THE Shwedagon Pagoda board of trustees has warned contractors working within the pagoda’s precincts to abide by the rules set by the board, or risk having their business banned.

Board member U Mg Mg Tint said contracts are granted to run 19 different concessions at the pagoda, such as storing shoes at the base of the stairways and parking cars. The fees paid to the board by the contractors go towards the upkeep of the pagoda.

He said the period for each contract was one year.

“The contractors must agree to obey the rules of the pagoda, which include not disturbing the pilgrims, maintaining Myanmar culture and so on,” he said.

“We take action step-by-step against those who break the rules,” U Mg Mg Tint told The Myanmar Times. “For the first three offences we give them warnings. Additional offences earn a fine of K10,000 to K50,000, and as a last resort we ban the business.”

He said the board welcomes comments and complaints from pilgrims who find the behaviour of contractors to be objectionable.

“We take action as soon as we find out about cases where rules have been broken. We encourage the contractors to improve their behaviour, but it’s difficult for the board to keep track of what’s happening everywhere, all the time. That’s why we accept comments from well-meaning visitors,” he said.

U Mg Mg Tint said the most common complaint was overcharging for services such as storing shoes or parking cars.

U Thein Aung, a pilgrim who visited Shwedagon Pagoda last week, said he felt sad whenever he encountered inappropriate behaviour at religious sites.

“Buddhists visit pagodas to get peace and merit. When they encounter contractors who speak or act rudely, it disturbs their peace,” he said.

“And if foreigners who are not Buddhists are treated impolitely, they might think, ‘That’s how Myanmar people and Buddhists act’. It is very shameful,” he said.

But U Thein Aung said the board of trustees should be more clear about the rules at the pagoda, and about how people who are offended can file complaints.

“I wouldn’t know how to go about filing a complaint with the board if I wanted to,” he said.