Dutch museums will return art and artefacts looted from Indonesia and Sri Lanka

An ornamental cannon, decorated with gold, silver and rubies from Sri Lanka is displayed at the Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam. These objects that are still in the Rijksmuseum will be returned to their country of origin. The objects that belonged to the royal family of Kandy were brought from Sri Lanka during colonial times. Photo: AFP

Two Dutch museums are handing hundreds of cultural artefacts back to Indonesia and Sri Lanka - from a richly decorated cannon to precious metals and jewellery - that were taken, often by force, in the colonial era.

The government announced the planned restitution of 478 "cultural objects” on Thursday. Some Western nations are returning looted artefacts and other objects as part of a reckoning with their often brutal colonial histories.