Part 3/15:

The looting of Cambodia’s temples and archaeological sites has a long and tragic history. Historically, colonial powers, such as France, and later illicit looters, have decimated Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage. Temples like those at Angkor, once shimmering symbols of Khmer civilization, were systematically stripped of their treasures, with statues, carvings, and relics carted abroad. During the turbulent decades, especially from the 1960s through the 1990s, the scale of looting surged, fueled by war, political upheaval, and lucrative international art markets.