via Finance Uncovered, 14 September 2022: Another roundup of the recently-concluded ASEAN conference on Cultural Property Protection
Cambodia’s culture minister has called for international action to help stop the illicit trade in looted antiquities which often end up in the hands of private collectors and prestigious museums.
Phoeurng Sackona, Cambodia’s Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, said the trade in stolen antiquities – and their “commodification” on the international art market – not just robs nations of their national treasures, but also of their history and identity.
She said governments across the world and professionals in the art market should collaborate to restore objects to where they belonged.
She made her remarks last week during a four-day landmark conference in Siem Reap, Cambodia, home to the UNESCO world heritage site of Angkor.