'They're back home': Cambodia rejoice as it welcomes return from abroad of centuries-old artifacts looted by notorious smuggling ring

People pray during a ceremony for the return of 74 Khmer cultural objects to Cambodia from the family of Douglas Latchford, a British art dealer who illegally smuggled Cambodian artefacts out of the country during the civil war and Khmer Rouge eras, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, February 27, 2026. -- Photo: REUTERS/Soveit Yarn

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP): Cambodian officials welcomed back more than six dozen centuries-old artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.

At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.