Committee : UNESCO

Topic : Museum Stolen Artifacts Problems

Country : UK (United Kingdom)

Delegates : Abelvinco Wu & Nicholas Adityo Napitupulu

The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the
Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and
most comprehensive in existence. It documents the story of human culture from its beginnings to the
present. The British Museum was the first public national museum in the world. Throughout history,
Britain has reckoned with its imperial roots. The country is facing mounting pressure by other nations
and activists to repatriate objects they allege were stolen by the British Empire. The 5,000 or so artefacts
known as the Benin Bronzes, one of the eight cultural artifacts that the British took from their original
lands, which were mostly created in the 13th to 16th centuries, aren't from present-day Benin, but from
the former Kingdom of Benin, nearby. They were looted by British colonial troops who invaded Benin
City, the kingdom's wealthy capital, in 1897. It affects lots of countries around the world such as China,
India, Nigeria, Egypt, France, South Africa, etc. Countries are calling on the museum to return looted
items like the Rosetta Stone, the Elgin Marbles and 4,000 bronze sculptures from the Kingdom of Benin.
This topic is important because as a warning to all country in the world to be aware of their own
artefacts. In law, a thief is not allowed to keep his or her ill-gotten gains, no matter how long ago they
were taken, or how much he or she may have improved them. In the past, a lot of cultural property was
wrongfully extracted from places that are now independent states. They want the loot sent back to
where it was created and to the people for whom it has most meaning.

This topic has impacted on the circumspection of Indonesia especially the archeologist to seek the
probability of stolen artifacts in British museums. Our country made a research from the stolen artifacts
list and delegated representatives to make an investigation.

For me, one of the solutions is the British museum should return stolen or looted artifacts, except the
artifacts that were purchased legally. For the items to prove to be ancient and in breach of antiquities
laws, national legislation and/or declaration, notify the relevant national museum in the country where
we believe these objects to have originated, request permission to proceed with the case at hand, and
inform their diplomatic representation in London.

If act at the request of a UK law enforcement agency, then produce an official report, catalogue and
photograph the objects, and in some cases scientifically analyse them in order to answer specific
enquiries that may have that either help to support a case or which may have research value.

Our part is then done until they are notified that the objects have been forfeited or disclaimed and may
be returned to the country in question. At that point, also prepare a “condition report” and a press
release, brief interested arts correspondents in the media, work closely with the concerned museum
and diplomatic representation to ensure a smooth handover within a schedule which is mutually
convenient, and keep relevant government bodies updated.
Because cultural objects belong together with the cultures that created them; these objects are a crucial
part of contemporary cultural and political identity. For the artifacts that were found to have been
stolen, should be immediately return or compensation pay. The British Museum, in the event of any
enquiries concerning antiquities, have to work very closely with all enforcement agencies and market
actors, including the UK Border Force, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the National Crime Agency,
the Metropolitan Police Service’s Art and Antiques Unit, the Arts Council, the Art Loss Register, auction
houses, dealers, and private collectors. For the countries that have any issues have to delegate their
reprenstatives and have furyher discuss to find a win-win solution for both countries. All the sides
should work together, so this controversial issues will be over. For items of universal importance, such
as the Elgin Marbles or the Rosetta Stone, the question should turn on where they can best be studied
and appreciated -- the former, obviously, in the new Acropolis Museum that is dedicated to telling their
story, but the latter should stay in the British Museum where it was deciphered and remains the most
popular exhibit. The issue is complicated by colonial "finders' keepers" laws in Britain and other
European countries which prevent national museums from parting with their possessions, even if stolen
or obtained by force of arms. These will need amendments to give museum trustees a discretion to
return and trustees themselves will have to change.