Culture Minister: Investigating cultural objects to restore historical justice
Jakarta - Culture Minister Fadli Zon stated that independent investigations into colonial-era objects are a crucial step towards historical justice.
“We welcome this independent investigation as a significant move towards transparency and historical justice,” Fadli Zon said in an official statement confirmed in Jakarta on Sunday.
He explained that the House of Orange-Nassau Historic Collections Trust (SHVON), also known as the Foundation for the History Collections of the Orange-Nassau Dynasty, released a publication titled “Conclusion and Recommendations on the Provenance Investigation of Colonial Objects in the Royal Collections of the Netherlands.”
The investigation identified over 1,000 colonial-era objects within the Dutch royal collections. Most were acquired through gifts or donations, but the report also identified items whose acquisition was likely unlawful or unjust due to wartime looting or military actions during the colonial period. Specific examples include a firearm belonging to Raden Intan of the Darah Putih Sultanate in Lampung and an Aceh shield allegedly taken during the Dutch military expedition in Samalanga in 1877.
The Ministry of Culture views the investigation as a significant development that could pave the way for resolving colonial-era cultural heritage issues more fairly, transparently, and responsibly. The Culture Minister is scheduled to meet with the Dutch ambassador to Indonesia to discuss follow-up actions and cooperation opportunities for repatriating Indonesian cultural objects held in the Dutch royal collections.
He emphasised that repatriation efforts are part of a commitment to restore the nation’s collective memory, reclaim cultural heritage, and ensure that culturally significant items tied to Indonesia’s identity and history return to their rightful communities.
“This is about restoring the nation’s collective memory, rehabilitating historical dignity, and ensuring that cultural heritage of profound importance to Indonesia’s identity is returned to the communities entitled to inherit it,” Fadli Zon said.