Sri Lanka seeks valuable missing artefacts

Colombo, July 9: Sri Lanka on Sunday urged the people to return or provide any information regarding valuable artefacts and archaeological items that went missing during the massive protests against the government of the then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa in July last year.
More than 1,000 artefacts, including items of vintage and antique value went missing from Sri Lanka’s Presidential Palace and Prime Minister’s official residence at Temple Trees in Colombo after irate anti-government protesters occupied these premises in July last year to protest the island nation’s worst economic crisis in decades.
During protesters’ occupation of the Colombo Fort Presidential Palace from July 9 to 14, 2022, various valuable artefacts and archaeological items went missing, including coats of arms associated with former governors and presidents of Sri Lanka, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.
President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake has requested the return of any Coats of Arms with archaeological or artistic value that belonged to Sri Lanka’s former governors and presidents. (PTI)