29 May 2007
Returning treasured artefacts to the Provincial Government is all in a days work for Kiwi Defence Force personnel on patrol in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
NZDF personnel had been alerted to the illicit trade in heritage items and recognising the importance of the articles shown to them by a local man, a number of artefacts were confiscated and returned to the New Zealand base in the provincial capital.
The commander of the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team, Colonel Roger McElwain, said New Zealand soldiers are well aware of the value of history to a nation.
“New Zealanders have an excellent understanding of the importance of protecting items of cultural significance, and it is wonderful to be able to return these items to the people of Afghanistan, a country that has been robbed of many treasures in its turbulent past.”
The small statuettes and coins recovered were estimated by the Provincial Director of Information and Culture, Mr Ahmed Zai, to be from the seventh or eighth century AD and were exactly the sort of items the government had been trying to safeguard. The items were handed over to Governor Sarabi by the Defence Minister Phil Goff at a special ceremony conducted in the provincial capital.
The New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZPRT) in Bamyan is tasked with maintaining security in Bamyan Province. It does this by conducting frequent presence patrols throughout the province.
The NZPRT also supports the provincial and local government by providing advice and assistance to the Provincial Governor, the Afghan National Police and district sub-governors.
Today there are 122 New Zealand Defence Force personnel in the NZPRT in Afghanistan.
ENDS
Currently 675 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 19 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world.
For further information please contact Captain Rachel Riley, Defence Public Relations, on 04 529 6031 or 021 806 926.
Photo caption: Some of the artefacts that were returned.