Tibetan relics ‘repatriated’ to China, Philippines' Duterte trial | RFA Insider 28

By Amy Lee for RFA Insider

This week, RFA Insider takes a closer look at cases of illegally exported artifacts and international arrests.

Off Beat

This March, the Manhattan district attorney’s anti-trafficking unit handed over 41 “illegally exported” cultural artifacts to China. However, the handover was not a happy occasion for Tibetan scholars – they’re concerned that the artifacts, which include Tibetan Buddhist relics, will be used by China to promote its historical claims to Tibet.

This isn’t the first time the cataloguing of Tibetan artifacts has stirred controversy. Over the past year, Tibetan diaspora communities have called out the British Museum, the Musée du Quai Branly-Jacques Chirac and the Musée Guimet for labeling artifacts and exhibitions in a way they say prioritizes Beijing’s wishes over Tibetan history.

This 18th-century Tibetan Buddhist bronze statue of Guru Padmasambhava was among the 38 artifacts handed over by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Anti-Trafficking Unit to China in April 2024.
Tibet-artifacts-china This 18th-century Tibetan Buddhist bronze statue of Guru Padmasambhava was among the 38 artifacts handed over by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Anti-Trafficking Unit to China in April 2024. (Xinhua)

Tibetan Service director Tenzin Pema returns to RFA Insider to offer more insight into how these relics ended up in the U.S., why Tibetan advocates are concerned about their handover to China and where the Tibetan diaspora community would rather these artifacts be sent to.

Double Off Beat

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila Airport on Tuesday, a development that surprised his staunch supporters as well as families impacted by his drug crackdown who never expected justice. Anthony Esguerra from BenarNews, RFA’s sister organization reporting on security, politics and human rights in South and Southeast Asia, explains how Duterte’s war on illegal drugs enabled the murders of thousands – while the Philippine government reports that 6,252 suspects were killed during Duterte’s presidency, rights groups estimate the number to be as high as 20,000.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures while testifying at a Senate hearing on his administration’s drug war, in Manila, Oct. 28, 2024.
Philippines-duterte-international-criminal-court-arrest-07 Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures while testifying at a Senate hearing on his administration’s drug war, in Manila, Oct. 28, 2024. (Gerard Carreon/BenarNews)

Despite this bloodshed, how has Duterte amassed so many supporters in the Philippines? How has the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., handled the International Criminal Court’s investigation and arrest of Duterte? And what’s next for Duterte, who awaits arraignment in The Netherlands? Tune in to hear the answers from Anthony on this episode of RFA Insider.

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