Major conference by Colombo’s Law Faculty to advance provenance research By Kumudini Hettiarachchi Not just interesting but also intriguing was the title, like the simple inauguration ceremony, catching the attention and keeping it riveted on the topic at hand. It is a topic that is vitally important and timely and the title said it all: [...]
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Dutch Acting Ambassador Iwan Rutjens
Not just interesting but also intriguing was the title, like the simple inauguration ceremony, catching the attention and keeping it riveted on the topic at hand.
It is a topic that is vitally important and timely and the title said it all: ‘Whose Law? Research Conference’. Organised by the Faculty of Law of the University of Colombo, the inauguration of the conference was on May 13 in Colombo and it was all about ‘Addressing injustice in the entangled histories of Sri Lanka-the Netherlands and advancing the practices of provenance research’.
There, however, seemed to be no ambiguity as the Acting Ambassador of the Netherlands, Iwan Rutjens underscored: “Sri Lankan artefacts should never have been in the Netherlands. They are Sri Lankan, as they always were and we hope that this discourse on restitution and the results which you hope to achieve from this project, will go a long way in redressing historical injustice.”
Acting Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra
How the Dutch looked at these cultural objects and the colonial past in general has changed over the last several years, he said. “We have moved on from considering it the golden age, to acknowledging the wrongs and injustices inflicted on colonised peoples……..we have begun to look at our own role in history critically.”
The conversation about the restitution of cultural objects from a colonial context came into real effect in 2019, when the then Minister of Education, Culture and Science requested recommendations on how to proceed, said the Acting Ambassador, explaining that in 2020, the Advisory Committee on the National Policy Framework for Colonial Collections submitted its report to the ministry. The recommendations were based on the recognition of historical injustice and a willingness to redress this injustice to the fullest extent possible.
Giving the background, he said that in July 2022, the Dutch Parliament approved the national policy on restitution of cultural objects in colonial contexts. It was in this context that Sri Lanka formally sent a request for the repatriation of six Kandyan objects in the Rijksmuseum, which were repatriated in December 2023.
The objects were Levuke’s cannon, two maha thuwakku (wall guns), one gold and one silver kastane (ceremonial swords) and a golden dagger.
“The return of these objects was just the start of what we hope to be long-term cooperation. Our governments, museums and universities are already working together to this effect.We hope it will provide a basis for us to improve our relations by striving for transparency, reconciliation and justice,” said Mr. Rutjens, adding that he also hopes that the conference would enable new connections, dialogues and pathways for a shared future.
While an interesting drama (with the script by Prof. Nirmal Dewasiri) took to the stage of how a present-day historian travels back in time to the Dutch era in then Ceylon, there was much laughter when the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Prof. Indika Karunathilake, quipped in his speech that the pyramids are still standing in Egypt because they were too unwieldy to be carried away by colonial powers who, however, stripped and looted treasures within the pyramids.
Referring to the Sri Lanka-Dutch partnership, Acting Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra said that it wasimportant because the subject being discussed was not only about the past but also about relationships to be built in the present and future.
“When former colonial histories are studied through cooperation, respect and evidence, difficult memories can become foundations for deeper understanding, mature diplomacy and honest friendship. Therefore, Sri Lanka appreciates the willingness of Dutch academic, cultural and diplomatic institutions to support serious provenance research and constructive dialogue,” he said.
Stressing the importance of the conference, the Acting Minister said it moves the discussion from emotion to evidence, from scattered memories to structured research and from historical grievance to responsible policy. It brings together law, history, provenance research, museum studies, cultural studies, digitalization, diplomacy and public policy. This is exactly the kind of platform Sri Lanka needs because the question of cultural heritage cannot be answered by one discipline alone.
Pointing out that Sri Lanka has not merely been a colony, but an ancient civilization, he underscored that these cultural objects were not just decorative items or curiosities. They were works of art, carriers of memory, symbols of sovereignty and records of craftsmanship, governance, belief, resistance and identity. Therefore, when such objects were removed from their original context, the loss was not only physical, but also historical, cultural, legal, moral, and in many cases, deeply personal to the communities and traditions from which those objects came.
“This is why I believe a nation does not lose its heritage only when an object is taken away. It also loses something when the story of that object is told without its voice. That is why research, provenance, diplomacy and this conference matters,” he said.
According to the Acting Minister, the return of several Sri Lankan cultural objects from the Netherlands in December 2023 marked an important milestone in this global discourse. It was a recognition that provenance matters and that the silence of the past can be reopened by the evidence of the present.
“Restitution need not always follow one model. In some cases, full return may be appropriate. In some cases, long-term loan arrangements may be useful. In some cases, joint exhibitions may help educate both societies. In some cases, digital repatriation may support research and public access. But the principle must remain clear: the country of origin must not be excluded from the future of its own cultural memory,” he added.
The riveting drama. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
The keynote address on ‘No acknowledgement without obligation: Some reflections on the restitution debate in light of the current crisis of international law’ was by Prof. Wouter Veraart, Chair of Legal Philosophy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands. (See sundaytimes.lk for his speech)
The other speakers included Judge of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, Justice Yasantha Kodagoda (see sundaytimes.lk for his speech); Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer; and Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Colombo Prof. Sampath Punchihewa.
‘Project Whose Law?’was envisaged to allow researchers from Sri Lanka to take the lead in exploring concepts concerning law and justice in the historical relations between the Netherlands and Sri Lanka in relation to cultural objects, said Conference Co-chair Prof. Naazima Kamardeen, “walking” the audience through the technicalities. The other Co-chair was Dr. Darshi Thoradeniya.
The teams at theWolvendaal Church in Colombo
Prof. Kamardeen said that the project is along four thematic work packages:
Awarded a grant by the Dutch Research Council under the theme ‘Collections’ with a colonial context, the project is a collaboration between the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka; the Free University, Amsterdam; The Netherlands Sri Lanka Foundation; and the World Museum, Leiden.
The activity which followed soon after included:
The ‘Whose Law’ Research Conference was to present the results of Packages 2, 3 and 4 and the work in progress of Package 1.
The collaborators from the Netherlands are Prof. Veraart from the Free University, Dilip Tambyrajah from the Netherlands Sri Lanka Foundation and Prof. Wayne Modest.
The Sri Lankan team consists of Prof. Naazima Kamardeen, Dumindu Madhushan, Asela Dissanayake, Tavini Nanayakkara and Manawa Nanayakkara from the Faculty of Law and Professor Nirmal Dewasiri, Dr. Darshi Thoradeniya, Rivindu de Zoysa and Naduni Fonseka from the Department of History.
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