S.Korea Urges Taliban to Stop Destroying Buddhist Statues

South Korea Monday urged Afghanistan 's ruling Taliban government Monday to immediately stop destroying Buddhist statues and take necessary steps to protect those Buddhist cultural assets.

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry said South Korea is deeply concerned about the destruction of Buddhist statues by the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

The Buddhist statues in Afghanistan are mankind's valued cultural heritage and must be preserved for ever, and their destruction will be a big loss to mankind and a big pain to the Buddhists around the world, said the statement.

South Korea also hopes that the civil war in Afghanistan will be brought to an end at the earliest possible date, added the statement.

Despite strong pleas from an outraged world, the ruling Taliban have destroyed most of the ancient relics, including parts of the two tallest statues of Buddha in the world.

The destruction of the statues began after Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar reportedly ruled that they were idolatrous and against the tenets of Islam last week.

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