Thailand Welcomes Back Stolen Artifacts After San Francisco Forfeiture
Voice of America
BANGKOK - Thailand held a welcoming ceremony Monday to mark the return of two ancient handcarved artifacts that were stolen decades ago and smuggled out of the country to the United States.
The two 680-kilogram Khmer-style stone carvings had been on display at the Asian Arts Museum in San Francisco, which was required to forfeit them when a settlement was reached in February between the U.S. government and San Francisco authorities. Thailand had informed the United States in 2017 that the lintels, which date back to the 10th and 11th centuries, had been stolen. "Today is the day that they are finally returned to their home country and displayed here," Thai Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome said at the Bangkok ceremony.Director Lou Ye is pictured during a photo call for the film "An Unfinished Film," presented as part of Special Screenings at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, May 17, 2024. From left, producer Philippe Bober, producer Yingli Ma, director Lou Ye, actor Hao Qin and actor Huang Xuan are pictured during a photo call for "An Unfinished Film" at the Cannes Film Festival in France, May 17, 2024. FILE - Chinese artist Ai Weiwei takes pictures in front of his pieces displayed during the press preview for the exhibition "Ai Weiwei: Making Sense" at the Design Museum in London, April 4, 2023. FILE - In this May 30, 2019, photo, a computer screen shows web content from outside China, including a clip of Chinese singer Li Zhi singing his song "The Square."