via Phnom Penh Post, 27 July 2020: Im Sokrithy of the Apsara Authority gave a lecture about the broken Buddha statues found at Angkor Wat, clarifying that they were not broken from religious conflict. I spoke to him last week for a SPAFA SESH about this very subject – the statues come from a range of periods, from the 12th right up to the 19th century.
Apsara National Authority (ANA) experts have concluded that 21 broken Buddha statues which were unearthed near Angkor Wat in April were buried by older generations to honour the broken figures, not because of religious conflicts, as researchers have suggested.
The claim was made during a lecture on Buddha statues at Angkor Wat on Monday at the Angkor Conference Hall of the Apsara Authority Centre in Siem Reap province.
At the lecture, experts discussed the 21 broken statues, which were unearthed in front of the Ruot Preah Roi Preah Poan temple courtyard.
Professor Im Sok Rithy, an ANA expert, said researchers had concluded that the Buddha statues were buried because of religious conflicts between Brahmanism and Buddhism supporters.
Source: ANA: Broken Buddha statues not result of a religious conflictPhnom Penh Post
