via Burma News International, 14 June 2022: Doubts raised if illegal settlers in Mrauk-U can be re-housed before the September inspection for Unesco World Heritage listing.
The Department of Archaeology and National Museum in Mrauk-U has not yet been able to begin removing illegal settlements from the ancient city, ahead of the expected visit of experts evaluating the former Arakanese royal capital’s bid for UNESCO World Heritage status.
A delegation from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is scheduled to visit Mrauk-U in September to conduct field surveys, with the Department of Archaeology and National Museum having previously articulated plans to clear the unauthorised structures before their visit.
“We only have just over two months to remove the squatters,” said U Nyo Myint Tun, assistant director of the Department of Archaeology and National Museum. “But there have been delays as we can’t find land plots to compensate them.”
Source: Removal of illegal settlements in Mrauk-U proving easier said than done | Burma News International
