Narinjara News, November 27,2022

The board of trustees confirmedthat the famous San Daw Shin Pagoda Festival, which normally attracts hundreds of thousands ofpeople annually, will not be held this year due to the security situation in the region.

U Khin Maung Thein, the vicepresident of the board of trustees observed that “ we will not hold thefestival this year because we need to consider the safety of those who come to thefestival.”He explained, “San Daw Shin Pagoda festival is held every year from the7th day of Nattaw month(in Myanmar calendar) until the after the full moon day.However due to the security situation, the festivities will not be held in thehistoric Pagoda in Pauktaw township for this year.”

Currently, there is no conflictbetween the Arakan Army (AA) and the Military Council in Pauktaw. However Military Council troops are highly active there, and some people were alsoarrested on suspicion.

During last year’sSan Daw Shin Pagoda Festival, the festival was was not so well -attended as before thecoup because the Military Council soldiers disrupted the road repair workscrossing the mountain.

This resulted in low attendanceand many stalls at the Pagoda Festival suffered a loss.

Another factor this year is theMilitary Council have blocked Pauktaw-Sittwe, Pauktaw-Minbya Roads andwaterways, so local people are facing huge difficulties in traveling, and foodprices have gone sky-high.

Residents also criticized the factthat the Shwe San Daw festival cannot be held this year, because the MilitaryCouncil’s human rights violations have disrupted the lives of so many people .

“In fact, this festival is verypopular in Rakhine and is often crowded. But this year’sfestival has to be canceled due to the Military Council’s hostility to the localpeople ”, a Pauktaw resident said.

Although the festival is canceled,the cleaning and polishing of the Pagoda, and reciting of Buddhist sermons willstill be carried out before Nattaw full moon day, in accordance with theguidanceof the Township Sangha Association, U Khin Maung Thein told Narinjara.

San Taw Shin Pagoda is located onNilarpabbata Hill on West Pahyonka Island (aka) Myay Ngu Island inPauktaw township, and is said to have been enshrined with the hair relic ofLord Buddha, according to Rakhine history records.

The festival used to be heldregularly, but it was not held in 2019 and 2020 due to the Covid -19 pandemic, and ongoing military conflicts in Rakhine State.

Last year, the festival was heldagain, but the number of visitors decreased, and it was not crowded due to the Military Council soldiers’ presence at the road crossing the mountain and thefestivalarea, said those who visited.