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Speaking of the dead: Human remains as heritage in the Singapore context

Publication date: 29.06.2024

Gdansk Journal of East Asian Studies, 2024, Issue 25, pp. 135 - 156

https://doi.org/10.4467/23538724GS.24.009.19870

Authors

Jack Tsen-Ta Lee
ICOMOS Singapore
, Singapore
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8540-8296 Orcid
All publications →

Titles

Speaking of the dead: Human remains as heritage in the Singapore context

Abstract

This article considers, in the Singapore context, the legal status of unburied human remains having heritage value, which might be in the form of a deceased person’s corpse that has not been interred; or preserved remains, possibly in a museum or a private collection. It is submitted that, following the guided discretion approach adopted in recent cases concerning human tissue obtained from living human beings, such human remains should be regarded as having the status of property. This would, among other things, enable civil and criminal proceedings to be pursued in domestic law if such remains are removed from archaeological sites or museums without authorization, and for international frameworks facilitating the return of illicitly exported cultural objects to apply. The article also looks at the status of buried human remains, grave goods and funerary monuments, and guidelines concerning the proper treatment of remains in a museum setting. Provided that the interests and beliefs of the community, ethnic or religious groups from whom human remains originated are considered, research into human remains and their sensitive display in museums are important ways for us to learn more about our origins and ourselves.

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Information

Information: Gdansk Journal of East Asian Studies, 2024, Issue 25, pp. 135 - 156

Article type: Original article

Titles:

English: Speaking of the dead: Human remains as heritage in the Singapore context
Polish: Mówiąc o zmarłych : szczątki ludzkie jako dziedzictwo w kontekście Singapuru

Authors

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8540-8296

Jack Tsen-Ta Lee
ICOMOS Singapore
, Singapore
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8540-8296 Orcid
All publications →

ICOMOS Singapore
Singapore

Published at: 29.06.2024

Article status: Open

Licence: CC BY  licence icon

Percentage share of authors:

Jack Tsen-Ta Lee (Author) - 100%

Article corrections:

-

Publication languages:

English