PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) – Centuries-old cultural objects illegally smuggled out of Cambodia were welcomed at a celebration on Friday led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, who thanked them for their return and called for further efforts to recover those stolen Retrieving Items Treasures.
Many, if not all, of the items on display at government offices on Friday had been looted from Cambodia during times of war and instability, including during the 1970s when the country was under the brutal rule of the communist Khmer Rouge. Through unscrupulous art dealers, they ended up in the hands of private collectors and museums around the world.
A statement from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts described the returned artifacts as “priceless cultural heritage and the souls of generations of Khmer ancestors”.
The statement credited the return of the items to the “enormous cooperation and support” of public and private institutions, national and international experts, and close ties with other countries through bilateral, multilateral and international institutions, including UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency.
It also highlighted the cooperation between the Cambodian and US governments. Many of the items returned so far are from the United States.
Items returned included important Hindu and Buddhist statues, as well as ancient jewelry from the once powerful Angkor Empire.
In February, a spectacular jewelry collection from the estate of antiques collector and dealer Douglas Latchford, who was accused of buying and selling looted artifacts, was returned to Cambodia. Among the 77 pieces of jewelry were crowns, necklaces, bracelets, belts, earrings and amulets. US prosecutors charged him in 2019 with alleged trafficking in stolen and looted Cambodian antiques. Latchford, who died in 2020, had denied any involvement in the smuggling.
Speaking to an invited audience that included US Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy, Hun Sen said some Cambodian sculptures are still missing and kept abroad, and he asked for their return in a spirit of goodwill. He said his government is determined to use all means at its disposal to secure these stolen artifacts, including negotiations and legal action.
“The United States joins the Cambodians in celebrating the return of looted artifacts to their rightful homes in the Kingdom,” the U.S. embassy said in a statement.
“(Asterisk) For 20 years, the United States has worked to protect, preserve and honor Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage with local partners, American academic institutions and nonprofit organizations,” it said. “Through a longstanding US-Cambodia heritage agreement, the United States has facilitated the return of over 100 priceless antiques.”
Source : news.yahoo.com