Indonesia Receives 8 Papua Artifacts Repatriated from US

The Ministry of Culture of Indonesia has announced the repatriation of eight cultural artifacts originating from Papua from the United States, as part of the broader effort to return Indonesian cultural heritage. According to Minister of Culture Fadli Zon, the eight repatriated artifacts include carved human skulls, stone axes, adzes from the Lake Sentani region, and decorated wooden implements from the Asmat tribe. Five of these artifacts were directly handed over by FBI Director Kash Patel to President Prabowo Subianto, accompanied by Minister Fadli Zon. The remaining three artifacts have been handed over by the FBI to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia (KBRI) in Washington D.C. for the repatriation process. Minister Fadli stated that the repatriation of these artifacts is part of the cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and the FBI in combating the illegal trade of cultural heritage. "We hope that cultural heritage items will no longer be traded illegally. These items should become cultural wealth that we preserve," Fadli said in his statement. He further emphasized that the government will continue to strive for the return of Indonesian cultural heritage located abroad through cooperation with various international institutions.