20 Looted Antiquities Returned To Cambodia From Asian Private Collection

PHNOM PENH, April 7 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- Twenty looted Cambodian cultural objects have been repatriated from a private collection in Asia, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said in a press release on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

The returned collection features a diverse array of sandstone sculptures and bronze works made between the 11th and 13th centuries.

"The highlights include exceptional statues from the Bayon period, believed to originate from the historic site of Angkor Thom," the press release said.

"These artefacts are more than art; they are 'living witnesses' to the spiritual heart of Khmer civilisation and the genius of its ancestors," it added.

The press release said this restitution marked another important milestone in Cambodia's ongoing mission to reclaim and restore its ancestral heritage for future generations.

According to the press release, these cultural properties were looted from Cambodia during times of conflict decades ago.  

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA