US returns looted cultural artifacts to Cambodia

Written by Jacqui Palumbo, CNN

New York officials have returned 30 cultural artifacts to Cambodia, including a 10th-century Khmer sculptural “masterpiece,” after the items were illegally sold to private collectors and a US museum.

The antiquities, which had been taken from temples and archeological sites during periods of civil conflict in the country, entered the international art market via an “organized looting network,” according to the US Department of Justice.

On Monday, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York hosted a repatriation ceremony for the works, with Cambodia’s ambassador to the US, Keo Chhea, in attendance.

The 10th-century sandstone statue “Skanda on a Peacock” was among 30 items returned to Cambodia. Credit: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

“These statues and artifacts, which range in age from the bronze age to the 12th century, are of extraordinary cultural value to the Cambodian people and we are delighted to be sending them home today,” said prosecutor…

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