'Soul of our ancestors': US to return stolen Cambodian treasures

A prestigious US museum will hand back more than a dozen valuable antiquities to Cambodia, a prosecutor said on Friday, after they were plundered and illegally trafficked into the institution's collection.

They were originally stolen by prolific antiquities trafficker Douglas Latchford who in 2019 was charged with operating a major network that stole treasures from Southeast Asia.

A priceless 10th century goddess sandstone statute and a larger-than-life Buddha head from the 7th century are among the items being returned.

Prosecutors said 13 Khmer antiquities were being returned, but the Met Museum, where they were displayed, said separately 14 sculptures would be returned to Cambodia, and two to Thailand.

"The Met has voluntarily agreed to return the antiquities, and they are in the process of being turned over," said the office of Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Latchford was charged with "orchestrating a multi-year scheme to sell looted Cambodian antiquities on the international art market," the office said.

The indictment was later dismissed due to Latchford's death.

"Following (Latchford's) indictment, the Met proactively reached out to (prosecutors) and to Cambodian officials, and through this cooperative partnership, the Museum received new information about the sculptures that made it clear that the works should be transferred," the Met said.

"A number of the sculptures -- including the bronze masterpiece the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara Seated in Royal Ease (late 10th-early 11th century), and the monumental stone Head of Buddha (7th century) -- will remain on view in the museum's galleries for South Asian art while arrangements are made for their return to their countries of origin."

- New York trafficking hub -

The Met recently announced it would take steps to better respect cultural property including a review of its inventory.

"They are very important items, that's why we are demanding them back. They are all our ancient artifacts. They are dated back to Angkorian era," Cambodian culture ministry spokesperson Hab Touch told AFP ahead of Friday's announcement.

"They are very good items, ancient items that are the soul of our ancestors."

The works to be returned were stolen at the end of the 20th century, during the wars in Cambodia in the 1970s and during its 1990s reopening to the outside world.

Thousands of statues and sculptures were trafficked internationally over decades from Cambodia to antique dealers in Bangkok, Thailand, before being illegally exported to collectors, businessmen and museums in Asia, Europe and the United States.

Over the past two years, more than 1,000 pieces worth $225 million have been returned to more than 20 countries, including Cambodia, China, India, Egypt, Greece and Italy, officials say.

New York is a trafficking hub, and several antiquities have been seized since 2021 from museums including the respected Met, and from wealthy private collectors in Manhattan.