Latest draft proposal for designation of Mrauk-U as World Heritage site ready, says Department of Archaeology

By DMG 24 Aug 2021

DMG Newsroom
24 August 2021, Mrauk-U 

The Department of Archaeology and National Museum says it is ready to submit a draft proposal for the designation of Mrauk-U as a World Heritage site, which is slated for submission in September. 

U Soe Soe Lin, director of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum, Mrauk-U branch, said reviews and updates have been completed to submit the draft proposal. 

“We have done what we need to do on the ground. The authorities from the ministry have yet to sign to submit it to the State level. After their meeting, we can submit the draft proposal,” he said. 

The final draft shall be submitted in January 2022, and experts will conduct field inspections to decide if the area should be listed as a World Heritage site, said Daw Khin Than, chairperson of Mrauk-U Heritage Trust. 

“The result can be known in September 2023, when the World Heritage conference is held,” she said. 

The final draft’s submission has been delayed a year because field inspections could not be conducted in the Mrauk-U area in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and regional instability. 

Some ancient pagodas and temples in the Mrauk-U region were damaged due to clashes between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army in Arakan State.