The National Unity Government (NUG) stated  thatthe junta troops' attack on the archaeological museum in Mrauk-U, the ancientcity of Rakhine State, by artillery shells  violates the GenevaConvention, an agreement Myanmar has committed to honour. Moreover the actconstitutes a war crime.

The NUG's interim board for heritage administrationexpressed it through a statement over the attack on the museum on 25 Decemberand it strongly condemned the assault.

As a signatory to both the  Geneva Convention andthe Hague Convention, Myanmar's military action violates these internationalagreements. The assault on ancient cultural heritage, not associated with themilitary, is always seen as a breach of the Geneva Convention, while attacks oncultural heritage sites, as stipulated in the Hague Convention, arecharacterized as a war crime.

The NUG declared that it would  pursue legalmeasures in both domestic and international  courts against these actions.

Moreover, the actions also violate Myanmar's existingsection 19(a) of the Protection and Preservation of Ancient Monuments Act.Furthermore, it characterizes the acts as an invasion to permanently disruptpeace among ethnic groups.

The museum situated within the Mrauk-U heritage sitefaced damages from the artillery shells fired by the  junta's 540th and377th battalions.

It safeguards ancient stone inscriptions and culturalart-facts representing the national cultural heritage of successive Rakhinekings. Moreover, the Mrauk-U heritage site is a designated  area under theUNESCO World Heritage Convention.

The museum serves as a repository of historicaltraditions, cultural richness and advancements in urban construction technologyof Rakhine State. It functions as a crucial exhibition space for pricelessstone inscriptions and sculptures that narrate the history of the fourflourishing kingdoms in the region namely Dhanyawadi, Waithali, Lemro andMrauk-U.

The stone inscriptions, engraved with the royalcustoms of Rakhine kings, are considered priceless legacies for the Rakhinepeople. The museum plays a pivotal role in showcasing not only the history, butalso the social evolution of the Rakhine people. It stands as a testament totheir rich heritage and also preserves and presents diverse facets of theircultural legacy.

Destruction of such invaluable ethnic heritage throughmilitary aggression represents the initial steps taken by the ancientaggressors, whenever they invade and occupy a country. This act involvesdemolishing archives and eradicating a nation's resources and thus constitutesan exceptionally inhumane and reprehensible action.