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Dutch State Secretary to visit SL to sign ownership transfer of cultural artifacts

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A Dutch cultural delegation led by Gunay Uslu, State Secretary for Culture and Media in the Netherlands will be visiting Sri Lanka from 27th to 31st August.

The State Secretary is making a special visit to Sri Lanka to sign the legal document transferring the ownership of the cultural artifacts that will be returned to Sri Lanka later this year.

The objects include the famous Lewke’s cannon, two Gold kastanes (ceremonial sword), Sinhalese knives, Silver kastane and two guns.

The visiting State Secretary is expected to meet with the senior officials of the Sri Lankan government to mark this historic moment.

Legal transfer of ownership will be signed at the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs of Sri Lanka on Monday 28th August 2023.

The delegation will visit few places with religious and Dutch historic value in Sri Lanka.

There will  also be a public lecture conducted by the State Secretary on 29th August at 4 pm at the Auditorium of the Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka.

About the return of cultural artifacts:
While acknowledging both the tangible and intangible heritage of Dutch colonial times in Sri Lanka, the Netherlands is also critically looking at its own role in the history.

In 2021 the Dutch government approved the policy for the return of cultural heritage objects that are in the possession of the Dutch State.

The indigenous populations of colonial territories were served an injustice through the involuntary loss of objects that formed part of their cultural heritage, says the Dutch government.

Therefore Dutch government is keen to help rectify this historic injustice by returning cultural heritage objects to their country of origin and by strengthening international cooperation in this area.

In December 2022, the Government of the Kingdom of the Netherlands appointed an independent commission,  the Advisory Committee on the Return of Cultural Objects from Colonial Context, chaired by Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You, to assess and facilitate the return of colonial objects to their respective countries of origin.

At the request of Sri Lanka , this committee decided in July this year to advised to return  6 objects of cultural significance that were wrongfully brought to the Netherlands during the colonial period.

About Provenance research :
In 2021, researchers from both countries studied the provenance (background) of these objects extensively. In 1765, these items were taken as loot by Dutch from the Kandyan Kingdom during the siege of the Palace.  The people of the Netherlands feel a moral obligation to return looted or otherwise wrongfully acquired objects to their rightful owners. Righting the wrongs of the past is needed  to heal the historic wounds.  

The return process is expected to form the basis for further cooperation between the two countries and the cultural institutions concerned. The cooperation will mainly be focused on the exchange of technical expertise, knowledge sharing and education.

About the delegation:
The official delegation will consist of Ms. Barbera Wolfensberger, Director General Culture and Media in the Netherlands, Ms Lilian Gonçalves-Ho Kang You (Chairperson Dutch Colonial Collections Committee) and Dr. Alicia Schrikker (member of the Committee).

This committee earlier presented a report with recommendation to the Dutch government regarding the returning of colonial artifacts.

(newsfirst.lk)

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Showers expected in part of the island today

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Several spells of light showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in the Nuwara-Eliya, Kandy, Galle and Matara districts today (July 04), the Department of Meteorology said.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts during the afternoon or night.

Meanwhile, fairly strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over the Western slopes of the central hills and in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in the Trincomalee and Hambantota districts.

The general public has been requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

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IMF grants waivers despite obligation breach & erred reporting

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The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reviewed non complying purchases made by Sri Lanka under the 2023 Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) as well as inaccuracies of information reported to the IMF.

However, the IMF has decided to grant waivers and not pursue further action, citing corrective measures and a commitment to reform by Sri Lankan authorities.

Following the Executive Board’s discussion, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair – Mr. Kenji Okamura, has issued the following statement:

“The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reviewed non complying purchases made by Sri Lanka under the 2023 Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (“EFF”), as well as a breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5. The noncomplying purchases arose as a result of the provision of inaccurate information by the authorities on the stock of expenditure arrears at the first, second, and third reviews under the EFF.

“The inaccuracies in information provided to the IMF were inadvertent and arose because of weaknesses in the timely reporting of arrears by line ministries to the Ministry of Finance, as well as a misunderstanding by the authorities of the definition of “arrears” under the Technical Memorandum of Understanding. 

“The Executive Board positively considered the authorities’ corrective actions, the fact that arrears repayments will be accommodated within the existing fiscal envelope, and the authorities’ commitment to improving public financial management procedures in line with the new PFM law, to reduce the risk of accruing arrears or inaccurate reporting of information going forward. In view of the above, the Executive Board agreed to grant waivers for the nonobservances of the quantitative performance criterion that gave rise to the noncomplying purchases and decided not to require further action in connection with the breach of obligations under Article VIII, Section 5.”

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Abdul Wazeeth appointed to Parliament from SLMC national list

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Abdul Wazeeth of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has been appointed as a Member of Parliament, the National Election Commission has announced.

His appointment comes following the resignation of former MP M. S. Naleem, who had entered Parliament through the SLMC National List after the 2024 parliamentary election.

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