U.S. museum returns Hanuman statue to Cambodia

Cambodians were overjoyed to welcome the return of a 10th century statue of lord Hanuman that was allegedly looted from the gate of an ancient temple complex decades ago.

The return was facilitated by the Cleveland Museum of Art, which says that it is voluntarily returning the stone figure after its investigations into the statue’s origins pointed to it dubious provenance.

The Cleveland museum says its research had discovered how the statue’s head and body had been offered for sale in Thailand in 1968 and 1972 before making its way to the US. The museum acquired it in 1982 from an art dealer in New York who has since died.

Experts say the statue, measuring 116cm tall and 54cm wide, most probably comes from the east gate of the Prasat Chen temple complex, at the Koh Ker historic site in Preah Vihear province.