Govt to house repatriated Indonesian artifacts at National Museum

The repatriation follows a high-level meeting on Wednesday (July 22) between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and FBI Director Kash Patel, who personally brought five confiscated artifacts back to Indonesia.

“We will register them at the National Museum for the time being and record them,” Fadli Zon told reporters during a press conference in Jakarta, Thursday (July 23).

Fadli noted that while the artifacts will primarily serve as part of the National Museum’s permanent inventory, they may be loaned to other institutions for thematic exhibitions as needed in the future.

The return marks a significant step in ongoing international efforts to combat the illicit trade of cultural heritage items.

The returned items represent invaluable heritage from Papuan communities, including the Dani and Asmat tribes, as well as indigenous groups from the Lake Sentani region.

The collection comprises carved human skulls, stone axes, adzes from the Lake Sentani area, and decorated wooden clubs from the Asmat tribe.

In total, eight artifacts were recovered as part of the law enforcement operation.

While five were delivered directly to Jakarta by the FBI Director, three remaining pieces were handed over to the Indonesian Embassy in Washington, D.C., where repatriation procedures are currently underway.

Fadli Zon expressed deep appreciation for the FBI’s law enforcement partnership, emphasizing that returning such items protects national identity while sending a strong signal against illegal trafficking.

“We hope that cultural heritage objects will no longer be traded illegally. These objects should become cultural assets that we preserve,” he concluded.

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Translator: Sinta Ambarwati, Yashinta Difa