Heritage | New Macau slams gov’t for failing to respond to UNESCO

The New Macau Association (ANM) is echoing UNESCO’s concerns about the “slow progress” for a comprehensive urban plan to protect the world heritage sites in Macau.

During a press conference
held yesterday, the association’s resigning president Scott Chiang noted that the government had published a “management plan” for public consultation but “stopped there. “Nothing went beyond the consultation and we don’t see any solid scheduling on when it will materialize,” he said. 

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee (WHC) published some of the working documents online, which will be addressed during the 41st session its World Heritage Committee (WHC), scheduled to be held from July 2 to 12 in Krakow, Poland.

The concerns include the impact of high-rise buildings on the Guia Lighthouse area, Area B of the new reclamation land that might impact the integrity of the Penha Hill and lastly the abandoned high-rise project at Calçada do Gaio.

Those issues, according to UNESCO, pose a serious threat to the integrity of the historic center of Macau.

“We have been talking about this for years and we have seen very little substance from the Macau government,” Chiang said.

The WHC document states in its analysis and conclusions, “The possible impact of high-
rise developments on the landscape of Guia Lighthouse and Penha Hill, as well as growing concerns about the lack of a Protection and Management Plan could have serious consequences” for the classification of the historical centre of Macau as part of World Heritage, which was obtained in 2005.

“The current issue of height restrictions concerning the project at Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, the proposals for land reclamation around the property, and possible developments involving high-rise buildings all raise serious concerns,” the document reads.

Furthermore, “information on the expected timescale for the completion of the Management Plan [requested by February 1 2015] has not been provided,” which raises concerns due to the “slow progress with the completion of the comprehensive Urban Plan, which was requested on several occasions.”

UNESCO requested that the MSAR submit an updated report on the state of the conservation of the property and the implementation of the above to the World Heritage Centre, which will be examined at its 43rd session in 2019. The deadline for submission is December 1, 2018.

During yesterday’s press conference, the president of ANM compared the Macau government to a “school boy that is very late in turning in his homework.”

Remarking on the possibility of justifications from the government on the delays, Chiang said, “I don’t know what you can say to the professor when you are so late –  two years late in turning in your report – but whatever words might come out from their honorable mouth might not be a remedy for this situation.”

According to Chiang, the first thing the government should do is to “acknowledge their lack of responsibility [in addressing the issue] in the past.” He recalled when Macau managed to have the heritage sites listed by UNESCO in 2005, when the incumbent Chief Executive was the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture and “whatever we promised at that time to the international community was promised by him and we clearly failed [to deliver] that promise.”

“What are we going to do now, from today on, to actually satisfy the requirements? It would be good if [the Macau government] could make a solid promise that would make the committee change their mind and flex a little the final report,” said Chiang. “We [don’t want and] are not looking for the humiliation of Macau and of the Macau people.”

When questioned on what the association proposes should be done, Chiang responded, “The UNESCO report is quite clear in stating the problems and what should be done [by the government], and we agree with that.”

The New Macau Association met with the director UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in December last year.

Cultural Affairs Bureau acknowledges concerns

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) addressed the WHC report during a press conference yesterday, informing that the bureau will be attending the July meeting in Poland, along with a delegation from the People’s Republic of China State Cultural Heritage Administration.

Contrary to what ANM stated, the president of the IC, Leung Hio Ming, said: “The wording from WHC isn’t that hard. It is just a formal way to address the issue,” he said, stating that he has been in contact with the organization.

“It is an important issue and we are concerned with it, but as they [WHC] mentioned to us, it is just a list of points in which we have to work with a given deadline until the end of 2018.”

Leung also mentioned that after the report was acknowledged by the IC on May 22, a delegation from the IC travelled last week to Beijing to attend a meeting with the central authorities on the matter and discuss the preparation of the July meeting in Poland with China’s experts. The president of the IC also acknowledged that this meeting was suggested by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam.

Leung also recalled that Macau is included in the Cultural Heritage of China, who is the formal member, adding, “If we need to address the members, it can’t be us [Macau] doing it, [it must be] the central government authorities.”

When questioned on how Macau will justify the delays in the delivery of the requested documents, the chief of the Cultural Heritage Department of the IC, Leong Wai Man, responded: “The heritage law was only approved in 2013 and was only in force from 2014.” He added that the government plan that was open for public consultation will “this year enter its second phase.”

Leung further said that the IC “is confident to have the work on the administrative regulation for the plan of safeguarding the historical center done, to be submitted during the mid-term of next year,” reaffirming that the region “will comply with the requests of WHC as soon as possible.”

“We are doing our very best to protect all our heritage,” he added.