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Heritage in the Myanmar Frontier: Shan State, Haws, and Conditions for Public Participation

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Heritage in the Myanmar Frontier: Shan State, Haws, and Conditions for Public Participation HERITAGE IN THE MYANMAR FRONTIER: SHAN STATE, HAWS, AND CONDITIONS FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Zaw Lin Myat Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Historic Preservation Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation Columbia University May 2016 For the Union ZAW LIN MYAT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Erica Avrami, in guiding me through this process since the beginning. This thesis would not have been possible without her support, encouragement, and understanding. I would also like to thank my readers, Prof. Paul Bentel, and Prof. William Logan, for offering me insights and criticisms for improvement. Many thanks to my professors at the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation for an amazing academic experience at Columbia University. I would also like to acknowledge the support provided by GSAPP’s Kinne Fund and Dorothy Miner Fund, which enabled my thesis travel. During the research trip in Shan State, many local residents helped me in finding sources, accompanied me to visit many places, and invited me warmly to their homes. I am very grateful for their hospitality and support. I would like to thank my grandparents in Taunggyi especially, U Tin Win and Daw Shu Fong, for their support although grandpa was very much concerned about my travel as he called me every few hours on the phone to check on my travel route. I apologize for the worries I might have caused. My beloved aunts, Kyu Kyu and Chun Nyunt from Yawnghwe, not only supported me enormously in planning the travel routes but also took care of every accommodation and meal during the trip in Shan State so that I could concentrate on this thesis. Without them, I would not have been able to undertake the survey in this thesis. Daw Mie Mie Thein from Yawnghwe was a staunch supporter of my interest in Shan heritage, and her enthusiasm kept me moving along when I conducted interviews within a tight schedule as she accompanied me around Yawnghwe. I owe her my greatest thanks as well. I would also like to thank U Sao Htao (Uncle Phillip) for guiding me to the books and resources on the historical research. I am also grateful that I could count on my cousin May Thet Khine to find contacts in Taunggyi and for corresponding with them. I would like to thank Ko Maung Bo Bo, Rupert Mann, Kecia Fong, Daw Nang Lao Hom, Ma Thet Hnin Kyi Phyu, Ma Su Su, May Thway Ko, and many others who had helped me with bits and pieces of information I needed. I thank my friends, colleagues, and relatives whose support and trust kept me going throughout my four years of graduate studies. Writing this thesis would have been impossible six years ago. Many thanks go to the people of Myanmar who believe in democracy, believe in the Union, and paved the way for someone like me to study what would have been a controversial topic. Last but not least, I thank my dearest parents, U Wai Lin and Daw Khin Aye Win, for believing in me and for allowing me to study what I wanted and what I am passionate about. Their unwavering support in my education since kindergarten to this day is something I will never be able to pay back in my lifetime. My love and gratitude to both of you. ii ZAW LIN MYAT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ABSTRACT Lack of public participation and engagement in the decision‐making process hinders heritage conservation in Myanmar, in particular for the ethnic minorities who have been marginalized in the conservation practice. This thesis builds on the assumption that establishing participatory processes and decision‐making mechanisms for heritage conservation in Myanmar can improve heritage representation in Myanmar. It will also serve the preservation of ethnic minority heritage better. As a multiethnic country with various historical narratives and interests, Myanmar faces challenges in representing the diverse heritages it possesses. Concerned with built heritage, this thesis seeks to improve heritage practice in Myanmar to include sites that are oriented towards the diverse history of the Union. It looks forward to broadening the conversation of public participation in Myanmar’s heritage sector. This thesis assesses the current conditions for public participation in Myanmar, providing an overview of heritage sites in Shan State and a more in‐depth investigation of a case study site in Yawnghwe. In this research, history and identity are explored to understand the historical narrative and heritage of the ethnic minority in relations to the Union. Existing heritage conservation laws are analyzed and critiqued to suggest improvement for the conditions of the heritage sites. The conditions for public participation are examined through the use of the case study and community interviews to inform how heritage sites chosen are understood, and how they are conserved. The case study in Yawnghwe helps to explore policy improvement in heritage conservation, framing the opportunities and challenges that exist in heritage conservation practice in Myanmar. iii ZAW LIN MYAT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Problem Statement ...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Rationale ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 Thesis Questions ........................................................................................................................................... 5 1.4 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................ 6 1.4.1 Historical Research .............................................................................................................................. 7 1.4.2 Review of Heritage Conservation Laws ............................................................................................... 7 1.4.3 Shan State as a Case Study State ......................................................................................................... 8 1.4.4 Specific Case Study ............................................................................................................................ 10 1.5 Literature Review ....................................................................................................................................... 11 1.6 Limitations .................................................................................................................................................. 17 1.7 Name Usage ............................................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 2 BACKGROUND: THE UNION, ITS PROMISE, AND MARGINALIZED HERITAGE ........................................ 21 2.1 Pre‐Union ................................................................................................................................................... 21 2.2 British Colonization and its Implications on Burma’s Future ...................................................................... 22 2.3 Bogus Independence, Japanese Rule, and Simmering Distrust .................................................................. 23 2.4 Forging of a Union and its Independence ................................................................................................... 25 2.5 Destabilization and Discontent within the Union ....................................................................................... 27 2.6 Oppression and Injustice ............................................................................................................................ 28 2.7 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 29 Chapter 3 STATE OF HERITAGE CONSERVATION IN MYANMAR .......................................................................... 3 1 3.1 Ongoing Democratic Transition ................................................................................................................. 31 3.2 Overview of Heritage Conservation Laws in Myanmar/Burma .................................................................. 33 3.3 Review of Heritage Conservation Laws and Regulations today ................................................................. 37 3.4 Civil Society and Public Involvement ......................................................................................................... 45 3.5 Public Participation in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa............................................ 46 3.6 Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 4 SHAN STATE: HERITAGE CHALLENGE .................................................................................................. 50 4.1 Overview of Haws....................................................................................................................................... 50 4.2 Brief Survey of Haws .................................................................................................................................
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