photos of the jars, they were likely made some time during the 15th to 17th centuries, officially making them antiquities.

Buth Bupha, a director of the Culture and Fine Arts Department of Preah Sihanouk province, said the origin of the jars and the ship from which they were presumably taken have not yet been established, and experts will study the collection for answers.

He said that in 2015, several hundred pieces of similar pottery were collected from a sunken Chinese ship off nearby Koh Kong province.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/worl ... 96287.html

^^ Odd that they don’t mention once that he’s Vietnamese.