Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Israeli occupation forces bombing the Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Ceasefire in Gaza takes effect
The Kremlin: Negotiations toward a settlement in Ukraine are currently at a complete standstill
Abu Mujahid: The steadfastness of the Palestinian people and the Resistance thwarted the displacement plan and allowed us to secure the best possible terms in an agreement to halt the genocidal war
Abu Mujahid: We salute whosoever made sacrifices in support of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the martyred Sayyed Nasrallah and Sayyed Safieddine, as well as the people of Yemen and Iran
Abu Mujahid, head of the media office of the Popular Resistance Committees, to Al Mayadeen: The people of Gaza have sacrificed and given their most precious offerings for the Al-Aqsa Flood
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Israeli artillery shelling targeted Khan Younis and the al-Bureij and al-Maghazi refugee camps
Captives may be released as early as Saturday and by Monday at the latest: Source briefed on the details of the agreement.
Netanyahu set to convene security cabinet at 1500 (1200GMT) and government at 1600 (1300GMT) to approve the deal: Source briefed on the details of the agreement
Within the first 24 hours, the Israeli military will complete the first phase of partial withdrawal: Source briefed on the details of the agreement

Netherlands to repatriate hundreds of looted artifacts to Bali

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 6 Jul 2023 17:56
3 Min Read

This is the outcome of a 2020 report by an advisory committee that called on The Netherlands to “unconditionally” return looted cultural artifacts if requested by their countries of origin.

  • x
  • Netherlands to repatriate hundreds of looted artifacts back to Bali
    The Rijksmuseum is set to return six objects, including a richly decorated bronze-cast gun known as the cannon of Kandy, pictured, to Sri Lanka this year. (Rijksmuseum)

More than 400 artifacts looted from Indonesia and Sri Lanka during the colonial period will be given back by The Netherlands, including the cache of precious stones and gold jewelry stolen by Dutch troops from a royal palace in Bali, known as the “Lombok treasure”.

This is the outcome of a 2020 report by an advisory committee that called on The Netherlands to “unconditionally” return looted cultural artifacts if requested by their countries of origin - in this case, totaling 484 objects.

Gunay Uslu, the Dutch state secretary for culture and media, said, “This is a historic moment", adding: “It’s the first time we’re following recommendations of the committee to give back objects that should never have been brought to the Netherlands.”

Read more: Iraq retrieves looted 2,800-year-old stone tablet from Italy

Four stone statues from the former Javanese Hindu kingdom of Singhasari and a keris dagger from the Klungkung kingdom will be returned, alongside 132 objects of modern art from Bali, known as the Pita Maha collection, which will be restored to Indonesia at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden on July 10.

The 'Java Man'

Related News

Netherlands-flagged cargo ship reportedly attacked near Yemen’s Aden

Netherlands depends on China for critical minerals in tech industry

Even though the Indonesian government requested the return of the famous human remains of the “Java Man” in 2022, it is not included in the repatriation.

The remains were the oldest hominid fossil found when the Dutch palaeoanthropologist Eugène Dubois excavated them from Indonesia in 1891 and are now displayed at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden.

The remains are considered a landmark discovery in the charting of human evolution.

In the case of the "Java Man", Indonesia believes that Dubois stole the remains in a context of colonial domination, and historians have discovered that Dubois forced laborers to do the digging and some of them died doing so. 

Read next: Germany returns two Indigenous masks to Colombia over 100 years later

But the Dutch museum claims that if it weren't for Dubois, the Java Man would not have been discovered and objects from prehistory are not considered as national patrimony.

A Dutch government spokesperson told The Guardian that “nothing has been declined, but some things take longer than others.”

Meanwhile, the six objects bound to be returned to Sri Lanka are a large-caliber bronze-cast gun known as the cannon of Kandy, currently on display at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, and gold and silver ceremonial swords, a Singhalese knife and two guns.

  • The Netherlands
  • Sri Lanka
  • Indonesia

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025
The Palestinian resistance and the people of Gaza showed that after combating Israeli aggression for two years, they remain victorious in the face of oppression (Mahdi Rteil/Al Mayadeen English)

Al-Aqsa Flood two years on, a tale of victory

  • Politics
  • 6 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
In Five

Read Next

All
ap
Politics

Mistrust paralyzes Washington as shutdown drags on for 9th day

Senate rejects bid to curb Trump’s military power in Caribbean
Politics

Senate rejects bid to curb Trump’s military power in Caribbean

ap
Politics

UN to slash peacekeeping operations as US funding cuts take effect

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, right, applauds after delivering a speech at the Spanish parliament in Madrid, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)
Politics

Spain passes decree formalizing full arms embargo on 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS