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Dutch want to return items looted during colonial rule

Published

6 years ago

2020/10/14

A 1765 canon that belonged to the King of Kandy is at display at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam

Dutch authorities are intent on tracking down rightful owners of thousands of objects their forefathers had seized during the colonial era, agency reports said yesterday.

Reports from Amsterdam said that at least 4,000 objects in its collections have clear ties to the country’s colonial empire, which spanned some 300 years from the mid-17th century and whose main centres of power were in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.

The reports said: A cannon that once saluted a Sinhalese king and a diamond looted from an Indonesian sultan are among thousands of objects seized during the colonial era whose rightful owners Dutch authorities are intent on tracking down.

But establishing who those owners are can be complicated, the national Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam argues.

It says at least 4,000 objects in its collections have clear ties to the country’s colonial empire, which spanned some 300 years from the mid-17th century and whose main centres of power were in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean.

The Rijksmuseum’s Head of History, Valika Smeulders, welcomed plans by the government to right what an independent commission this month called the “historical wrong” of continuing to keep valued objects taken by force during that era.

“The museum is really bringing in new knowledge, new voices, new expertise, new ways of dealing with the past and looking at these objects… We’re trying to bring down the walls of the museum,” she said.

The Dutch plan to set up an independent research centre as a database for colonial-era art, including where it came from and how it was obtained, and assemble panels to handle restitution requests.

And that, says Smeulders, is where difficulties may arise.

The 36-carat diamond, for instance, was looted in 1875 by Dutch troops from the Sultanate of Bandjamasin, now part of Indonesia on the island of Borneo.

Governments in both countries have changed many times since then.

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Child abuse crisis: 108,000 complaints reported in 10 years

Published

1 hour ago

2026/07/24

Thilina Walpola

More than 108,000 complaints of child abuse had been received by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) between 2015 and 2025, Women and Child Affairs Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj told Parliament yesterday.

Responding to a question raised by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa under Standing Order 27/2, the Minister said 4,421 child abuse cases were pending before High Courts as of April 30 this year, with indictments already filed against the accused.

She said the NCPA was working with 47 Police Child and Women Protection Bureaus under the Police Children and Women Abuse Prevention Division to expedite the hearing and conclusion of these cases.

The Minister said measures were also being taken to protect child victims during legal proceedings by introducing a system to record their evidence through video in a safe and child-friendly environment, thereby reducing the need for them to appear in court.

She said discussions were underway with the Ministries of Health and Mass Media and other relevant institutions to establish nine provincial video evidence recording units.

by Saman Indrajith ✍️

News

CA dismisses writ petition seeking postponement of A/L exam

Published

1 hour ago

2026/07/24

Thilina Walpola

The Court of Appeal yesterday dismissed a writ petition seeking to postpone the 2026 G.C.E. A/L Examination by two months.

The petition, filed by a group of students due to sit the examination for the first and second time, sought an order delaying the examination, which is scheduled to commence next month.

The Court announced its decision after considering submissions made in support of the application and declined to grant leave to proceed with the petition.

As a result, the 2026 G.C.E. Advanced Level Examination will be held as scheduled in August.

News

Bimal’s remarks on MP’s conduct spark heated exchange in Parliament

Published

1 hour ago

2026/07/24

Thilina Walpola

Leader of the House and Minister Bimal Rathnayake yesterday criticised the conduct of MP Archchuna Ramanathan in Parliament, describing the behaviour of certain lawmakers as “uncivilised, disgraceful and indecent”, while a heated exchange followed between government and opposition members.

Rathnayake made the remarks when Ramanathan attempted to raise a point of order during parliamentary proceedings.

“This parliament has one or two members who behave in a very uncivilised, disgraceful manner. We tolerate them because one of them is mentally ill,” Rathnayake said.

He alleged that Ramanathan had insulted even members of the Tamil community.

“The things he says may not be heard through the microphone, but the four walls of this Parliament are witnesses,” Rathnayake said, adding that Ramanathan’s conduct was not limited to Parliament.

He claimed that the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee meeting could not be held due to Ramanathan’s behaviour and said MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam had written to the Speaker stating that he could not sit near him.

The Speaker intervened during the exchange, warning Ramanathan not to behave in a manner that would turn Parliament into “a joke”. He also said the MP had previously addressed him in an insulting manner.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa criticised the manner in which Rathnayake and the Speaker had addressed the matter, saying MPs should not be spoken to improperly and urging members to follow parliamentary Standing Orders.

Ramanathan, responding to the remarks, said: “I may be a psycho, but I am not a homosexual.”

by Saman Indrajith ✍️