Landowners restrict public access to hundreds of religious sites in Myanmar’s Bagan

Read RFA coverage of this topic in Burmese.

Around 400 ancient religious monuments in Myanmar’s U.N.-designated World Heritage Site of Bagan are located on privately-held land, according to residents, who say access is restricted and maintenance is unregulated.

The monuments — which include pagodas, stupas and temples — are on the property of private businesses and state-owned agencies, away from public view and oversight, the residents told RFA Burmese, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals.

A resident of Mandalay region’s Nyaung-U township, located about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from old Bagan, said that without easy access to the monuments, it’s unclear whether they are being properly maintained.

The Eden Group, which is developing a hotel, owns land with at least 24 temples, including the Agga Tae and Paungku temples, the resident said.

“The fenced-in sections have never been fully protected,” he said, and it isn’t easy for the public to get access to the compounds.

A source close to the Department of Archaeology and National Museum said that the pagodas are being repaired and maintained.

“When necessary, we carry out maintenance,” the source said, noting that workers use chemicals to kill trees that grow on top of the monuments. “As for the pagodas in private compounds, we have the right to maintain all these monuments.”

The source went on to say that laws, rules and regulations have been enacted to prohibit the construction of buildings near the pagoda area, including high-rise buildings.

Nyi Mon, director of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum (Bagan), confirmed that officials from his agency are “constantly inspecting pagodas in the hotel compounds to ensure that preservation work is unaffected.”

He dismissed claims that monuments located within hotel compounds are inaccessible to the public, and said that maintenance is regularly carried out on the sites “with international technology and advice.”

‘As if they belong to someone’

But a resident of Bagan pointed out that many of the sites lie behind locked gates, “as if they belong to someone.”

“Vinyl sticker sign boards outside display the pagoda’s code number, name, and the maximum number of visitors allowed at a time,” he said. “However, the temples remain locked, and only archaeological staff are authorized to hold the keys.”

“Since these heritage sites are managed by the private sector, concerns have been raised about their authenticity and credibility,” he added.

Myanmar’s prior military regime forcibly evicted residents of Bagan to the so-called “New Bagan City” during the 1990s under the pretext that their homes were located within cultural heritage sites.

Nonetheless, ancient pagodas of great historic value still exist on land owned by prominent businessmen and state agencies.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.