‘British mum over returning SL cultural properties’

5 March 2013 04:01 am - 18 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The British authorities have not responded positively to a request by the Sri Lanka the government to hand over cultural properties that had been taken during the colonial era, a Minister said yesterday.

In the past Sri Lanka was subjected to colonial rule under the British, Portuguese and Dutch rulers. Various items of cultural values taken by the colonial authorities have been kept at museums in Lisbon, London and Hague.

National Heritage Minister Jagath Balasuriya told the Daily Mirror that he requested the British authorities through the diplomatic channel to hand over such items to Sri Lanka , but there was no positive response from them.

“Probably, they have a practical difficulty in this case. There were numerous countries colonized in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It may be practically impossible for give back cultural properties taken only from Sri Lanka,” he said.

As a result, the Minister said, Sri Lanka would make a proposal to the UNESCO this year to act in this regard.

“The UNESCO will have its general assembly in September. Sri Lanka, as a country, will make a proposal to prevail upon those countries to hand over these cultural items to the countries of their origin,” he said.

Sri Lanka also made a similar attempt in the past to get back such items. At that time, Mr. Dinesh Gunwardane was the National Heritage Minister. (Kelum Bandara)

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Comments - 18

I.O.Sull-Lee Tuesday, 05 March 2013 08:38 AM

that's irrelevant here - you are acting like some people who say 'what about the crimes committed by USA' when talking about the UNHRC issue.

Silva de Mervin Wednesday, 06 March 2013 07:35 AM

You can't only ask for those.

Why not take back nearly 600,000 diaspore as well.

Mavan Wednesday, 06 March 2013 04:24 AM

I think cultural artifacts are much safer there than here. Please leave them there. What happened to Ahalepola Nilame's head when it was brought to Sri Lanka? It was buried in Sri Lankan soil. Our people do these kinds of stupid things.

maneesha Wednesday, 06 March 2013 03:05 AM

Haha they might ask for what they left behing. There go our railways.

shan Wednesday, 06 March 2013 02:44 AM

Cultural property? Can you remember burning Jaffna library to destroy many hand wrtten books?

lankan Tuesday, 05 March 2013 12:00 AM

let's go steal them via DM Android App

Consort Tara Tuesday, 05 March 2013 10:31 AM

Message to Minister Balasuriya:
Please tell everyone that I (and others) are keeping well, as you can tell, by visiting, FREE at our home in Bloomsbury, where we are well looked after and guarded 24/7/365.

Also, don't keeping knocking the colonials for the 'things they took away' just look around you and see the things they left behind.

ravi Tuesday, 05 March 2013 08:44 AM

They don’t return including citizen diaspora to now it’s their baby

I.O.Sull-Lee Tuesday, 05 March 2013 08:41 AM

SL should bring an impeachment in the UNHRC about this :D

rahul Tuesday, 05 March 2013 06:28 AM

Why don't you also ask to return the money they made while in Sri Lanka?

Ravi Seneviratne Tuesday, 05 March 2013 08:27 AM

Reproduce the items and send them here , UK can keep the originals for safe keeping , at least we know that the original items are safe.

dan Tuesday, 05 March 2013 08:17 AM

does not matter SL government inability to secure the valuable in the home but the fact of the matter is those are belong to here and therefore should be secured in sri lanka.

Antharjala Veeraya Tuesday, 05 March 2013 07:57 AM

Bring them back and auction them off.

Buffaloa Citizen Tuesday, 05 March 2013 07:35 AM

Since we natives took over from British, we have robbed the country a million times over. Why dont you talk about that?

Pol Pot Tuesday, 05 March 2013 06:33 AM

You mean, return the Sri Lankan Cultural Properties so that GOSL can steal them? At least the British have looked after them all this time. Whereas the Sri Lankan Government can't even look after the properties in her own Museum!

malkanthi Tuesday, 05 March 2013 06:30 AM

cultural properties are much safer there than here!

Hora Tuesday, 05 March 2013 06:29 AM

These people who talk of all kinds of rits rob others property and earn money. Then who is the real criminal.

zaid Tuesday, 05 March 2013 06:28 AM

Let the British authorities to have those, since we can't protect our valuable in colombo Museum.
May be after few days it'll go back to the same place.

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‘British mum over returning SL cultural properties’

Comments - 18

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