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Two ancient statues vandalised in Mrauk-U
Two ancient statues that date back to the Mrauk-U era were vandalised on Wednesday, with two Nat on the mound having their eyes torn out and noses and faces defaced, said resident Ko Khaing Min Shin.
02 Jun 2022
DMG Newsroom
2 June 2022, Mrauk-U
Two ancient statues that date back to the Mrauk-U era were vandalised on Wednesday, with two Nat on the mound having their eyes torn out and noses and faces defaced, said resident Ko Khaing Min Shin.
It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the vandalisation.
The act is a serious threat to heritage buildings in Mrauk-U, said Dw Khin Than, chairwoman of the Mrauk-U Cultural Heritage Conservation Association.
“This shows that cultural heritage in Mrauk-U can be damaged at any time. There are various threats to cultural heritage,” she said.
The two statues are not in open air, and rather are placed inside a wood-brick building covered with iron mesh, she told DMG, adding that vandalisation is a real threat to ancient statues and buildings in the area.
“The two statues are kept properly on the mound. And yet they were damaged. They are fenced-in, though there is no security guard. Artefacts are scattered across the town. The two statues were damaged because authorities are not doing enough to protect them,” she said.
Security guards should be deployed at important heritage sites to prevent future vandalisation as it could negatively affect Mrauk-U’s bid for UNESCO World Heritage Site status, said Mrauk-U resident Ko Shine Bu Che.
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