Thailand to return 16 ancient treasures to Cambodia

Thailand on Friday decided to return 16 Cambodian treasures, which were seized from smugglers, to Cambodia, a Cambodian foreign spokesman Koy Kuong said.

Thai decision to return the antiquities was made during a meeting between Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and his Thai counterpart Tanasak Patimapragorn in the cultural city of Siem Reap province, he said.

According to the spokesman, Thai authorities confiscated 43 Cambodian ancient artifacts from smugglers in 1999 and returned seven of them to Cambodia in 2009.

"Now, Thailand decided to return 16 other masterpieces to Cambodia, so it brings the total number of artifacts we get back to 23," he told reporters after the meeting, adding that Cambodia would continue to negotiate with Thailand to retrieve the remaining 20 masterpieces.

Koy Kuong said in the meeting, Namhong expressed his profound thanks to the Thai government for deciding to give those ancient artifacts back to Cambodia.

Widespread looting of Cambodia's antiquities occurred during Cambodia's two-decade civil war, which began in the late 1960s, with many items smuggled into Thailand for sale on the international antiques markets or to private collectors.

Last year, U.S. action houses and museums had given five 1,000- year-old statues, which were smuggled from Cambodia in the 1970s, back to Cambodia. Endi