Dutch to return stolen Sri Lankan treasures

An image (provided by Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum) of the Cannon of Kandy which originated from Sri Lanka. Photo: AP

The Netherlands returned formal ownership to Sri Lanka of six colonial-era treasures on Monday, including a more than 275-year old cannon inlaid with gold, silver, bronze and rubies.

At a ceremony at the cultural ministry in Colombo, Dutch deputy minister for culture, education and science, Gunay Uslu, signed over the ownership of the objects to Sri Lanka, local officials said.