RI to trace archives to Netherlands

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The West Nusa Tenggara provincial administration has formed a team to reclaim its historic archives from the Netherlands, an official said on Wednesday.

Chief of the provincial archives board M. Natsir Ipapy said the team was slated to reclaim about 120 historic archives and a number of articles on West Nusa Tenggara that are in the Netherlands.

Among the archives held in several Dutch museums are archival documents on the histories of Lombok Island, King Selaparan, King Pejanggik and the sultans of Sumbawa.

The team of six are to leave for the Netherlands in May 2004.

Natsir said the archives and the historic articles were taken to the Netherlands when Indonesia was under Dutch rule. -- Antara