From the Readers

Protecting heritage

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-29 07:53

Comment on "Simatai closure kills local restaurants and ignites unlicensed tour groups" (China Daily, June 21)

The closure of the Simatai section of the Great Wall without explanation raises questions about the Miyun county government's authority and its plans for the World Heritage-listed locality.

As reported by China Daily, residents of Simatai have been requested through letter to leave their village as quickly as possible to pave way for the demolition and subsequent construction of an undisclosed complex.

Villagers know little other than that they must vacate their homes immediately and without discussion of compensation for property or any knowledge of where they may be relocated.

Apart from the closure's impact on some residents of Simatai, the lack of transparency of the Miyun government in the closure does not augur well for China's custodianship of World Heritage property. The Chengde-Beijing Expressway has already damaged the cultural and scenic values of the Simatai section of the Great Wall.

UNESCO's convention on the protection of world cultural and natural heritage (1972) binds all countries to "national protection and international protection of the cultural and natural heritage on its territory".

Furthermore, the convention states: "Each state party undertakes not to take any deliberate measures which might damage directly or indirectly the cultural and natural heritage on its territory."

The proposed development of the Great Wall precinct at Mt Simatai offers China an opportunity to avoid repeating a grand-scale, overbearing development such as at Badaling.

With some vision and transparent planning, there could be a modest, culturally and environmentally friendly development.

UNESCO is quite clear on custodial obligations to World Heritage: a national government is responsible for the protection of a property and its buffer zone. The Miyun county government has no jurisdiction in this matter. The central government should exercise control and ensure an equitable outcome for World Heritage and the Simatai community.

Ken Collins, via e-mail.

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(China Daily 06/29/2010 page9)