Support the safeguarding of Cambodia's heritage

*URGENT APPEAL*
The Memorandum of Understanding between Cambodia and USA that restricts the importation of antiquities is up for renewal and it needs your support. More detailed information after the jump, but in summary:

1. The Memorandum of Understanding between Cambodia and USA that restricts the importation of antiquities is up for renewal and it needs your support.
2. Post a comment of support to the US Government http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketBrowser;rpp=25;po=0;dct=PS;D=DOS-2012-0063 (click on the ‘comment now’ button to the right)
3. You can find ready-made templates to express your support http://www.archaeological.org/CPAC/templates (link to the Archaeological Institute of America page)
4. This needs to be done BEFORE 6 FEB 2013 – so, do it right now!

The Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia has informed the Government of the United States of America of its interest in an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia Concerning the Imposition of Import Restrictions on Archaeological Material from Cambodia from the Bronze Age
Through the Khmer Era (MOU). You can read about the Cultural Property Advisory Committee notice to meet here.

The MOU between Cambodia and the US is up for renewal for the fourth time. The US State Department’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee will meet on Feb 27th to Mar 1st to decide whether or not to renew this Memorandum of Understanding. A show of support from the public would signal to the committee that the MOU should be extended. You can do this online by posting a comment on the Regulations.gov website here: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketBrowser;rpp=25;po=0;dct=PS;D=DOS-2012-0063 – just click on the ‘Comment Now’ button on the right side of the page.

It’ll take a few minutes to write in some words of support for extending the MOU, and to make it easier still you can use some ready-made templates provided by the Archaeological Institute of America: http://www.archaeological.org/CPAC/templates. You’ll note that some of the public comments that have come up in opposition to the MOU come from the collecting community.

Please help. To send in a word of support for the MOU, and to spread the word amongst your friends.