Should looted relics be put up for auction?

markwu (Malaysia)

I can't understand why a country which owns a relic stolen from it should have to pay enormous sums to the country whose thieves stole it, so it can be brought home. This is something that is the historical soul of a unique culture. If stealing foreign relics is allowed just so thieves and the auction industry can make a killing, won't it encourage them to continue doing so for commercial reasons? How can one assign a fixed value on something that is emblematic of the cultural soul of a people?