Cambodia Celebrates Return of ‘Priceless’ Stolen Artifacts

This handout photo taken and released by Cambodia's Government Cabinet on March 17, 2023 shows Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Art Phoeurng Sackona (2L) looking at jewelry during a ceremony held to unveil a collection of stolen Angkorian artifacts at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. (Kok KY / Cambodia's Government Cabinet / AFP)
This handout photo taken and released by Cambodia's Government Cabinet on March 17, 2023 shows Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Art Phoeurng Sackona (2L) looking at jewelry during a ceremony held to unveil a collection of stolen Angkorian artifacts at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. (Kok KY / Cambodia's Government Cabinet / AFP)
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Cambodia Celebrates Return of ‘Priceless’ Stolen Artifacts

This handout photo taken and released by Cambodia's Government Cabinet on March 17, 2023 shows Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Art Phoeurng Sackona (2L) looking at jewelry during a ceremony held to unveil a collection of stolen Angkorian artifacts at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. (Kok KY / Cambodia's Government Cabinet / AFP)
This handout photo taken and released by Cambodia's Government Cabinet on March 17, 2023 shows Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Art Phoeurng Sackona (2L) looking at jewelry during a ceremony held to unveil a collection of stolen Angkorian artifacts at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh. (Kok KY / Cambodia's Government Cabinet / AFP)

Centuries-old cultural artifacts that had been illegally smuggled out from Cambodia were welcomed home Friday at a celebration led by Prime Minister Hun Sen, who offered thanks for their return and appealed for further efforts to retrieve such stolen treasures.

Many, if not all, of the items displayed at the government’s offices Friday had been looted from Cambodia during periods of war and instability, including in the 1970s when the country was under the brutal rule of the communist Khmer Rouge. Through unscrupulous art dealers, they made their way into the hands of private collectors and museums around the world.

A statement from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts described the returned artifacts as embodying the “priceless cultural heritage and the souls of generations of Khmer ancestors.”

The statement credited the items’ return to “tremendous cooperation and support” from public and private institutions, national and international experts, and close relations with other countries through bilateral, multi-lateral and international institutions, including UNESCO, the UN Cultural Agency.

It also singled out cooperation between the Cambodian and US governments. Many of the items returned so far have come from the United States.

The returned items included important Hindu and Buddhist statues, as well as ancient jewelry from the once-mighty empire of Angkor.

In February, a spectacular collection of jewelry was returned to Cambodia from the estate of antiquities collector and dealer Douglas Latchford, who was accused of buying and selling looted artifacts. The 77 pieces of jewelry included crowns, necklaces, bracelets, belts, earrings and amulets. US prosecutors in 2019 indicted him on charges related to alleged trafficking in stolen and looted Cambodian antiquities. Latchford, who died in 2020, had denied any involvement in smuggling.

In remarks to an invited audience that included US Ambassador W. Patrick Murphy, Hun Sen said that some Cambodian sculptures are still missing and held in foreign countries, and he appealed for their return in the spirit of goodwill. He said his government is determined to use all means at its disposal to secure those stolen artifacts, including negotiations and legal action.

“The United States joins Cambodians in celebrating the return of looted artifacts back to their rightful home in the Kingdom,” said a statement from the US Embassy.

“(asterisk)For 20 years the United States has worked to protect, preserve, and honor Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage with local partners, American academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations," it said. “Through a long-standing US-Cambodia cultural property agreement, the United States has facilitated the return of over 100 priceless antiquities.”



Record Heatwave Blasts Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam is sweltering under a blistering heatwave, with 17 places across seven provinces reporting record highs for the month of August. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
Northern Vietnam is sweltering under a blistering heatwave, with 17 places across seven provinces reporting record highs for the month of August. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
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Record Heatwave Blasts Northern Vietnam

Northern Vietnam is sweltering under a blistering heatwave, with 17 places across seven provinces reporting record highs for the month of August. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
Northern Vietnam is sweltering under a blistering heatwave, with 17 places across seven provinces reporting record highs for the month of August. Nhac NGUYEN / AFP

Northern Vietnam is sweltering under a blistering heatwave, with 17 places across seven provinces reporting record highs for the month of August and electricity demand spiking as people try to stay cool, authorities said Tuesday.

Temperatures peaked on Sunday and Monday across the densely populated Red River Delta region, a hugely important industrial and agricultural area, with the capital Hanoi experiencing its first-ever August day above 40C, AFP reported.

While Vietnam experiences hot weather every year, scientists say human-driven climate change is causing more intense weather patterns, including higher temperatures.

The normally bustling streets of Hanoi were quieter on Tuesday as locals hid from the burning heat.

Flower seller Ngo Thu Thuy told AFP of her exhaustion from riding her flower bike in the heat.

"I earn less as no one bothers to buy flowers in this heat. I still have to try my best to earn my living" said Thuy, 38, covered from head to toe to protect herself from the sun.

A construction worker who identified himself as Nam said "too many buildings and vehicles" has turned Hanoi into "a pan on fire" over the past two days.

Records set in past heatwaves in 2021 and 2024 were broken at 17 weather stations around the north, though rain forecast for Tuesday evening is expected to bring cooler temperatures.

One weather station in downtown Hanoi recorded a high of 40.3C, beating the city's previous August record of 39.8C set in 2021.

Outside Hanoi, stations in the provinces of Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang, Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Haiphong and Ninh Binh all reported record August highs.

"The air humidity in Hanoi and the delta area on Monday was only up to 52 percent, causing a distinct feeling of dryness and heat," Vietnam's top weather forecaster Nguyen Van Huong said in a statement released by the ministry of agriculture and environment.

Vietnam's electricity company EVN said consumption in Hanoi hit an all-time record at 1:28 pm (0628 GMT) on Monday as residents sought to cool off with fans and air-conditioning.

"I cannot imagine spending the night without air conditioning over the past few days," office worker Dang Xuan Huong told AFP.

"It's so strange that we are in August and it is still burning hot", Huong said.

But relief could be on the way -- rain forecast for Tuesday night is expected to bring temperatures down.