Famous museum under social media attack over 'stolen' statue

famous museum under social media attack over 'stolen' statue

The dark secret hidden at the Queensland Museum

The British Museum’s social media accounts have been swamped with criticism for continuing to hold an ancient artefact taken from Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island.

The deluge of posts, orchestrated by an influencer based in Chile, Mike Milfort, caused the museum to temporarily shut down comments on its Instagram account.

In a post aiming to mobilise his one million followers, Milfort urged followers to demand the museum return a towering moai, or statue, known as Hoa Hakananai’a.

And follow his orders they did.

Since January, the museum’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube accounts have been lashed by online criticism, forcing comments on some posts to be deactivated.

Comments are still limited on certain posts from the museum.

“We welcome debate, but this has to be balanced against the need for safeguarding considerations,” a museum spokesperson said.

Hoa Hakananai’a – which translates to “lost or stolen friend” – is a carved basalt statue 2.5 metres in height and estimated to weigh about 4.2 metric tons.

The moai was removed from the island in November 1868 by the crew of the British ship HMS Topaze under the command of Commodore Richard Powell.

On the ship’s return to London in 1869, it was presented to Queen Victoria who gave the statue to the British Museum.

In November 2018, the governor of Easter Island, Tarita Alarcon rapu, travelled to the museum and appealed for the statue to be sent back to Rapa Nui as part of a loan agreement.

It is one of the most revered of the island’s moai, which are believed to contain the spirits of ancestors.

European museums are facing a raft of claims from governments around the world seeking the return of artworks and artefacts.

The British Museum has long been subject to demands from Greece for the return of the Elgin Marbles, also known as the Parthenon Sculptures.

It maintains the artefacts were removed with the express permission of the Ottoman authorities of the time, and are “part of everyone’s shared heritage and transcend cultural boundaries”.

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Disrupt Burrup protesters searched and phones seized

Disrupt Burrup Hub group say police have issued move-on notices prohibiting access to the WA site. A group of climate activists and filmmakers say their phones have been seized during ... Read more »

The generation driving a ‘megatrend’ of poor mental health in Australia

As individuals, we have unique experiences that affect our mental health and wellbeing, but what about the collective experiences that influence each generation? The mental health of Australians has been ... Read more »

Geraldton meatworks set to reopen after five years in bid to meet chilled meat demand from Asia, Middle East

Syed Ghazaly wants to see the Geraldton abattoir reopen early next year to process 1,000 sheep a day. (ABC Mid West Wheatbelt: Chris Lewis) The new owners of a mothballed ... Read more »

Blues seek ‘growth’ as pre-season begins; new Hawk aims to be AFL’s serial pest

Carlton coach Michael Voss says he and his players understand there are heightened expectations on them, but insists the Blues are ready to develop individually and in their game plan. ... Read more »

Bulldogs continue signing frenzy with swap deal

The Bulldogs’ off-season signing frenzy is set to continue with the club reportedly set to land Cronnor Tracey in a swap deal. The Sydney Morning Herald reports Tracey is expected ... Read more »

Customers to weigh in as Optus disruption comes under microscope

Consumers and impacted businesses are being urged to have their say on the Optus outage, with the federal government laying out the terms of reference for its review into the ... Read more »

Released detainee unable to be contacted by authorities

It has been revealed a released immigration detainee is unable to be contacted by authorities. Border Force has referred the matter to the Federal Police as authorities are attempting to ... Read more »
Top List in the World