The US is in the process of returning four illegally trafficked artifacts to Vietnam.

The Department of Grassroots Culture (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) has just informed about the return of illegally trafficked antiquities to the US.

10 ancient artifacts returned to Vietnam by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last year. Photo: Ngoc Thanh

Accordingly, after the repatriation of 10 illegally trafficked antiquities, in March 2023, the Cultural Heritage Administration continued to receive a request from the US Homeland Security Investigations (HIS), under the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to determine the origin of a number of antiquities that were likely illegally trafficked into the US from Vietnam.

The artifacts include: Bronze dagger, human-shaped handle, Dong Son culture, Vietnam, material: bronze, 23cm long, dated 2,500 to 2,000 years ago; Carved Crystal – Seal (Quartz jewelry, engraved with the image of Shiva), artifact number: 13108.1, Champa culture, Vietnam, material: quartz, dated 3rd-5th century; Guanyin statue (statue of Quan Am), artifact number: L39143, Vietnam, material: gilded wood, dated 18th-19th century; Tomb Sculpture (Ginang musician playing drums), artifact number: L39142, Champa culture, Vietnam, material: stone, dated 19th century (This artifact is likely to be fake antique).

According to the Department of Cultural Heritage, the US Homeland Security Investigations is urgently completing procedures and taking steps to return the items to Vietnam.

Vietnam officially joined the 1970 UNESCO Convention against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property in 2005 with the view of clearly identifying Vietnam's cultural heritage and developing legal policies and measures to prevent illegal trafficking of antiquities and cultural properties in Vietnam.

At the same time, Vietnam also makes efforts in diplomatic relations to work with other countries to identify Vietnamese cultural heritages that have been illegally taken abroad in the past and find ways to return these cultural heritages to their original locations.

Article 45 of the Law on Cultural Heritage stipulates: “Competent state agencies must report to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on relics, antiquities and national treasures confiscated from illegal searching, trading, transporting, exporting and importing so that the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism can decide to hand over such relics, antiquities and national treasures to appropriate competent agencies.”.

Therefore, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's receipt of antiquities identified as originating from Vietnam, seized by US authorities during a criminal investigation, is in accordance with regulations.

To date, with the support of several countries, many antiquities have been brought back to Vietnam. In 2018, 18 Vietnamese antiquities, seized by the Berlin Police Department (Germany) from an illegal trade, were returned to Vietnam.

In 2015 and 2021, some Hue antiques were also successfully auctioned by the Government and some foreign benefactors and brought back to Vietnam.

In early 2022, the Vietnamese Embassy in the US also discussed with the Department of Cultural Heritage about the possibility of repatriating some antiquities seized by US authorities from an investigation of illegal trafficking in the US.

The Department of Cultural Heritage said that the US and Vietnam have had two very successful exchanges of antiques, including: Ancient Vietnamese Art - From the Delta to the Great Sea , exhibited at the Asia Society Museum, New York, USA, in 2009; Early Southeast Asia: Hindu and Buddhist Sculpture from the 5th to the 9th Century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA, in 2014.

“ The Department of Cultural Heritage, the competent authority assigned to manage relics, antiquities and national treasures, hopes that the US side will continue to coordinate, identify Vietnamese cultural heritages illegally traded in the United States and return them to Vietnam.

At the same time, we hope that the US side will always coordinate and support in training human resources in identifying and digitizing cultural heritage as a basis for timely identification of Vietnamese cultural heritages at risk of being illegally traded...", according to the Department of Cultural Heritage.

Le Chi

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