VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The Netherlands will be returning 472 objects of cultural significance to Indonesia and 6 to Sri Lanka, at the request of Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

The decision to return them was made by Secretary of State for Culture and Media Gunay Uslu, following the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Return of Cultural Objects from Colonial Context, chaired by Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You. The works are currently in the collections of the National Museum of World Cultures and the Rijksmuseum.

"The objects were wrongfully brought to the Netherlands during the colonial period, acquired under duress or by looting," the Embassy of Netherlands stated in a release received by VOI News on Thursday.

The objects that belong to Indonesia include the ‘Lombok treasure’ consisting of 335 objects from Lombok, four statues from Singasari, a keris from Klungkung, and 132 objects of modern art from Bali, known as the Pita Maha collection.

The transfer of ownership to Indonesia will take place at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden on 10 July. 

The Advisory Committee on the Return of Cultural Objects from Colonial Context is now considering further requests from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Nigeria and will issue its recommendations on these requests later.

“This is a historic moment. It’s the first time we’re following the recommendations of the Committee to give back objects that should never have been brought to the Netherlands. But more than anything, it’s a moment to look to the future. We’re not only returning objects; we’re also embarking on a period of closer cooperation with Indonesia and Sri Lanka in areas like collection research, presentation, and exchanges between museums," Gunay Uslu said.

Previously, Indonesia requested the return of several objects that are of great importance to the country. The history of the objects was studied in detail by the National Museum of World Cultures, in consultation with Indonesian experts.

The Dutch Committee discussed their findings with the Indonesian repatriation committee, which is chaired by the former ambassador of Indonesia to the Netherlands I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja.

Based on the research, the Committee recommended that the objects be returned. (VOI)