"Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture submitted a draft to UNESCO of its nomination for Mrauk-U to become a World Heritage Site on Sept. 24, amid concerns that ongoing violence in the area could wreck local residents’ hopes for the future of their town. “If there were peace, I am sure Mrauk-U would be recognized by UNESCO, as our cultural heritage meets the selection criteria but with the fighting, it can’t become a World Heritage Site,” Daw Khin Than, chairwoman of the Mrauk-U Heritage Trust, told The Irrawaddy. Myanmar is set to submit its final application to UNESCO by Jan. 31, 2020 and experts from the independent International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) will conduct a field visit to Mrauk-U in September 2020. Daw Khin Than said she wants to see stability restored in Mrauk-U before the visit. Based on the findings of the ICOMOS officials, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will issue a verdict on the application at the group’s 45th session in 2021..."