Myanmar’s Minister for Culture, U Aye Myint Kyu has questioned not only the continued search for the Dhammazedi bell but even the existence of the famed object.
“Since there is no definitive historical record suggesting the existence of the Dhammazedi bell I do not encourage the search for it,” said U Aye Myint Kyu as he answered questions at a press conference for the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community held at the National Museum, Yangon on September 24.
He added he had no objections to those conducting the search, continuing to do so with the permission of the Yangon Region government but made clear his ministry had no plans to join in or fund anysearch.
“The Ministry would lose the confidence of the people,” said the Minister.
Since August 9, U San Linn has led a party to retrieve the bell he believes to lie somewhere near the confluence of the Yangon and Bago Rivers; however he suffered a setback on September 21 when Myanmar’s Directorate of Water Resources and Improvement of River Systems withdrew the dredger they had provided as assistance for the search.
