Plans to make Mauk U and Annanda Sandra Stone Pillar UNESCO World Heritage sites

By RiA
04 February 2017
Plans to make Mauk U and Annanda Sandra Stone Pillar UNESCO World Heritage sites
Children play near ancient pagodas at Mrauk U of Rakhine State, western Myanmar, 15 Febuary 2016. Photo: Nyunt Win/EPA

The Myanmar government hopes to get Mauk U, a cultural zone of Rakhine State, and the Annanda Sandra Stone Pillar recognized as world heritage sites.
The Annanda Sandra Stone Pillar is an ancient Rakhine cultural heritage and dates to the early Waithali Kingdom Period, according to a Rakhine ancient chronicle.
The Annanda Sandra Stone inscription is said to be at a heart of Rakhine culture. It is the one of the earliest stone pillars in Rakhine and in Myanmar as a whole. With regards to this stone pillar, we will make a report in the cultural heritage meeting which is going to held very soon, said U Nyein Lwin, an official with the department of historical research.
UNESCO experts are inspecting the Mauk U region and the Union government is in the process of making arrangements for Mauk U to become a world heritage site.
The cultural heritage in Mauk U is outstanding one and a great deal of ancient works of art remain so that the respective government departments and local people need to cooperate with this matter, said Daw Ohnmar Myo,  the organisation’s national project officer in Myanmar.
The ancient city of Pyu became the first World Heritage site in Myanmar after UNESCO recognised it in 2014.