Penalty on relic saboteur shows West’s weak culture awareness

Illustration: Liu Xiangya/Global Times

 The news that a US man who snapped off and stole the thumb of a Chinese terracotta warrior may be handed a lenient sentence has been trending on social media, triggering an outcry among Chinese netizens, many of whom called for a more severe punishment for the perpetrator who damaged this "precious heritage of humanity."

The thief, Michael Rohana, snuck into a closed-off section of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, and broke off and stole the thumb of a terracotta warrior on loan to the museum from China in 2017. 

Latest court documents revealed that Rohana is expected to plead guilty on April 17 to a lesser felony charge of interstate trafficking. His plea deal offers a lighter maximum sentence, which is a fine of $20,000 and two years in prison, according to the Washington Post.

Rohana was initially charged in 2018 with the theft and concealment of an object of cultural heritage from a museum and interstate transportation of stolen property, offenses that carry a total maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, said the report.

The reported lesser charge is "unacceptable" to the Chinese people, and even  irritates many Chinese netizens who slam the potential penalty as too lenient.

"Terracotta warriors are a priceless world heritage not only for the Chinese but also for all humanity. How could the US institute allow a visitor get so close that they were able to touch the cultural relics? They need stricter protection measures," one netizen commented on Sina Weibo.

Media reported that a total of 10 terracotta figures were part of the loan to the Franklin Institute, each insured for $4.5 million. Chinese experts said that the damaged cavalryman statue dated back to the 3rd century BC and was made for the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang. 

The terracotta warriors discovered at the emperor's tomb are known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World," and have become a symbol of Chinese culture worldwide.

The owner of the exhibits, the Shaanxi Cultural Relics Exchange Center in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province once issued a statement that noted such a vicious incident had never occurred in the more than 260 exhibitions held overseas over the past four decades. 

The center said that it would further initiate investigations focusing on civil liability according to the law, and make economic claims in accordance with the exhibition agreement, demanding that the US party severely punish the perpetrators, CCTV reported.

"Obviously, the Franklin Institute did not pay enough attention to relevant protection obligations, which had violated the contract clauses under the loan agreement between the two parties," Huo Zhengxin, a law professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Friday.

The expert pointed out that the Chinese party can initiate a subsequent procedure by demanding compensation from the US side bearing the corresponding civil liability according to the loan agreement.

Indeed, the crime committed by the US man was greatly disrespectful toward the cultural relics. The terracotta warriors, the priceless treasure to all humanity, require a high level of protection. 

This rare but vicious incident has threatened the trust and credibility of cultural exchanges between countries and shows the weak security system of museums in the West.

According to reports, the terracotta figures had only been surrounded by ropes, so tourists could observe the cultural relics at a closer look, which also gave the Rohana a chance to touch the statue and break off its thumb.

Museums from different countries need to increase exchanges and learn from each other in the protection of cultural relics. When museums display cultural relics, staff members should use transparent covers made of special glass to separate them from tourists, rather than simple ropes.

Besides, when arranging exhibitions overseas in the future, the exhibition agreement should be more specific in detailing security requirements. 

During the exhibition period, the other party should take sufficient measures in terms of security to prevent similar incidents from happening again. If it happens, the Chinese side needs to stipulate stricter civil compensation liability.