These include the keris of national hero Teuku Umar, the Nogo Siluman keris believed to have belonged to Prince Diponegoro, and royal heirlooms from Javanese kingdoms currently kept in museums in the Netherlands.
“We want to request the return of these historical collections, including the keris, to Indonesia,” Fadli said here on Thursday.
In addition to the Netherlands, the government is also targeting the repatriation of artifacts located in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and other countries. Fadli underlined that many of these items were obtained through illegitimate means during the colonial era.
“From several other places, these collections were indeed acquired through improper methods. We hope they can be returned as part of efforts to restore our cultural rights and sovereignty,” he added.
Related news: Ministry oversees repatriation of 288 artifacts from the Netherlands
The initiative follows Indonesia’s success in repatriating tens of thousands of fossils belonging to Dutch paleoanthropologist Eugene Dubois.
The collection includes fossils of Homo erectus, widely known as Java Man, which remain a key reference in the study of human evolution.
The handover of Dubois’ collection coincided with President Prabowo Subianto’s official visit to the Netherlands.
The decision was made based on recommendations from the Dutch Colonial Collections Committee, which concluded that the items were unlawfully acquired and unjustly claimed as Dutch property during the colonial period.
According to Fadli, the repatriation of both cultural artifacts and fossil collections underscores Indonesia’s position as one of the world’s oldest civilizations.
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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Primayanti
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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