Trash troubles at eminent pagodas in Arakan State

By Thiha 16 Dec 2020

Thiha | DMG
16 December 2020, Sittwe

Some pagodas, temples and other shrines of eminence in Arakan State are found littered with garbage during high-traffic periods of the year due to the undisciplined behaviour of pilgrims and other visitors, according to locals and members of the pagodas’ boards of trustees.

Daw Khin Than, chair of the Mrauk-U Township Ancient Cultural Heritage Preservation Committee, lamented the offending conduct and disregard for the aesthetic of these sacred spaces, saying it was the responsibility of the respective trustee boards to prevent such “inappropriate scenes.”

“Moreover, not only vendors around the stupas and temples but also visitors are responsible for such actions. Vendors sell their products packed by plastic sheets or bags. Buyers behave negligently, littering after eating foodstuffs and using goods. These actions tarnish the images of stupas and temples and their environs. So, everybody needs to systematically dispose of trash,” she said.

As part of a Clean Mrauk-U Campaign, the Mrauk-U Youths Association (MUYA) decided to set out garbage bins to combat littering, and erected posters, said Ko Khaing Min Shin, the organisation’s chairman.

“Now, many pilgrims pay visits to religious edifices. So, these edifices are ugly with garbage. In fact, blame should not be put on those pilgrims only. Actually, no garbage bins are set out in the precincts of religious edifices. Consequently, pilgrims throw waste everywhere,” he added.

The organisation will launch online and on-the-ground Mrauk-U campaigns on December 15 and 17, respectively, with a focus on systematic waste disposal.

Similarly, as litter was being wantonly discarded in the vicinity of the Mahamuni Buddha image in neighbouring Kyauktaw Township, its board of trustees has been urging pilgrims to systematically dispose of their garbage via loudspeakers since December 14, said U Wai San Tun, a member of the board of trustees.

“Some 400 vehicles carrying pilgrims arrive per day at the image on weekdays. So, civil society organisations and youth volunteers from nearby villages take responsibility for sanitation of the image,” he said.

As fighting between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army has subsided in the weeks following the November general election, religious sites in Arakan State are increasingly drawing pilgrims.