[Tlc] Fw: [Vsg] Fw: [Aaup] UW Guest Speaker Dies at SeaTac Detention Center

Fri May 16 07:18:50 PDT 2008

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Philippe Peycam" <phpey at hotmail.com>
To: <vsg at u.washington.edu>; <info at khmerceramics.com>
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 4:21 AM
Subject: RE: [Vsg] Fw: [Aaup] UW Guest Speaker Dies at SeaTac Detention 
Center

Dear all,

I want to join both the TLC and VSG lists, to pay my respects to Dr. Roxanna 
Brown. I only recently met her at our last conference on Ancient Khmer 
Ceramics which was held in December in Siem Reap. Her intellectual 
contribution was inspirational. She was a true historian, I could tell.
But I also want to point out another aspect of her activities not mentioned 
yet: her dedication to helping courageous efforts in Cambodia and Thailand 
to revive ancient ceramic making techniques. These initiatives receive very 
little publicity, and this is why CKS and Heritage Watch, together with the 
newly created National Center for Khmer Ceramic Revival, here in Siem Reap, 
approached Roxanna to help us organize this unusual conference where 
scholars and potters joined together to share knowledge and experiences. She 
did so wholeheartedly, and I know how much she was helping Serges Rega, the 
director of NCKCR in his courageous efforts. She was already on the advisory 
committee for our next conference, which is planned for December this year. 
This in itself, is a proof that Roxanna was not interested in smuggling 
ancient ceramics. On the contrary, she wanted to help local people 
rediscover ancient techniques as a new, viable alternative to earn a living, 
and a deterrent against looting and trading ancient pieces.

