Kwame Opoku criticises the following positions:
- The British Museum (BM) will not transfer the ownership of the Parthenon Marbles, Benin Bronzes, Asante gold an other looted collections.
- Instead, it is looking for ‘innovative partnerships’ where it can lend objects and the other side can lend objects back.
- It wants to share knowledge rather than debate ownership.
- The BM is a global museum for everyone and ‘we are nopt going to be embarrassed about that any more’.
In fact, with these positions, Cullinan reaffirms the old theme of the BM as a universalist museum.
Opoku underscores the need for political action.
Claimants should no longer knock on the door of the BM but approach the British Parliament.
Restitution is a political act.
And the BM and the Parliament should not longer be allowed the same ping-pong that they have used until now.
