Old
city of MraukU set a distinct example for culture and a long history of Rakhine
State. King Saw Mon established the royal City of MraukU with a time span of
354 years from 1430 to 1787 with 49 successive monarchs. In the history of
Rakhine State, there are the Danyawaddy, Waithali, Lemro and MraukU eras; the
MraukU era is the most advanced and progressed period.
After
the end of the MraukU Era, the old palace site, city walls, walls, forts,
pagodas, stupas, relic repositories , monasteries, granaries and the systematic
water supply are set to show a highly civilized society in the past. In
addition, the Buddha Statues, stone inscriptions, coins, potteries of the
ancient times and the intangible culture heritage of ethnic Rakhine people have
shown the high cultural customs. MraukU is an old city worth of a status to put
in the World Heritage List.
The
Recognition of the City in the Cultural List
The
Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture has tried to put Myanmar Cultural
heritage in the World Heritage list, putting Pyu old cities of Hanlin,
Beikthano and Sri Ksetra in the World heritage list on 22 June, 2014 and an old
city of Bagan in UNESCO World Heritage list on 6 July, 2019. The Ministry
continued to try to put an old city of MraukU by submitting the Nomination
Dossier (Draft) to UNESCO before 30 September, 2019; the complete Dossier must
be submitted before January, 2020.
Domestic
and foreign experts must make a field trip to cultural areas in MraukU to
collect statistics and records again, in order to amend and add to the
requirements of the Nomination Dossier (Draft). After the completed dossier is
submitted, experts from the International Council on Monuments and Sites
(ICOMOS) will inspect the sites in MraukU in September, 2020. If their findings
meet the prescribed criteria, the dossier will be submitted to the 45th Council
on World Cultural Heritage, which will meet to decide if the areas should be
put on the World Heritage list.
The
Ministry of Religion and Culture had overcome a lot of obstacles while trying
to put ancient Bagan city in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But the active
participation of the State government and the whole local populace,
precautionary measures have been carried out without any difficulties to put
old city of MraukU in the World Heritage lists.
Cooperation
efforts to put old city of MraukU in the World Heritage List
MraukU
National Cooperation Committee was formed on 17 May, 2017; the Committee was
presided over by the Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture as
Chairman and with Rakhine Prime Minister as deputy Chairman. In order to put
old city of MraukU in the World Heritage List, measures are carried out under
the cooperation of experts of MraukU region for the World Heritage and working
committee of the World Heritage List.
As
many as twenty times of the meetings between already formed committees,
subcommittees and UNESCO and domestic and foreign experts and local lovers of
ancient heritage have been conducted. Among the criteria of the World Culture
Heritage, the one put in the heritage list must be consistent with one or two
criterion mentioned in the following:
1.
Exquisite handiwork by means of historic facts, criteria, and being unrivalled
during human history created by human beings;
2.
Exhibiting an important interchange of human values, or a time span or within a
cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture, or technology,
monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
3.
Bearing a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or
to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
4.
Being an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or
technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages human
history;
5.
Being an outstanding example of traditional human settlements or interaction
with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact
of irreversible change;
6.
Being directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with
ideas or beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal
value.
MraukU
Culture heritage is consistent with criteria Nos. 3 and 4 and therefore it
should be submitted to the World Heritage Committee by mentioning the numbers.
While making preparations to put MraukU in the World Heritage List,
unfortunately there were unscrupulous practices of opposition and disputes such
as AA movements, leading to the suspension of local and foreign tours to the
MraukU Region.
The
World Heritage Committee will ask again for the requirements of the Nomination
Dossier(Draft) for the submission of the Complete Nomination Dossier to the
World Heritage Committee before 30 January, 2020. Despite difficulties of
security and regional stability, MraukU National Cooperation Committee, the
Ministry and department concerned, domestic and foreign experts, the State
government and efforts of the local people will submit the Complete Nomination
Dossier to the World Heritage Committee within the prescribed time.
After
submitting the complete Nomination Dossier to the World Heritage Committee,
experts from Landmark and Site committee will make a field trip to MraukU area
in September, 2020 and accurate findings will be submitted to 45th World
Heritage Committee in order to put the MraukU area in the World Heritage List.
All efforts will bring only the MraukU area to be in the World Heritage List.
Despite
efforts to put MraukU region in the World Heritage List, lack of regional
stability due to continuing wars in the area will not recognize the status of
the World Heritage. The fundamental requirement is the regional stability.
Therefore, in order to put the MraukU area in the World Heritage List, it is
necessary to re-establish the stable environment in our societies. Those
responsible people and groups engaged in disputes should consider for the sake
of Rakhine State economy and the benefits of the Union to re-establish the
MraukU district or area as a peaceful and stable region.
Therefore,
in order to include the MraukU region in the World Heritage List, one of the
national objectives should be stated to carry out the most urgent tasks with
close cooperation and mass appeals.
Translated
by Arakan Sein
By
Zeya (Culture)
PHOTO:
Nyi Zaw Moe
Ref;
The Global New Light of Myanmar
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