Australia Returns Ancient Stolen Statues to Cambodia After Admitting They Were Looted

The National Gallery of Australia is returning three ancient statues to Cambodia after admitting they were looted.
The statues date back to the 9th or 10th century Cham Kingdom and were likely stolen from Cambodian temples.
The gallery bought the statues from antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford, who falsified records to hide their illegal origins.
Latchford was indicted in 2019 for trafficking in stolen Khmer artifacts.
Repatriating looted artifacts helps preserve cultural heritage and deters illegal antiquities trading.