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S.Lanka Works to Prevent Taliban from Destroying Ancient Buddha Statues
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has instructed his country's ambassadors in several countries to have urgent consultations to work out a common strategy to save ancient Buddha statues in Afghanistan, a government statement said on Wednesday.
It said that Kadirgamar who is currently on a visit to the United Arab Emirates, has asked ambassadors of his country in India, Thailand, Myanmar and Nepal to consult with these countries to prevent the demolition of ancient Buddha statues in Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan which the Taliban authorities has threatened to blow up.
Kadirgamar had also told ambassador of his country in Paris to contact UNESCO and urge immediate preventive action to be taken by the organization.
The minister has taken up the issue with his Pakistani counterpart Abdus Sattar on his recent visit to Pakistan. Sattar told Kadirgamar on Wednesday that his government would do its utmost to safeguard these statues.
Meanwhile, Trade Minister Rauf Hakeem, who is also the co- leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, said his party would join the government in appealing to the Taliban to spare these statues
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