Thailand offers to rebuild Bamiyan Buddha statues in Afghanistan

BANGKOK, June 18 (TNA) - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra offered to reconstruct the ancient world heritage Buddha statues destroyed by Afghanistan's former Taleban regime in 2001.

The former Afghan Islamic fundamentalist regime dynamited and used artillery to deface and destroy the priceless twin Buddha statues, carved into the heart of the Hindu Kush mountains in Bamiyan, claiming that all statues are idols and therefore their existence was contrary to Islamic belief.

The Taleban action against one of Asia's great historical treasures caused international outrage and widespread condemnation.

Speaking to journalists here after returning from a two-day regional conference in Kazakhstan, Mr. Thaksin said he had discussed the issue with Afghanistan President Hamid Karsai on the sideline of the conference.

Mr.Thaksin said he told the Afghan leader that Thailand, as a Buddhist country, would like to collect the remains of the Bamiyan Buddha statues to rebuild the new ones.

President Karzai welcomed the idea but said he would bring up the issue for discussion with his government, according to the Thai premier.

Besides the reconstruction of the famed Buddha statues, the two leaders also discussed about the planned crop substitution project which Thailand is willing to help replace opium plantations in Afghanistan, modelled after the royally-initiated projects of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

TNA