Government Continues Efforts to Repatriate Indonesian Cultural Objects

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon has stated that the government is continuing its efforts to ensure Indonesian cultural objects currently held abroad illegally are returned to the country. “We are still striving to bring back important cultural objects that remain overseas,” he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday. He noted that the government is specifically seeking the repatriation of the Pucangan inscription from India, a request conveyed during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early July. Efforts are also underway to secure the return of the Sangguran inscription from Scotland. Both inscriptions were originally taken by Thomas Stamford Raffles and later given to Lord Minto in England. In the near future, the government expects to receive an inscription from the Netherlands along with a Quran belonging to Teuku Umar. Intensive communication with various countries will continue to facilitate the return of these cultural objects. In a related development, the Director of the FBI recently handed over cultural artefacts directly to President Prabowo as part of a repatriation cooperation agreement between the Indonesian government and the FBI.