PHNOM PENH — Cambodia on Thursday welcomed the return of a batch of trafficked Buddhist and Hindu statues from collectors and museums in the United States.
In recent years, the Southeast Asian kingdom has worked closely with US officials to secure the return of hundreds of precious cultural artifacts, many of them stolen and exported illegally.
WELCOME BACK Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet (foreground, left) offers flowers to one of 70 Khmer cultural artifacts repatriated to the country during a ceremony at the Peace Palace in the capital Phnom Penh on Aug. 22, 2024. EPA PHOTO