UNESCO help to bring back Artefacts taken from our country

Jeevani Pathirana

Artefacts of archeological value taken away from Sri Lanka to foreign lands during the period of British administration, are to be re-collected with the assistance of UNESCO.

National Heritage Minister Jagath Balasuriya, told the media that steps would be taken to recollect the artefacts of archeological value and his Ministry would shortly hand over a proposal to that effect.

Addressing a media conference to explain the auctioning of the Moonstone, the minister said that what went on sale did not resemble what we saw at the holy shrines of the Ruwanweliseya and Thuparamaya.

"It is something entirely different from the Moonstone we have seen and we are sure of it," the minister said.

The Sandakada Pahana or the Moonstone said to be the one taken away by a foreign- Estate Superintendent in the 1950s is not the original moonstone, Minister Balasuriya added.