National flags of Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
Credit: iStock Photo
Colombo: Six colonial-era Sri Lankan artefacts looted by the Dutch more than 200 years ago were returned to the island nation on Wednesday.
The Netherlands, which colonised Sri Lanka from 1658-1796, returned the artefacts stolen in 1756.
A Sri Lankan Airlines flight from Frankfurt arrived on Wednesday with the six artefacts, officials said.
“During a high-level state visit in August, Dutch State Secretary Hon. Gunay Uslu formally signed an ownership transfer of six Sri Lankan artefacts that were stolen by the Dutch,' a Netherlands embassy press release said.
"Now, after more than 200 years abroad, six Sri Lankan artefacts will be physically returned to Sri Lanka during a two-day event at the Colombo National Museum on December 5 and 6,” the press release said.
The artefacts include a cannon inlaid with gold, silver, and bronze, known as 'Lewke's cannon,' according to the NewsFirst.lk news portal.
The Dutch Ambassador for International Cultural Cooperation, Dewi van de Weerd, will lead a mission overseeing the handover on behalf of the Netherlands.
With the restitution, the Netherlands aims to strengthen the bilateral ties with Sri Lanka while also coming to terms with its colonial past, the press release said.
As a part of this, the ambassador hopes to discuss possibilities for further strengthening the cultural cooperation between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, the embassy said.