6 replies to this topic

[ckn]

Daily Mail link

I saw this this morning and have been thinking about it. Back in the Taliban days in Afghanistan there was worldwide condemnation when the Taliban destroyed the Buddhist statues but barely an eye is batted when the Chinese do the same in Afghanistan while exploiting the country's natural assets.

[l'angelo mysterioso]

is this a test?

[ckn]

is this a test?

I see what you did there...

No, just a bit of outrage really that an ancient site of cultural heritage will be destroyed in a maximum of three years just so some copper can be mined.

[bigred]

is this a test?

I was thinking the same!

To be fair to the Chinese, they are at least giving the archaeologists three years grace to excavate the site and are not deliberately destroying them on the grounds they are pagan relics.
Of course in an ideal world both sets of relics should be saved for the Afghan nation but the Taliban didn't give anyone the chance to.

[WearyRhino]

No, just a bit of outrage really that an ancient site of cultural heritage will be destroyed in a maximum of three years just so some coppers can be mined.

Are you sure it's the Chinese and not the Greater Manchester Police Force?

[bowes]

Sad, but as said good there will be chance to rescue things. There are stories of Chinese all over doing dubious things for natural resources (mainly in Africa), but then again nothing Europe didn't do 50 years ago I guess.

Though I can understand Afghanistan wanting the business as they obviously are poor and need to rebuild but don't have the technology to extract the copper themselves

[John Rhino]

Sad that what is now the second richest country in the world, set to make billions out of this mine if you value the finished products, could not stump up a few grand and the crane to save the contents.