Ministry Receives Historical Objects Repatriation from Netherlands
- Kemendikbudristek
Jakarta – The Indonesian Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim received four statues of the Singasari Kingdom repatriation from the Netherlands at the National Museum of Indonesia on Tuesday.
Four statues are part of 472 valuable artifacts resulting from the repatriation process of historical and cultural objects from the Netherlands to Indonesia.
"Still in the spirit of independence, the Indonesian people should be proud of the results of our joint struggle for approximately two and a half years to return historical and cultural objects belonging to this nation back to the country," Minister Makarim said.
This repatriation effort has been initiated by the Ministry of Education and Culture since 2021 and was officially agreed by both countries on July 10, 2023.
The Indonesian government was represented in the agreement ceremony by the Director General of Culture, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Hilmar Farid.
The Durga, Mahakala, Nandishvara and Ganesha statues, which have been kept in the Netherlands for three centuries, were the first group of artifacts to arrive in Indonesia.
Currently, the Ministry is processing the return of one Puputan Klungkung keris, 132 Pita Maha artworks, and 335 collections from Puri Cakranegara Lombok.
"I hope that the repatriation of hundreds of objects that are part of the history of this nation's civilization can increase the spirit of nationalism and increase our knowledge treasures. This is in line with spirit of Merdeka Belajar and Merdeka Berbudaya that we always encourage," Minister Makarim remarked.
"I have directly checked the condition of the four Singasari statues and directed the team to maintain and take good care of them. The same goes for the hundreds of repatriated objects that will return home,"
Minister Makarim also expressed his appreciation to all parties involved in this repatriation effort.
"My highest appreciation goes to Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs team, the Royal Netherlands Government, the repatriation team, and the officers who ensured that these objects returned to the country safely," he concluded.