By J.T. Quigley
A Burmese businessman and politician
has announced that he will pay $10 million for an expedition to recover the
Dhammazedi Bell – a legendary bell that has been missing for more than 400
years, thought to be at the bottom of the Yangon (Rangoon) River.
Khin Shwe, the owner of one of
Burma’s largest construction and real estate firms – as well as a member of the
Upper House of parliament – follows a long line of “treasure hunters” who have
failed to locate the 270-ton bell, said to be the largest in the world. It is
steeped in both legend and documented history.
“Originally cast in 1484 by King
Dhammazedi, a Mon ruler who capital was located in the city of Bago, the bell
was given to the monks at Rangoon’s Shwedagon [Pagoda],” said The Independent. “In 1608, a
Portuguese mercenary who controlled an area on the southern banks of the
Rangoon River, seized the bell and tried to carry it back to his base. While
transporting it across the river, the bell slipped into the water, sinking a
barge and a Portuguese warship.”
Both Burmese and international
recovery teams have attempted to find the prized artifact, which some locals
believe is protected by a curse. Several divers have lost their lives while
attempting to navigate the murky wreckage in search of the bell, which is
allegedly cast from gold, silver, copper, and tin.
Shwe intends to return the
Dhammazedi Bell to Shwedagon Pagoda if found.
Meanwhile, in Indonesia, security
forces are cracking down on “monkey business” in the nation’s capital.
Following an order from Governor Joko Widodo, police have begun conducting raids
to rescue monkeys that are used in street performances. The macaques will be
bought from their owners for $90 each and sent to a 2.5-acre wildlife preserve
at Jakarta’s Ragunan Zoo.
“Animal rights groups have long
campaigned for a ban on the shows, which often involve monkeys wearing plastic
baby doll heads on their faces,” reported The Associated Press. “They say
the monkeys are hung from chains for long periods to train them to walk on
their hind legs like humans. Their teeth are pulled so they can't bite, and
they are tortured to remain obedient. The monkeys are often outfitted in
dresses and cowboy hats and forced to carry parasols or ride tiny bikes.”
The handlers and owners of the
confiscated primates – who earn about $3 a day per animal – will also be given
vocational training in order to help them find new jobs. At least 22 monkeys
have been rescued since last week.
Over in Malaysia, authorities have
banned a performance by American pop singer Ke$ha, claiming that her lyrical
references to sex and alcohol would disrupt “religious sensitivities and
cultural values.” The concert, which had been planned for last Saturday, was
canceled less than a day before it was set to open – even after the event
organizer, Livescape, agreed to modify the show. The cancellation will cost
Livescape $350,000.
“Muslims make up 60 percent of
multi-ethnic Malaysia's 28 million people, while Christians account for about
nine percent,” wrote Channel NewsAsia. “Conservatives
occasionally cry foul over concerts by Western artists, whom they accuse of
promoting promiscuity, corrupting young people, or offending religious
sensitivities.”
Beyonce, Erykah Badu, and Lamb of
God are some of the other foreign artists that have been banned in the past by
Malaysian hard-liners.
The original link can be found at: http://thediplomat.com/asean-beat/2013/10/29/burmas-treasure-hunt-10m-expedition-to-recover-worlds-largest-bell/
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