Philippe Peycam

Center for Khmer Studies

----------------------------------------
> Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 14:48:45 -0400
> From: hhtai at fas.harvard.edu
> To: judithh at u.washington.edu; vsg at u.washington.edu
> Subject: Re: [Vsg] Fw: [Aaup] UW Guest Speaker Dies at SeaTac Detention 
> Center
> CC:
>
> I did not know Roxanna Brown personally but very much appreciated her
> willingness to share her knowledge through VSG and other venues.  Beyond
> this, I fully support David del Testa's suggestion that there should be
> an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death while in
> custody.
>
> Sign me up for the petition.  Thanks.
>
> Hue-Tam Ho Tai
>
> On 5/15/2008 13:55, Judith Henchy wrote:
> > Dear List,
> >
> > I am taking the liberty of forwarding part of a message that Shawn
> > McHale sent out to the Thailand/Laos/Cambodia list (I know he's in VN
> > and may have limited email access), expressing his concerns about
> > Roxanna Brown's death and the circumstances of her arrest.  Shawn
> > suggests in his message that TLC scholars sign a petition to Michael
> > Paschal, Executive Director of AAS, requesting that AAS take up this
> > matter and insist on a full inquiry into her death.  Justin McDaniel,
> > Chair of the TLC Country Group and I are hoping that scholars of Viet
> > Nam who are familiar with her work will join in this effort, since she
> > was known and respected for her work throughout Southeast Asia.  I am
> > copying Justin on this message.  Please let him know if you would be
> > interested in participating.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Judith Henchy
> > VSG List Administrator
> >
> > ---------
> > Dear list,
> >
> > This news, plus the news that Roxana Brown died in a Seattle prison,
> > are an outrage.
> >
> > I did not  know Roxanna Brown at all. And one should perhaps not jump
> > to conclusions that individuals must be innocent.[... but it is my]
> > knowledge of the US Justice system and its use of conspiracy statutes
> > that make me highly suspicious of it.
> >
> > It is telling that one of the stories on the arrest said the
> > following:  "An affidavit filed in the case said the gallery's owners,
> > Jonathan and Cari Markell, used Brown's electronic signature several
> > times to falsify appraisal forms. In one case, an appraisal for items
> > to be donated to the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena claims Brown had
> > inspected the items.
> >
> > The couple have not been charged. They have previously declined to
> > comment about the investigation to The Associated Press. Jonathan
> > Markell did not immediately respond to an e-mail sent to him Monday."
> >
> > This, and other information suggests that the government was putting
> > forth a case based on conspiracy statutes (conspiracy to commit wire
> > fraud, conspiracy to defraud). Conspiracy statutes allow one to pull
> > in a wide range of individuals, from the inadvertently involved (e.g.
> > a person driving a car who transports drugs unwittingly) to the
> > kingpins. The government then tries to get individals to inform on one
> > another as part of a plea bargain. Some of them lie through their teeth.
> >
> > If Roxanna Brown allowed her electronic signature to be set up on as
> > computer at a gallery, and if the gallery owner then abused this
> > trust  used the signature, Roxana Brown  would be liable. And could be
> > charged.  In other words, one does not have to commit wire fraud
> > oneself to be charged with it.
> >
> > May I suggest that the leadership of the TLC group ask Michael Paschal
> > and the leadership of the Association of Asian Studies to press for an
> > excplanation of the death of this scholar?
> >
> > Sincerely,
> >
> >
> >
> > Shawn McHale
> > Associate Professor of History and International Affairs
> > George Washington University
> > Washington, DC 20052 USA
> > (on leave, 2007-08, at Vietnam National University --
> > Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Philip Taylor"
> > <philip.taylor at anu.edu.au>
> > To: "Vietnam Studies Group" <vsg at u.washington.edu>
> > Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2008 3:37 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Vsg] Fw: [Aaup] UW Guest Speaker Dies at SeaTac
> > Detention Center
> >
> >
> >> Roxanna M. Brown will be mourned by many on this list. In addition to
> >> acting as Director of the Southeast Asian Ceramics Museum, in
> >> Bangkok, she
> >> edited the beautifully illustrated and informative Southeast Asian
> >> Ceramics Museum Newsletter, to which several members of this list have
> >> contributed opinions and articles. The newsletter first appeared in
> >> 2004,
> >> before the museum opened. Its goals were to keep readers 'up-to-date on
> >> new developments in the study of ceramics, both indigenous and 
> >> imported,
> >> in Southeast Asia.' The latest issue, Vol 5, no. 2, appeared in
> >> March-April this year. May it not be the last.
> >>
> >> Here is the URL for the newsletter: http://museum.bu.ac.th/March08.pdf
> >>
> >> Roxanna was also a subscriber to VSG, posting as recently as December
> >> last
> >> year, when she urged a representative of the new television channel
> >> VTV8,
> >> who was soliciting our ideas for programs, to cover the very active
> >> archaeological scene in Vietnam.
> >>
> >> Farewell to this list member and pioneer in Southeast Asian ceramics
> >> scholarship.
> >>
> >> Philip
> >>
> >>> This is very tragic indeed. She was a very respected
> >>> scholar of Southeast Asian Ceramics.
> >>>
> >>> Nora
> >>>
> >>> --- Judith Henchy <judithh at u.washington.edu> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> Some of you may have been aware of Roxanna Brown's
> >>>> work on Southeast Asian
> >>>> ceramics.  Here is some sad news of a tragedy that
> >>>> unfolded over the weekend
> >>>> here is Seattle.
> >>>>
> >>>> Judith
> >>>>
> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: "Galya Diment" <galya at u.washington.edu>
> >>>> To: <aaup at u.washington.edu>
> >>>> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 12:21 PM
> >>>> Subject: [Aaup] UW Guest Speaker Dies at SeaTac
> >>>> Detention Center
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Museum director in antiquities probe dies in
> >>>> federal custody
> >>>> >
> >>>> > By Mike Carter
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Seattle Times staff reporter
> >>>> >
> >>>> > A renowned Asian antiquities expert, indicted in
> >>>> Los Angeles in connection
> >>>> > with a federal investigation into illegal
> >>>> trafficking of pilfered
> >>>> > Southeast Asian art, has died in custody at the
> >>>> Federal Detention Center
> >>>> > in SeaTac.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Roxanna Brown, the director of the Southeast Asian
> >>>> Ceramics Museum at
> >>>> > Bangkok University in Thailand, was found dead
> >>>> around 2:30 a.m., said FDC
> >>>> > spokeswoman Maggie Ogden.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Brown was arrested at her hotel last Friday as she
> >>>> prepared to have dinner
> >>>> > with colleagues from the University of Washington,
> >>>> where she was scheduled
> >>>> > to speak Saturday, according to news reports.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Ogden said the cause of Brown's death is under
> >>>> investigation. Brown had
> >>>> > complained of being ill after her arrest and her
> >>>> scheduled appearance
> >>>> > before a U.S. magistrate Monday was postponed
> >>>> because she didn't feel
> >>>> > well. Emily Langlie, the spokeswoman for the U.S.
> >>>> attorney's office in
> >>>> > Seattle, said Brown was able to appear in court
> >>>> Tuesday and that her
> >>>> > extradition to Los Angeles to answer the charges
> >>>> was pending.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Johns, the Los
> >>>> Angeles prosecutor heading
> >>>> > the illegal antiquities investigation, said Brown
> >>>> was "one of many
> >>>> > targets" of the probe. He declined to say how her
> >>>> death would affect the
> >>>> > investigation.
> >>>> >
> >>>> > Brown, 62, who lived in Bangkok, was indicted on a
> >>>> single count of wire
> >>>> > fraud for allegedly allowing her electronic
> >>>> signature to be used on
> >>>> > appraisal forms of items donated to museums. Those
> >>>> appraisals, according
> >>>> > to court documents, were inflated so that the
> >>>> donors could claim
> >>>> > fraudulent tax deductions.
> >>>> >
> >>>> >
> >>>> > _______________________________________________
> >>>> > Aaup mailing list
> >>>> > Aaup at u.washington.edu
> >>>> >
> >>>>
> >>> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/aaup
> >>>> >
> >>>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________
> >>>> Vsg mailing list
> >>>> Vsg at u.washington.edu
> >>>>
> >>> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/vsg
> >>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Nora Annesley Taylor,PhD
> >>> Alsdorf Professor of South and Southeast Asian Art
> >>> School of the Art Institute of Chicago
> >>> Curator
> >>> "Changing Identity: Recent Works by Women Artists from Vietnam"
> >>> www.artsandartists.org
> >>> Tel: 312 345 3757
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Vsg mailing list
> >>> Vsg at u.washington.edu
> >>> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/vsg
> >>>
> >>
> >>
> >> -- 
> >> Dr Philip Taylor
> >> Department of Anthropology
> >> Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
> >> Australian National University
> >> Canberra, ACT, 0200
> >> Ph. 61-2-61252300
> >> Email: philip.taylor at anu.edu.au
> >> http://rspas.anu.edu.au/people/personal/taylp_ant.php
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Vsg mailing list
> >> Vsg at u.washington.edu
> >> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/vsg
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Vsg mailing list
> > Vsg at u.washington.edu
> > http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/vsg
> _______________________________________________
> Vsg mailing list
> Vsg at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/vsg

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