PHNOM PENH: Following years of discussions, the Metropolitan Museum of New York (the Met) has decided to return 14 stolen cultural treasures to Cambodia, the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia stated on Saturday.
Several masterpieces, including a stunning 10th-century sculpture of the goddess Uma from the ancient royal capital of Koh Ker, a bronze head of Avalokiteshvara dating back to the 10th century with a corresponding torso at the National Museum of Cambodia, and a Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara sculpture from the 10th to 11th century, are part of the repatriation.
The statement emphasized the significance of these artifacts’ return, stating that it is crucial for Cambodia and humanity. Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona highlighted the importance of the Met relinquishing these items.
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She said, “The enormous importance to the Cambodian people of these returns is difficult to overstate. We also hope many more treasures at the Met will be returned to Cambodia.”
The minister emphasized that this repatriation underscores Cambodia’s ongoing dedication to locating and repatriating the ancestral artifacts that have departed from its homeland. Sackona also urged other museums and private collectors to follow suit by returning any looted collections of Cambodian antiquities in their possession.
“These returns contribute to the reconciliation and healing of the Cambodian people who went through decades of civil war,” she said. “We look forward to further returns and acknowledgments of the truth regarding our lost national treasures.” —Xinhua/APP
