NEW YORK: The United States has returned 30 looted antiquities back to Cambodia. The statues and artefacts range in age from the bronze age to the 12th century, and are of extraordinary cultural value to the Cambodian people. An official handover ceremony for the repatriation of the Cambodian cultural artefacts was held in New York on Monday, 8 August.

At the ceremony, a curated sampling of the returned artworks were presented, including the “Skanda on a Peacock” statue that once stood at the archaeological site of Koh Ker. Another piece being returned is a 10th century sculpture of the Hindu god Ganesha, which the Antiquities Coalition has listed as one of the top 10 most wanted looted antiquities in the world.

The Ganesha was traced back to a private American collector who agreed to relinquish it, along with a number of other Khmer artworks, upon being approached by the government. Since the Ganesha statue weighs over three tons and is difficult to transport, it was only presented at the handover ceremony in picture form.

Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said that all 30 antiquities were looted from various archaeological sites in Cambodia during a long period of civil war and instability. The artefacts were looted and sent to well-known British antiquities dealer, Douglas Latchford, who then sold them to Western dealers, collectors and institutions.

Following many years of investigation, in 2019, Latchford was finally indicted for his role in the decades-long scheme to sell stolen Cambodian art in the Western market. While Latchford died before he could be extradited to the U.S. to face justice, the investigation into the looted artefacts is still ongoing.

The Cambodian Ambassador to the United States, Keo Chhea, remarked that the return of these 30 artefacts to Cambodia is like “returning the souls of our culture back to our peoples,” and also proves the fruitful results of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Royal Government of Cambodia and the Government of the United States on combatting and recovering antiquities that have been stolen. While they cheer the good results of the two nations’ cooperation, the Ambassador added that there are still several challenges that both sides must overcome to continue the fight to protect Cambodia’s cultural heritage.

“We know that this problem goes much further, deeper, than the activity of one man, it is a global problem that involves wealthy collectors, private dealers and gallery owners, and even some of the world’s most prestigious places,” he said.

The Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, Phoeurng Sackona, joined the handover ceremony through a recorded video message, where she said that Cambodia is thrilled to welcome back such precious treasures, and noted that this repatriation was only made possible thanks to the joint efforts and cooperation between the governments of Cambodia and the United States.

Moreover, she said the continued success is “owing to the win-win policy under Prime Minister Hun Sen, that has brought peace and political stability in Cambodia, opening an opportunity for the return of the souls of Cambodian ancestors, which have illegally departed from the motherland during a period of war and turmoil.”

She thanked the U.S. Attorney Office for the Southern District of New York, the U.S. Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia, the Cambodian Embassy in Washington D.C., relevant ministries and the team from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, particularly Bradley Gordon and Steven Heimberg, for working towards the return of these priceless artefacts. She also thanked the Johnson family for providing logistics and storage support for the return of the national treasures, in honor of Elizabeth Johnson, founder of Sovann Komar orphanage.

As part of a global call for action, all museums, private collectors and other individuals are urged to come forward if they believe they have any illegally obtained Cambodian antiquities, to voluntarily relinquish them for their repatriation back to their rightful home, Cambodia. The return of these stolen artefacts contributes to restoring Cambodia’s cultural heritage for the benefit of all people, but particularly for Cambodian youth, who can learn and regain invaluable knowledge about culture and identity.