4 August 2007
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Dr. O'Reilly assessing the damage in a Cambodian temple. |
A Sydney archaeologist is gaining international recognition for his efforts to preserve the cultural legacy of Cambodia and prevent the looting of ancient burial sites.
Dougald O'Reilly says artefacts are being destroyed at an unprecedented rate and important archaeological information is being lost.
After seeing the rampant looting of Phum Snay, an immense Iron Age burial ground in Cambodia's northwest in 1999, Dr O'Reilly set up Heritage Watch, a non-profit organisation dedicated to saving Cambodia's cultural legacy.
He is also the founder of the Heritage Friendly Tourism Campaign. "The idea is to tackle the supply and demand ends simultaneously," said Dr O'Reilly.
"Looting is a poverty driven crime - if you truly value Cambodian art, the worst thing you can do is buy it."
As a result of Dr O'Reilly's work people are becoming much more aware of heritage issues, said Heritage Watch Country Manager Kathy Fossati from Cambodia. "Dr O'Reilly is an amazing person. His dedication to Cambodia and his work in archaeology is extraordinary."
What began as a one-man crusade is now a thriving organisation. Heritage Watch has twice been the recipient of the US Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Heritage, and has also received awards from UNESCO, the Friends of Khmer Culture, and Lonely Planet Publications.
The campaign has also won two international awards in the past month: the Pacific Asia Travel Association Gold Award, and a Tourism Cares World Wide Grant Program Award. More importantly, said Ms Fossati, Dr O'Reilly has won the admiration and respect of Cambodians.
"I am proud to say that yes, our work is having an effect. We have huge numbers of people ringing our hotline. There is a greater awareness in Cambodia about cultural heritage through our training, and TV and radio ads," said Dr O'Reilly.
Two weeks ago Heritage Watch achieved a huge breakthrough when the Cambodian Ministry for the Interior announced a major national expansion of the heritage police.
"And I am thrilled to say that the Ministry of the Interior has asked us to provide training for these officers," adds Dr O'Reilly.
Dr O'Reilly says he feels a special affinity with Cambodia, having lived there for seven years. He describes the first time he saw the famous temples of Angkor Archaeological Park in 1994: "There was nobody there. It was eerie. It was a very edgy experience.
"To this day, I love it there. It is invigorating, a very special country - especially to an archaeologist. It's a shame to see these incredible sites being destroyed so quickly.
"There are a lot of things we would like to accomplish. We want the neighbouring countries of Thailand and Singapore to sign the UNESCO convention of 1970 which obligates them to limit the traffic of antiquities across the borders.
"But our ultimate aim is to see Cambodians embracing the problem and tackling looting at a grassroots level."
Heritage Watch is also working with communities at heritage sites, providing training in business management, tourism and English language to the villagers at Koh Ker. This effort is part of a pilot project to get local populations involved in protecting their heritage while benefiting from it at the same time.
See also www.heritagewatch.org.
Contact: Claudia Liu
Phone: 02 9351 3191