US returns looted sculptures to Cambodia

The United States has returned to Cambodia seven sculptures from the Angkor era that had been smuggled out of the country.

Buddhist monks blessed the artifacts during a handover ceremony at the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, reports the Associated Press. The sandstone sculptures were recovered by U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials during an 2008 raid in Los Angeles. They arrived in Cambodia aboard the hospital ship USNS Mercy on Tuesday, US embassy spokesman John Johnson said. The Mercy docked at the seaport for a 13-day mission to provide free medical care to Cambodians. Johnson said the artifacts include two heads of the Buddha, a bas-relief and an engraved plinth. The items date from 1000 to 1500 AD when the kings of Angkor ruled over an extensive empire and produced some of the world's most magnificent temples, including the famed Angkor Wat complex. Cambodia and the United States signed an agreement to protect Cambodia's cultural heritage in 2003. The Memorandum of Understanding was renewed in 2008, when its scope was extended to include artifacts from the Bronze Age to the Angkorian era. It specifically restricts the import into the US of ancient Cambodian stone, metal and ceramic artifacts unless an export permit is issued by Cambodia, according to heritage organisation Heritage Watch. Under the agreement, in 2007 the U.S. government returned the sandstone sculpture of a celestial dancer, or apsara, dating from the 12th century. Cambodia's historic monuments have suffered extensive damage from natural causes and looters, especially during the wars of the last three decades, with many priceless pieces ending up in private collections overseas.