The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture held the 70th Tipitakadhara
Tipitakakovida examination from 26 December 2017 to 27 January 2018 for 33 days
at Maha Pasana Cave in Kaba Aye, Yangon, during the second-year term of the
government in office. Eighty-eigh members of the Sangha passed the examination
in various categories. At the Dhammacariya examinations 3455 monks passed the
examination in different subjects. Under the patronage of the ministry the
Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon was consecrated with 18000 members of the Sangha on
1 January 2018, the Uppatasanti Pagoda in Nay Pyi Taw was consecrated with
10000 members of the Sangha on 20 January 2018, and provisions were offered to
20000 monks in Mandalay on 21 January 2018.
Reforms
The new rules of the Shwedagon Pagoda Broad of Trustees were rewritten
under the approval of the Union Attorney-General Office on 30 June 2016 and the
Pagoda Broad of Trustees was reformed. The pagoda received a donation of over K
8 billion till February 2017-2018.
As some acts of monopolization and corruption were found at Kyaikhtiyoe
Pagoda, the Pagoda Board of Trustees was reformed on 4 July 2016 and rules were
rewritten. Heat-resistant marble slabs were laid on the platform and two
260,000-gallon tanks were raised to the height of nearly five feet. Kyaikhtiyoe
Pagoda received nearly K 7.7 billion as donations and the Maha Myat Muni Pagoda
received nearly K 2 billiion as donations up to February 2017-2018. The pagoda
broad of trustees of Botahtaung, Kyauktawgyi, Maha Wizaya, Buddha’s Tooth Relic
and Thiri Mingala Kaba Aye pagodas were also reformed.
At the 23rd convocation of the State Pariyatti Sasana University (Yangon)
religious titles were conferred on 128 monks. At the 33rd convocation of the
State Pariyatti Sasana University (Mandalay) religious titles were conferred on
51 monks.
Monastic education schools
Myanmar had 1547 monastic education schools where 7862 teachers are
giving lessons to 309273 students in academic year 2017-2018. The government
within its two-year period provided over K 140 million as monthly financial
provision for teachers.
International Theravada Buddhist Missionary University-ITBMU
A total of 269 students including monks – 147 of Myanmar and 122 from
abroad – were attending various courses at the International Theravada Buddhist
Missionary University in academic year 2017-2018. The bill on
ITBMU was sent to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw on 21-7-2017.
Unity among all religions
The interfaith dialogue groups were formed – one at the central level, 11
at region/state level, 39 at district level, and 76 at township level totaling
127.
E Government tasks
Lay persons and monks from the country and abroad can visit
www.kbrl.gov.mm for Kaba Aye Pitaka Museum in Yangon, www.nlm-npt.gov.mm for
Nay Pyi taw National Library, and www.nuacmdy.mm for National Culture and Fine
Arts University in Mandalay which are the Website Domain Names of the
e-Library. Work is under way to open more e-Libraries.
The Website and Facebook of the ministry has released information for 63
times to counter the false information on the social media and for 118 times
about the religious activities all around the country.
World heritage list
Three ancient Pyu cities – Beikthano, Hanlin and Srikistra — become World
heritage sites in 2010. Efforts are being made to put Bagan ancient cultural
region and MraukU ancient cultural region into World heritage list. The
ministry in cooperation with the respective organizations and individuals from
the country and abroad is conducting research work, field studies, meetings to
put more historical sites and places into UNESCO World Heritage List. Although
Bagan was hit by an earthquake, cultural preservation activities were conducted
in cooperation with foreign experts for 109 times.
Intangible and tangible cultural heritage
The ministry has been rediscovering the legends, languages, performing
arts, social customs, traditions, knowledge on the nature and the universe,
traditional handicrafts in all regions and it could rediscovered and preserved
312 categories within a two-year period.
See Page-7
From page-6
The ministry has be recollecting the ancient heritage all around the
country. It is rewarding the people who present ancient items or show ancient
places. Within a two-year period it can put 48 items under its care.
Laws and rules
The laws to protect and preserve ancient artifacts and edifices were
enacted in accord with the wish of the ministry. The ministry also formed
committees, held meeting with the participation of international experts, took
suggestions from relevant bodies and discussed the bills to protect and
preserve ancient artifacts and edifices.
