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)
TT
20

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.”



Strange Foam and Dead Fish Wash Ashore at 2 Australian Beaches as Surfers Fall Sick 

This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 
This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 
TT
20

Strange Foam and Dead Fish Wash Ashore at 2 Australian Beaches as Surfers Fall Sick 

This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 
This image made from video provided by Australian Broadcasting Corp., shows foam washing up on beach Monday, March 17, 2025, in Waitpinga, near Adelaide. (Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) 

An Australian state closed two beaches after dead fish and an unusual off-white foam washed ashore while surfers reported feeling unwell, officials said on Tuesday.

A microalgal bloom created by unusual weather conditions was suspected to have sickened humans and marine life as well as creating the foam that has covered hundreds of meters (yards) of coastline, South Australian Environment Protection Authority principal scientific officer Sam Gaylard said.

“It is very concerning,” Gaylard told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“It is unusual at this scale. At this time of year, when the weather conditions allow, we do occasionally get isolated blooms, but something of this scale is definitely a little bit unusual,” Gaylard added.

Waitpinga Beach and neighboring Parsons Beach, both south of the South Australia state capital Adelaide, have been closed to the public since Monday in response to a “fish mortality event in the area,” the Department for Environment and Water said in a statement.

“The beaches will be re-opened as soon as possible,” the department said.

Dozens of dead fish have reportedly been washed ashore.

Surfers have been complaining since the weekend of getting sore eyes, sore throats and coughing after contact with the water, said local Anthony Rowland, who surfed at Waitpinga on Saturday.

“While we were out there, we started coughing,” Rowland said, referring to his surfing comrades. He said he was overwhelmed by the response from other surfers after posting his experience online.

“Lots of people reached out – so many people have said they’re had exactly the same symptoms,” Rowland said.

Marine scientists took water samples from the foam, which is a byproduct of the toxic organisms' decay, on Monday, but it could take until the end of the week to identify the organism, Gaylard said.

A bloom of microalgae – microscopic, single-celled organisms – could have been caused by a recent extended period of hot and dry weather with little wind and low tides, Gaylard said.

A swell has picked up in the area since Sunday, and the turbulence could break up the algae while generating more foam, he said.

“At the moment, we’re not sure how long this will last,” Gaylard said.