The Netherlands on Monday returned back hundreds of artifacts which belongs to Indonesia back to them. These artifacts were said to be taken away by the Dutch during the Colonial Period.
What does these Artifacts include?
The items which have been returned includes, valuable jewels to 13th Century temple carvings. These all things have been returned to Indonesia at a ceremony in a Museum of Volkenkunde in Leiden.
What Indonesia has said on this ?
After the return of the artifacts back to Indonesia, Hilmar Farid, director general of cultural heritage at Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture said, “We are really delighted. This is a very historic moment for both us, Indonesia, and the Netherlands and the relationship between the two."
This statement clearly shows that the step of returning of artifacts by the Dutch has been welcomed by the Indonesian Government.
After Indonesia, Dutch is now ready to return artifacts to Sri Lanka
After Indonesia, Netherlands are all set to return Indonesian treasures and looted artifacts from Sri Lanka, back to them. The Dutch have already announced the return and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry welcomed the decision and said “the Indian Ocean nation will work to preserve the items, including a richly decorated ceremonial cannon."
What are the steps taken by the Dutch ?
Gunay Uslu, the Dutch state secretary for culture and media are now calling a Presentation on Monday very important, as the matter related to artifacts of the Colonial Period “A historically important."
Steps taken by other nations on return of artifacts and other stuff
Steps taken by Germany, France and Belgium on this by saying that, a Berlin museum announced in January it is ready to return hundreds of human skulls from the former German colony of East Africa.
In 2021, France said it was returning statues, royal thrones and sacred altars taken from the West African nation of Benin. And last year, Belgium returned a gold-capped tooth belonging to the slain Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba.