The public participation in cooperation is needed in making efforts to have Myanmar traditional Thanakha recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Daw Sandar Khin, chairperson of the Myanmar Cultural Heritage Preservation Committee, said.

An application for Myanmar Thanakha was submitted to UNESCO in 2020 but UNESCO gave instructions back to resubmit the application along with additional information to complete the process. Therefore, efforts are being made now to resubmit the application with the necessary documents on Thanakha in March, and doing so needs public participation in cooperation, Daw Sandar Khin said.
To be included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, it is necessary to be included in the national level intangible cultural heritage list, and the application is not submitted by the government, but by relevant social organizations.

Intangible cultural heritage includes traditional festivals, ethnic folk festivals, crafts, languages, and customs. Currently, Myanmar’s traditional Thingyan Festival has been officially recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.