The Dutch government has begun returning hundreds of cultural artifacts to Indonesia and Sri Lanka, that were looted during the period of Dutch colonization.

The ceremony: A handover ceremony was held in Leiden, during which 478 cultural objects were returned to their countries of origin.
* These items include ancient temple carvings from Java, a traditional Balinese dagger, and jewels from Lombok, Indonesia, which were taken by the Dutch following the 1894 massacre of local residents.
* Notably, Hilmar Farid and Dewi van de Weerd, representatives of Indonesia and the Netherlands respectively, expressed delight and emphasised the symbolism of this action.

Cultural significance: The return of these objects carries great weight for the nation’s cultural narrative.
* Hilmar Farid highlighted that these returned objects are “missing items in our historical narrative” and their return will allow them to be reintegrated into their cultural contexts.

Critiques and future responsibilities: Although the return of cultural artifacts is appreciated, critics argue that it is not enough.
* Indonesian artist Citra Sasmita said that countering the mentality behind the initial looting is also important, and that Indonesia now has a responsibility to maintain these returned artifacts.

Global trend: This act follows a recent trend of Western Powers returning looted items back to the societies they were taken from.
* This year, a Berlin museum announced it would return hundreds of human skulls to East Africa, one of their former colonies, and several artifacts were repatriated to Cambodia from the United States.

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