The diamond was stolen from the sultan of Banjarmasin by the Dutch colonial regime in 1859.
It is likely that the diamond will be returned. After research commissioned by the Dutch Colonial Collections Commission, it was conclusively established in 2022 that the gemstone was stolen. The object is on a list of stolen colonial heritage that is eligible for restitution.
Pictures Rijksmuseum Amsterdam
In principle, the Netherlands only returns this type of looted property to states, but in Indonesia there will probably be serious disagreement over ownership.
The government wants to include the diamond in its national collection as a sign of reparation of colonial injustice. But descendants of the sultan want to see the diamond in their palace. They see the claim of the state as a new injustice that is being done to them.
Descendants of Sultan Adam Al-Watsiq Billah (1771-1857) demanded the return of the diamond to the sultanate on the Indonesian island of Borneo as early as 2020. Descendant Khairul Saleh called on the Rijksmuseum to “not return the diamond to the Indonesian state, but to its rightful owner, the sultanate of Banjarmasin.” The politician – he was the regent of Banjar for many years and now sits in the national parliament – proclaimed himself sultan of Banjarmasin in 2010.
The decision to claim the diamond differs from that of Indonesia’s previous Tim Repatriasi [restitution committee], which had postponed a claim precisely because of the friction between the national governments and the Sultan’s descendants. The murdered Sultan had more wives, and so more descendants, and most of them claimed to be entitled to the treasure.
Bonnie Triyana, historian and former member of the Tim Repatriasi is quoted:
- ‘If the state appropriates the diamond and ignores the demands of the relatives, you have the same attitude as the colonial power.’
