Dutch State Secretary in Sri Lanka on Sunday to sign ownership transfer of six cultural objects
COLOMBO – Secretary for Culture and Media in the Netherlands, Gunay Uslu, will be making a special visit to Sri Lanka from August 27 to 31 to sign the legal document transferring the ownership of the cultural artefacts that will be returned to Sri Lanka later this year. The objects include the famous Lewke’s canon, two Gold kastanes (ceremonial sword), Singalese knive, Silver kastane and two guns.
The visiting State Secretary, who will be leading a Dutch cultural delegation, is expected to meet with the senior officials of the Sri Lankan government to mark the historic moment. The delegation comprises Barbera Wolfensberger, Director General Culture and Media in the Netherlands, Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You, Chairperson Dutch Colonial Collections Committee and Dr. Alicia Schrikker, member of the Committee, which earlier presented a report with recommendation to the Dutch government regarding the returning of colonial artefacts.
Legal transfer of ownership will be signed at the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka on Monday (28). The delegation will visit few places with religious and Dutch historic value in Sri Lanka.
There will also be a public lecture conducted by the State Secretary at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday ( 29) at the Auditorium of the Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka. (Attendance on pre-registration only!)
About the return of cultural artefacts
While acknowledging both the tangible and intangible heritage of Dutch colonial times in Sri Lanka, the Netherlands is also critically looking at its own role in the history.
In 2021 the Dutch government approved the policy for the return of cultural heritage objects that are in the possession of the Dutch State. The indigenous populations of colonial territories were served an injustice through the involuntary loss of objects that formed part of their cultural heritage, says the Dutch government. Therefore Dutch government is keen to help rectify this historic injustice by returning cultural heritage objects to their country of origin and by strengthening international cooperation in this area.
In December 2022, the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands appointed an independent commission, the Advisory Committee on the Return of Cultural Objects from Colonial Context, chaired by Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You, to assess and facilitate the return of colonial objects to their respective countries of origin.
At the request of Sri Lanka , this committee decided in July this year to advised to return 6 objects of cultural significance that were wrongfully brought to the Netherlands during the colonial period.
About Provenance research
In 2021, researchers from both countries studied the provenance (background) of these objects extensively. In 1765, these items were taken as loot by Dutch from the Kandyan Kingdom during the siege of the Palace. The people of the Netherlands feel a moral obligation to return looted or otherwise wrongfully acquired objects to their rightful owners. Righting the wrongs of the past is needed to heal the historic wounds. The return process is expected to form the basis for further cooperation between the two countries and the cultural institutions concerned. The cooperation will mainly be focused on the exchange of technical expertise, knowledge sharing and education.
–ENCL
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