Indonesia to receive repatriated artifacts from US

JAKARTA, Indonesia (MNTV) — Indonesia will soon receive another batch of repatriated cultural artifacts from the United States, including the historic Surocolo statue currently housed at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), according to Antara.

Officials say the move marks a significant milestone in the country’s long-running effort to reclaim heritage taken abroad.

Culture Minister Fadli Zon said the latest repatriation “sets a precedent” and opens the door for more institutions to return objects acquired through questionable or colonial-era channels. “This is momentum we must build on,” he said.

The Surocolo statue is one of six objects slated for return, along with bronze pieces from the Srivijaya Kingdom era and terracotta artifacts.

The announcement follows earlier returns, including six bronze statues and a sculpture transferred to Indonesia after being seized by the New York District Attorney’s office.

The plan was finalised during a meeting in Jakarta between Minister Fadli and Indonesian Consul General Winanto Adi. Winanto said The Met’s director had personally visited the Indonesian consulate and travelled to Borobudur to trace the origins of the statue — a gesture he described as “unprecedented” and a sign of growing accountability.

U.S. authorities, including a decade-old antiquities task force in New York, have seized thousands of looted Southeast Asian objects, many of which are now being traced back to their countries of origin.

Indonesia aims to strengthen cooperation with museums, law enforcement, and cultural institutions to accelerate future returns and curb illicit trafficking.