Government endeavours to repatriate historic kris from abroad

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Culture Fadli Zon stated that the government is continuously working towards the repatriation of historical kris from abroad. “We are currently requesting the repatriation of several kris because they are historical pieces that served as regalia for figures of the struggle at that time,” he said during a commemoration of National Kris Day at the Museum Pusaka TMII, Jakarta, on Saturday.

According to the Minister, the historical kris being sought for return from overseas include those belonging to Prince Diponegoro and Tuanku Imam Bonjol, as well as kris from Bali and Lombok that were taken abroad during the colonial period. “We need to request these as part of our efforts to restore cultural sovereignty,” he added.

Fadli explained that the repatriation process involves provenance research to ensure the ownership status of these cultural objects. “A large portion has already returned, while some remain. Hopefully, in the future, through provenance research between us and the Netherlands and several other countries, we can bring these back,” he said.

He noted that the government is currently focusing on cultural objects suspected to be spoils of war or products of colonial practices from the past. “Those that were spoils of war or part of colonial looting, we will bring back,” he stated.

Fadli emphasised that the kris is a cultural heritage of the Nusantara archipelago, recognised as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage since 2005. “This kris is clearly not an import from another country. This kris is authentic to Indonesia, authentic to the Nusantara,” he added, noting that the presence of the kris has been depicted in temple reliefs across Indonesia since the 8th century.

The Minister of Culture designated 19 April as National Kris Day on 19 April 2025. This date was chosen to coincide with the first congress of the National Secretariat of Indonesian Kris (SNKI) held in Surakarta on 19 April 2006.