After successfully pressuring the government into cancelling five development projects close to Myanmar’s holiest pagoda, the Save Shwedagon Committee has vowed to protect more sites.
“This committee will be cancelled and we plan to form a new committee to save ancient historic pagodas in Yangon,” U Parmaukka, the leader of the group, told the Myanmar Times.
The committee – closely tied to Buddhist nationalist group Ma Ba Tha – was just a month old when, late Tuesday, the government announced that the projects, including 22-acre Dagon City One, would be halted.
U Parmaukka criticized the Yangon regional parliament for refusing to discuss a proposal to suspend the plans in June, adding that it was important to elect the “right” people when the election comes around in November.
“They didn’t listen to the people’s voice and didn’t consider the interests of the nation and Buddhists – they are just cronies and dictators,” he said.
Photo: A Save Shwedagon Committee meeting in June / Aung Naing Soe
