MANDALAY-A conservation team is trying to get the Bernard village cemetery in Mogok Township, to be designated as a public space, according to sources.

The team was formed in 2018, comprising with officials from relevant departments and townselders. It was formed to designate the Mogok Township as a landmark of Ruby Land and to preserve the village as one of Myanmar’s historical sites.

The village today contains a number of remnants from the colonial era including an explosives storage and a century-old cemetery with the remains of British soldiers.

It memorializes soldiers that fell in the aftermath of the third and final Anglo-Burmese War, which sparked a long-running insurgency against colonial rule.

Since foreign visitors were allowed to visit Mogok, more and more foreigners come to the cemetery almost every day.

“As the road to the Bernard Cemetery is bad, the trucks can’t drive there. But, the place is always crowded with visitors. So, the road must be extended. At present our team is striving to designate the Bernard Cemetery as a public place and are now carrying out surveys. If we get permission, we are going to build a garden in the middle of the cemetery,” said Tun Oo, a Mogok local and a member of the conservation team.

Named after former British High Commissioner to Burma, Charles Bernard, Bernard Village was set up as a base camp for British troops following the occupation of Mogok.

The site was renamed Ywar Thar Yar under the former military government.

Mogok was established in the 13th century and has been famed for its rubies for more than 500 years. The majority of foreign visitors to Mogok come for the gem markets and to visit the region’s rich mineral stores.

By some estimates, the region accounts for as much as 90pc of the world’s high grade rubies. Long restricted to foreign visitors, Mogok reopened to tourism starting in 2013.