In a peaceful protest, members from the Federation of Chinese Social Organizations in Hungary, Fujian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary, and Chinese living in Hungary urged the Dutch government to "take proper actions" to bring about the return of the allegedly stolen 1,000-year-old mummified Buddha.

(From left to right) Chinese delegates Lai Shuilian, Chen Yueping, Fu Bin, Liu Wenjian, Li Zhen, You Dengta, Wu Liujin and Lin Guozhang appeal for the return of the mummified Buddha in front of the Dutch Embassy in Hungary on April 13. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

A letter of appeal, penned by the Federation of Chinese Social Organizations in Hungary, was read out loud in front of the Dutch Embassy in Hungary on April 13. A banner with messages written in Chinese, English, Dutch and Hungarian was also displayed expressing hope for the return of the Patriarch of Zhanggong to China as soon as possible.

The appeal said it believes that the collector who purchased the statue did not know that it was stolen from China, however laws governing the return of stolen cultural relics still apply.

"The Chinese ownership cannot be changed, no matter what commercial deals were concluded, which were themselves illegal. And we don't believe the authorities of a state could be completely indifferent and powerless when faced with the call of eagerly awaiting people with irrefutable evidence of the facts," the appeal read.

"We hereby strongly appeal to and place high hope in the Government and its institutions of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the only authorities with judicial jurisdiction to take responsible efforts and proper actions leading to the final and fair resolution of the issue, based on legal property and humanistic concerns, that is, to return the stolen statue to his intrinsic home and place of worship in China," the appeal read.