Despite high-profile efforts to repatriate Khmer artifacts, the expulsion of the longtime advocate continues an ongoing saga for the museum.
Billionaire George Lindemann showcased his collection of Khmer treasures and passed them on to his children. But investigations by ICIJ and others traced many of his prized antiquities back to pillaged sacred sites.
Douglas Latchford’s estate agreed to forfeit the money and return a 7th-century statue. Relics tied to the accused smuggler remain in museums and private collections around the world.
Press freedom activists say Cambodia’s authoritarian leader Hun Sen’s silencing of the Voice of Democracy has had a chilling effect ahead of national elections in July.