Cambodia welcomes the return of centuries-old artefacts taken from a notorious smuggling network

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA — PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — Cambodian officials on Friday welcomed more than six dozen centuries-old artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage looted during decades of war and instability.

At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Han Moni, 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after returning from the United Kingdom. The artefacts were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, an art collector and dealer accused of smuggling the items out of Cambodia.

“This substantial return represents the most important return to Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major returns in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” a statement from the Ministry of Culture said. “This marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s ongoing efforts to recover, preserve and restore its ancestral heritage for future generations.”

Artifacts are described from the pre-Ankorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant religious objects”. The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s largest tourist attraction.

Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who orchestrated a long-term plan to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.

From the 1970s to 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the brutal rule of the communist Khmer Rouge, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers and institutions. These fragments are often physically damaged after looters have torn down temple walls or other structures.

In 2019, Latchford was indicted in New York federal court on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy, although he died in 2020 at the age of 88, before he could be extradited to face the charges.

Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades to return art and archaeological treasures taken from their homelands. These include ancient Asian artifacts and pieces lost or stolen during the turmoil in places like Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is one of the leading institutions returning illegally smuggled art, including from Cambodia.

“Ancient works of art created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and happiness as the country returns to peace,” said Han Manet, younger brother of Prime Minister Han Manet.