[MSN] British museum pushed to return ancestral remains

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Tuesday, September 12, 2006. 10:34am (AEST)
British museum pushed to return ancestral remains

Representatives of Tasmania's Aboriginal Centre are in talks with the
British Natural History Museum about the return of ancestral remains.

A recent change in British law enables museums to voluntarily return human
remains.

However, the museum says it will only do so if it believes they are no
longer useful for science.

The outcome of the meeting should be known later this morning.

The centre's Michael Mansell says he will seek the help of the Prime
Minister, John Howard, if the museum refuses. 

"If they stick to their guns, we will have to go back to Prime Minister
Howard and say 'Look, the legislation in Britain that enables museums to
hand over the remains if they see fit is not working with this particular
institution, therefore Prime Minister, go back to the British Parliament and
ask Tony Blair to pass new legislation that makes it compulsory'," he said.