More than 60 members of the Shan State parliament have signed a petition, demanding a halt to plans by the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism to convert the Yawnghwe Palace compound into a marketplace.

Nang Khin Tar Yi, an MP from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD) representing Hsenwi Township, said that they had sent a letter on November 7 to the Shan State chief minister and the minister of hotels and tourism.

“Every political party represented in the Shan State regional parliament signed the petition,” she said. “That includes ethnic Shan, Palaung [Ta’ang], Pa-oh, Lahu and Danu MPS, as well as lawmakers from the Union Solidarity and Development Party and the ruling National League for Democracy.

“We have asked the Shan State chief minister about this issue, and he told us that U Ohn Maung [Minister of Hotels and Tourism] had informed him that the project will be discontinued. We then requested that they release an announcement to that effect, but to date no action has been taken. Now we have served them an official letter demanding work on the site be stopped.”

Located in Taunggyi District, close to the popular resort of Inle Lake, Yawnghwe Palace, known locally as Yawnghwe Haw, was the residence of Sao Shwe Thaike, an ethnic Shan prince who became the first president of the Union of Burma in 1948 on the day that the country gained independence from Britain. He was deposed and arrested when Gen. Ne Win seized power in 1962, and died in prison soon after.

“Yawnghwe Palace is our historical property,” said SNLD’s Nang Khin Tar Yi. “It’s our royal residence. It represents our culture, and we do not want our culture and traditions to be disvalued or destroyed.”

During the era of Burmese military dictatorship, many historical Shan buildings were razed; others crumbled under decades of neglect. Arguably the grandest Shan palace of all, Kengtung Palace, which was built in 1903, was demolished in 1991.

Nang Khin Tar Yi called on both the state and union governments, as well as every concerned citizen, to work together to protect to the country’s heritage.

At the time of reporting, no formal action had yet been taken.

By Shan Herald Agency for News (SHAN)