The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jakarta stated in a statement that these objects were "wrongfully brought to the Netherlands during the colonial period, acquired under duress or by looting."
The decision to return the objects was made by Gunay Uslu, the Secretary of State for Culture and Media, based on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Return of Cultural Objects from Colonial Context.
The cultural objects that will be returned include the 'Lombok treasure' consisting of 335 objects from Lombok, 4 statues from Singasari, a keris (traditional weapon) from Klungkung, Bali, and 132 objects of modern art from Bali known as the Pita Maha collection.
Currently, these objects are part of the collections at the National Museum of World Culture in Leiden and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The transfer of ownership to Indonesia will take place on July 10, 2023, at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden.
Uslu expressed that this is a historic moment, as it is the first time they are following the committee's recommendations to return objects that should never have been taken to the Netherlands.
She emphasized the importance of looking to the future and hoped for closer cooperation between the two countries in areas such as collection research, presentation, and museum exchanges.
Last summer, Indonesia requested the return of several objects that hold great significance to the country. The National Museum of World Cultures, in consultation with Indonesian experts, conducted a detailed study of the objects' history. Based on their research, the committee recommended returning the objects.
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Reporter: Shofi Ayudiana
Editor: Anton Santoso
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