Indonesia Unveils Artifacts Returned by the Netherlands After Decades of Advocacy

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Centuries-old stone Buddha statues and valuable jewelry returned by the Dutch government to its former colony are currently displayed at Indonesia’s National Museum, offering insights into the country’s rich heritage that the government has long struggled to reclaim.

This exhibit includes over 800 artifacts repatriated as part of a Repatriation Agreement signed in 2022 between Indonesia and the Netherlands, according to Gunawan, the museum’s head of cultural heritage. These items were not solely looted during conflicts but also taken by scientists, missionaries, or smuggled by mercenaries throughout the four centuries of colonial domination.

“I was amazed to see all these artifacts,” remarked Shaloom Azura, a visitor at the Jakarta museum. She expressed hope that more historical items could be repatriated, “so we won’t have to travel to the Netherlands to see our own cultural heritage.”

The commitment to returning these cultural objects is part of a broader global trend towards restitution and repatriation initiatives.

In 2021, France announced the return of statues, royal thrones, and sacred altars taken from Benin, a West African nation. Belgium returned a gold-capped tooth belonging to Patrice Lumumba, the slain hero of Congolese independence.

Cambodia celebrated the return of invaluable stolen artifacts in 2023, which had been seized during wartime. Many returned items have originated from the United States, and the Berlin museum authority has pledged to return hundreds of human skulls from the former German colony of East Africa.

The Dutch government announced in the same year the repatriation of Indonesian treasures and artifacts pillaged from Sri Lanka.

Only a Few Objects Made It Back Before a Deal Was Struck

The return of these artifacts “did not come out of the blue” but was the result of a lengthy process, according to I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, a former Indonesian ambassador to the Netherlands and leader of the government team assigned to recover these items.

He revealed that discussions with the Dutch government have been ongoing since Indonesia gained independence in August 1945, but it was only in July 2022 that Indonesia formally sought the return of its cultural items, accompanied by a list of specific objects.

“This repatriation is crucial to reconstructing history that could be lost, obscured, or manipulated,” Puja remarked. “It allows us to fill the historical vacuum that has persistently existed.”

In 1978, the Dutch government returned the renowned 13th-century statue of Princess Pradnya Paramita from the Javanese Singhasari Kingdom. During the same visit to Indonesia, then-Queen Juliana also restored a saddle and spear that were taken from Prince Diponegoro, a Javanese nobleman revered as a national hero for his resistance against colonial rule in the 19th century.

The prince’s scepter was returned in 2015, and in 2020, Dutch King Willem-Alexander handed back Diponegoro’s gold-plated kris dagger during his first state visit to Indonesia.

Also awaiting return is the “Java Man”—the earliest known example of homo erectus, which was collected by Dutch paleoanthropologist Eugene Dubois in the 19th century.

“The significance of this recent repatriation lies in knowledge creation, which will provide society with a more complete understanding of our historical past,” stated Puja.

He noted that these recent efforts for repatriation appear to be fueled by practical reasons, such as when the administration of Delf returned 1,500 objects in 2019 from the bankrupt Nusantara Museum collection.

Focus on the Protection of Repatriated Artifacts

Nonetheless, Marc Gerritsen, the Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, stated that the repatriation would center on specific cultural objects requested, rather than an extensive removal of items from European museums.

“There is significant public interest in Indonesian history and culture in the Netherlands, and we recognize that displaying these objects in Dutch museums would attract attention,” Gerritsen said. “However, it is essential to ensure that culturally significant artifacts taken during colonial times are returned based on this established process.”

He emphasized that the Netherlands, the largest European Union investor in Indonesia, maintains a distinctive relationship with Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

“While we acknowledge some historical aspects that we regret, we genuinely value Indonesia’s commitment to preserving its history,” Gerritsen remarked.

To aid its former colony in safeguarding repatriated cultural heritage, the Dutch government has offered support in enhancing museum storage facilities and expertise for the staff.

Some scholars have criticized Indonesia for lacking a legal framework to protect its extensive cultural heritage and natural conservation. A report from 2023 by Rucitarahma Ristiawan, a cultural science lecturer at Gajah Mada University, revealed at least 11 cases of museum theft reported from 2010 to 2020.

In 2023, numerous ships excavated the Batanghari River in Jambi Province, looting archaeological treasures such as porcelain, coins, and metal artifacts, which are believed to have been sold internationally, according to the report.

“I believe there is much to be reviewed concerning our historical artifacts still kept abroad,” expressed Frengky Simanjuntak, who was impressed by the Repatriation Exhibition at the National Museum, open since October. “Thus, it’s about more than merely bringing them back; it’s also about how to protect them.”

By Niniek Karmini