The Malta Independent Tuesday 17th April
Trapping hides built while nearby Mnajdra crumbles down
Government wakes up: too late
Only now will Malta's priceless heritage be guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Damage is four times that wrought by the storms
As the whole country woke up to the shocking news that the prehistoric and unique Mnajdra temples had been severely vandalised, people just 20 metres away from the temples were busy constructing small huts to use when hunting and trapping.
Despite all the talk of security now that the damage has been done, on Easter Sunday at least three people were seen working on a small hut, unloading bricks from a van as if nothing had happened.
This is a sorry state of affairs for this world heritage site.
The Planning Authority had served around 20 stop notices to hunters to demolish the illegally constructed huts just days before the barbaric, senseless vandalism took place.
The stop notices were served personally to the hunters who use the fields close to the temple as this is considered a conservation zone by the Planning Authority.
Sources told The Malta Independent they have come to the conclusion that was no practical joke; the signs of the cross drawn by the vandals with a stone were put there as a red herring, but in reality the destruction wrought on Good Friday was no Satanic Black Mass, but an answer in kind to the Planning Authority threat to dismantle the hides.
The damage to the Mnajdra temples is incalculable. The architect responsible for the restoration works in the 1990s after the temple had been damaged by the weather said the extent of the damage this time was four times as bad.
Alex Torpiano said work will start as soon as possible but it was difficult to say when it would be reopened to the public.
"Around six people will reconstruct the damaged parts of the temple. There are broken stones which will make the restoration work harder and we still have to see how to best tackle this problem."
Culture Minister Louis Galea yesterday announced that as from now, Malta's cultural heritage will be guarded by the police and the Armed Forces of Malta 24 hours a day, seven days a week until a network of security personnel is set up with the aim of monitoring Malta's national heritage.
But it is useless crying over spilt milk, as the President of Malta Guido de Marco said when he visited the temples yesterday afternoon.
The law is pitifully inadequate. When they are caught, if they are caught, the culprits of this savage act will only get a maximum sentence of six months in jail.
While security at the temple had been stepped up in recent years, this was clearly not enough as the latest act of vandalism has shown.
Access to the fields just off the Hagar Qim and Mnajdra temples by car is very easy even though the minister speaks of problems of accessibility related to the security of the place.
When the President visited the temple yesterday, the extent of the damage was instantly visible. At Mnajdra the President said that the crime was one against civilisation. He said that the Maltese citizens were angry and shocked with what had happened.
The place is ravaged and is now the shame of a nation. This is not the first time that these temples, once places of worship, have been desecrated.
Maybe, as Dr Galea said yesterday, with hindsight one could easily say that this could have been predicted.
The Prime Minister, who is currently on holiday, has been briefed and is being consulted regularly. He has insisted that he be given regular updates.
Last Saturday, the AFM, police and Museums Department had a meeting to coordinate the security of the cultural heritage sites.
The Museums Department has also started work to ensure the Mnajdra temples are lit up and technical provisions are made for security at Mnajdra and other sites which are easily accessible to the public.
Meanwhile, the government will step up its work on a bill which will replace the archaic Antiques Act, which was enacted around 75 years ago.
"I hope to present the bill to Cabinet in the coming days so that it can be discussed in parliament either before the summer recess or when parliament reconvenes after summer," Dr Galea said.
The minister said that the case was serious, and the police were considering it one of the most serious criminal offences against the state in modern history.
He said no possible theory was being dismissed by the police, but added that he was of the opinion that this could be in retaliation to an administrative decision taken recently by the government. It could also be related to other aspects of security in the country, he said.
Dr Galea said the temples had been given priority by the ministry in 1999, to the extent that seminars had been organised. These had made their recommendations to protect the temples. A report was made and this was presented to Cabinet.
The minister said that Cabinet had agreed to proceed and offer temporary protection by putting up a tent to protect the temples against the elements, besides creating a centre for visitors with full facilities.
In the budget, the government had also voted Lm400,000 to start the work on these temples.
The irony of it all is that a sign greets visitors to Mnajdra Temple, reading: "In October 1996, Mnajdra Temples were defaced by vandals. Although various methods were attempted to remove this graffiti, none proved 100 per cent effective. We apologise for this regrettable incident and hope your visit is not excessively impaired."
One wonders what the sign will say in future, when the temples are hopefully restored.
Reactions
The Maltese National Committee of the International Council of Monuments and Sites condemned the willful destruction of the Mnajdra Temples.
It called this work not the work of vandals, but of persons, who for reasons of their own, wanted to destroy the rich cultural heritage of Malta and wanted to harm the image of the country.
ICOMOS chairman Ray Bondin said the council was calling on the authorities to take immediate action, and particularly, to install a security system for the most important heritage locations, especially those recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage sites.
The committee has offered its assistance to Culture Minister Louis Galea to help solve the pending problems. It has also requested an urgent meeting with the minister to discuss the matter further.
Mr Bondin said that they were urging the authorities to go beyond immediate action to minimise the damage done by trying to restore as much as possible.
These archaeological sites are in urgent need of a management plan, something that the country is duty-bound to do within the terms of its commitment to UNESCO. This is a matter of utmost importance.
The committee called on the army and the police to take a far more active part in the protection of our cultural heritage, especially in areas which are remote and difficult to control with normal security measures.
The Malta Historical Society condemned the destruction caused to the prehistoric site last Friday.
The society called for a concerted effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. It also called for the necessary steps to be taken to ensure the protection of Maltese cultural heritage monuments and sites.
The Grupp Arkeologiku Malti also condemned the vandalism. It said that the consequences are profound and far-reaching.
The pitiful state of the temple allows no place for verbal rhetoric. The group called on the minister to live up to what he represents. "The museum authorities should ensure adequate protection to what has been entrusted to them."
It called for the creation of an archaeological park around Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.
The Malta Chamber of Commerce also condemned the vandalism.
Such acts, the Chamber said, only highlight the lack of awareness and appreciation of the nation's heritage. "This vandalism, the exhibits reported missing from the Museum of Fine Arts, and the precarious situation at St John's Cathedral all emphasise the extreme vulnerability of the nation's historical, archaeological and cultural wealth."
The chamber urges the authorities to take all necessary action to ensure that such acts do not repeat themselves, and that the laws are updated to contemplate severe penalties for violations.
The chamber also strongly recommends that the Ministry of Education takes the initiative to instill pride, ownership and responsibility for our world heritage class monuments by embarking on a serious and consistent educational campaign at all levels of primary and secondary education.
Ivan Brincat
© Standard Publications 2001
|
