Landowners restrict public access to hundreds of religious sites in Myanmar’s Bagan

Around 400 ancient religious monuments in Myanmar’s U.N.-designated World Heritage Site of Bagan are located on privately-held land, according to residents, who say access is restricted and maintenance is unregulated.

The monuments — which include pagodas, stupas and temples — are on the property of private businesses and state-owned agencies, away from public view and oversight, the residents told RFA Burmese, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals.