NEW YORK, U.S., August 9, 2020 (Huff Post): Cambodia’s ambassador to the United States said Monday that the transfer of 30 antiquities by U.S. law enforcement authorities to his country was a return of the “souls of our culture.” Ambassador Keo Chhea spoke at a ceremony where a 10th century sculpture, Skanda on a Peacock, was among several works of art displayed as U.S. and Cambodian officials described the impact the return of 30 antiquities would have on the Southeast Asian nation. Chhea praised the cooperation between the U.S. and Cambodia to enable the return of the antiquities, but he also said they were battling a “global problem” that continues.
Some sculptures, including one from the 10th century depicting the Hindu elephant God Ganesha that weighs more than 3 tons, were too heavy to be brought to the ceremony, according to the U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. The sculptures were looted during a long period of civil war and instability in Cambodia, which was ruled by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Williams said some of the sandstone and bronze sculptures and artifacts were given up by their owners when U.S. authorities told them they were stolen. Others were claimed through court actions. They ranged from the Bronze Age to the 12th century.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/looted-cambodian-antiquities-returned_n_62f236d3e4b0acf9d001a704