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The signing of the repatriation agreement to return 288 cultural heritage objects from Indonesia, at the Wereldmuseum, Amsterdam, on September 20, 2024, (Photo : KBRI Amsterdam) - 

VOInews, Amsterdam : The Indonesian and Dutch governments signed a repatriation agreement or return of 288 cultural heritage objects from Indonesia, at the Wereldmuseum, Amsterdam, on September 20, 2024, at 15:00 CET.

The signing was carried out by the Director General of Culture Hilmar Farid on behalf of Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia Nadiem Anwar Makarim and Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science Eppo Bruins.

The signing event was also attended by representatives of the Indonesian Collection Repatriation Committee in the Netherlands, namely Chairman I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja and Secretary Bonnie Triyana, Chairman Dutch Repatriation Commission Lilian Goncalves, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to the Netherlands Mayerfas, and a number of officials from the Indonesian Embassy in The Hague.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Friday September 20th 2024, this 2024 repatriation agreement is a continuation of the 2023 repatriation, which resulted agreement to return 472 cultural heritage objects from Indonesia, consisting of four Singosari Temple statue, a Klungkung Kingdom keris, Lombok loot, and collections Pita Maha.

While the first repatriation process was underway, the Repatriation Committee conducted studies and compiled a list of other Indonesian cultural heritage objects that still exist in the Netherlands to be sent home.

A total of 288 cultural heritage objects from Indonesia are included in the second repatriation agenda is the result of this study. Realization of return of 288 original cultural heritage objects Indonesia is scheduled to arrive in Indonesia in early October 2024.

The repatriation of cultural heritage objects this time includes Ganesha statues, Brahma statues, two temple statues Singosari, and 284 objects from the Puputan Badung collection.

Repatriation 2024 is part of cultural cooperation between Indonesia and the Netherlands based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries agreed in 2017. 

This collaboration does not only repatriate cultural heritage objects from Indonesia Netherlands, but also encourages research to generate new knowledge about archipelago civilization//VOI