Bloomberg Podcasts · The Search for Cambodia's Stolen Artifacts

1. 1. During Cambodia's 30-year civil war (1968-1998), the Khmer Rouge and other factions funded themselves by plundering ancient sites like Angkor Wat.
2. 2. Stolen Cambodian artifacts found a lucrative market, particularly among buyers in New York City, who were willing to pay high prices.
3. 3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the US was a significant buyer, using its substantial resources in the 1970s to build a world-class Asian art collection.
4. 4. Wealthy individual collectors, including Netscape co-founder Jim Clark and financier Leon Black, were also prolific buyers of Cambodian artworks.
5. 5. Proving a buyer's legal responsibility for possessing stolen goods under the National Stolen Property Act is difficult due to the "knowing" clause.
6. 6. The Department of Homeland Security's cultural property unit actively investigates the illegal trade in artifacts, focusing on customs violations and terrorism finance.
7. 7. Cambodia has successfully recovered approximately a thousand stolen artworks, primarily from the US, and plans for a new museum to house its growing collection.
8. 8. In 2023, The Met returned 16 pieces linked to a key dealer in Matt Campbell's book, viewing this as resolving the issue, but Cambodians disagree with this assessment.
9. 9. Douglas Latchford is identified as the central "bad guy" in Matt Campbell's book, "The Man Who Stole the Gods," regarding the illicit artifact trade.