Of the 47 protective cultural zones 18 have human settlements. So the
ministry is striving for the emergence of a law that will ensure a win-win
situation for the locals and the ancient artifacts protection work.
The ministry is conducting field tours and research work in trying to
protect and preserve the cultures, performing arts, musical instruments and
artifacts of the ethnic races such as Kayan, Padaung, Kayin, Mon, Bamar, Rakhine,
Kachin, and Chin.
The duty to protect and preserve the traditional performing arts also
falls on the national races. So the ministry is launching programmes to enhance
the public awareness of the cultural protection tasks. It is conducting
performing arts conservation courses for teachers as a way of encouraging
students to cherish and value their culture and performing arts. So, the people
will be able to ward off the penetration of alien culture and lifestyles into
the country.
Books and papers
The ministry is also collecting, compiling and publishing books and
papers on historical research, ethnic literature and culture. Up to now it has
published four books and is preparing to print ten more. Historical Research
and National Library is collecting books, magazines, journals, newspapers,
gazettes, compilations and theses. The library of Historical Research
Department has collected 2813 books, the National Library (Nay Pyi Taw) 30634
books, the National Library (Yangon) 10294 books and the branch of National
Library (Yangon) 21477 books.
The Myanmar Historical Commission was reformed with 18 fulltime members
and 15 part-time members. Based on the collected evidence, information and
data, the finds of the field research books and papers on history are being
published. Seven books were published in the current fiscal year and
preparations are under way to distribute more.
The steering committee, the action committee and subcommittees have
already formed to successfully host the 17th Southeast Asia Librarians
Conference and related meetings from 2 to 5 May 2018. A combined team
comprising members of Myanmar Historical Commission, palm leaf treatise
experts, experts on ancient literature and related departments was formed to
protect and preserve palm leaf treatises. The team is now achieving progress in
its work. Work is under way to move the National Library to downtown Yangon in
fiscal year 2018-2019 for the convenience of visitors.
The National Culture and Fine Arts University held its 20th anniversary convocation
in December 2016 at the University Convocation Hall. Various kinds of degrees
including the honorary doctorate degree were conferred on 130 persons.
The university sent final year students of various major subjects to
Bagan in Mandalay Region to study ancient cultural heritage there and Dawei in
Taninthayi Region to study the culture and traditions and Dawei people, one of
the highly civilized ethnic races of Myanmar.
Myanmar hosted the second NUAC Orchestra Cinematic Music Showcase 2017 at
the National Theatre in Yangon on 26 February 2017.
The showcase presented movie songs of Myanmar and the world through a
combination of Myanmar and western music.
Students of Music, Dance, Painting, Sculpture, Theatre and Cinema branch
of the Fine Arts Department have to learn subjects on intangible and tangible
cultural heritage, Myanmar, linguistics, civilization, English, international
relations and Myanmar history.
The National Culture and Fine Arts University (Mandalay) sponsored
India-Myanmar workshop and joint performance programme, joint dance programme
between Myanmar dancers and Indian classical dance troupe, the entertainment of
Restaurant of Many Orders troupe of Japan and workshop, the workshop on the
imaginative of world of Paper and moving Paper Puppets in cooperation with
Israel, meeting with Tokyo University of the Arts for giving lectures on
culture, meeting with Israeli film directors and diplomats on filming the
university, workshop on cooperation programme with BSRU university of Thailand,
China, USA, meeting on holding “Next Level” hip-hop, the One Asia Classic
Orchestra Selection Workshop, cooperation program with TUA university of Japan,
Stop – Motion Animation Workshop, the Kuricorder & Friends Concert in
Myanmar. The university also took part in “Pagoda Flower of Myanmar” staged by
Chinese artists, held talks with Yangon-based Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA), and took part in the entertainment programme marking the 70th
anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Myanmar and
Russia.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture is preserving,
rediscovering and collecting cultural and literature heritages and national
characters, reinvigorating patriotism, producing experts in cultural subjects
and opening museums and library in addition to preserving, promoting and
propagatiing of the Sasana.
(Translated by TMT)
By Naing Linn
Kyi
Ref; The Global
New Light of Myanmar
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