Little Public Support for Renewed MOU with Cambodia

There was a poor public response to the call for comments to CPAC for the renewal of the MOU with corrupt Cambodia. This suggests low public support for this idea. As Peter Tompa points out:

Indeed, though most of the twenty-one (21) comments were supportive of the renewed MOU, virtually all these came from archaeologists who depend on Cambodian excavation permits or their associated archaeological advocacy groups. Meanwhile, it is finally dawning on some in Congress that MOUs have devolved into special interest programs for archaeologists. Significantly, Congressional appropriators have required CPAC to report on the expenditures of MOU partner countries make in securing their own cultural patrimony. Hopefully, this will help change a culture that has vilified collectors to help divert attention away from poor stewardship of archaeological resources by source countries.