• Burmese
Wednesday, July 9, 2025
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Irrawaddy
26 °c
Yangon
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Junta Watch
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Books
  • Donation
No Result
View All Result
The Irrawaddy
No Result
View All Result
Home News Burma

President to Skip Martyrs’ Day Ceremony in Rangoon

The Irrawaddy by The Irrawaddy
July 11, 2016
in Burma
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
A A
President to Skip Martyrs’ Day Ceremony in Rangoon

Tributes paid to Burma’s independence heroes at the mausoleum during a Martyrs’ Day ceremony on July 19

5.8k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RANGOON — President Htin Kyaw will not be attending the Martyrs’ Day ceremony on July 19 at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum in Rangoon, according to President’s Office spokesperson Zaw Htay.

The annual government-run ceremony marks the date in 1947 when Burma’s independence hero Aung San—father of State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi—and eight of his colleagues were assassinated at the instigation of a political rival.

No Burmese head of state has attended the ceremony since the military coup of 1988. The large red mausoleum—where the bodies of Aung San and his fallen comrades lie interred—located just north of the Shwedagon pagoda in Rangoon’s Bahan Township, was declared off limits after the coup, for fear of public gatherings sparking unrest.

RelatedPosts

Renowned Myanmar language teacher John Okell is still inspiring students, five decades on.

Love of the Lingo

August 5, 2020
10.2k
--

‘Secret Garden’ in Wa Special Region Leaves Much to the Imagination

February 27, 2020
8.5k
/ The Irrawaddy

Ten Things to do in Yangon This Week

October 24, 2017
7.2k

Until the inauguration in 2011 of the reformist administration of President Thein Sein, the most senior official to attend the ceremony was the Rangoon mayor. The Thein Sein government began to allow the public to pay their respects at the mausoleum on Martyrs’ Day, drawing large, emotional crowds.

Ceremonies on subsequent years saw the participation of vice presidents and Aung San Suu Kyi, who was released from house arrest in late 2010 and entered the parliament in 2012. However, President Thein Sein stayed aloof—a stance that Burma’s new president has chosen to follow.

“The president will be in Naypyidaw to make offerings to Buddhist monks and share the merit of the fallen leaders,” Zaw Htay told the Irrawaddy.

State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will again be attending the ceremony at the mausoleum in Rangoon, he confirmed.

A central committee led by Vice President (1) Myint Swe was formed to organize the ceremony for this year.

The mausoleum, built in 1985 under the military socialist dictatorship of Ne Win, is currently undergoing a renovation. Architects involved in its construction have shared with The Irrawaddy their misgivings regarding the highly abstract design that they were forced to adhere to, which obscures any reference to Aung San or his comrades.

Until recently, names or pictures of those interred were nowhere to be seen on the large red structure, whose platform is able to hold 600 people. There is also no signage to educate visitors on the significance of the site.

Aside from the ceremony at the mausoleum on July 19, an official commemoration will be held at the Secretariat—an abandoned government complex in downtown Rangoon dating from the colonial era—where the general and his colleagues were gunned down.

Your Thoughts …
Tags: A_FactivaRangoon (Yangon)
The Irrawaddy

The Irrawaddy

...

Similar Picks:

Inspiring Women of Burma  
Burma

Inspiring Women of Burma  

by The Irrawaddy
March 18, 2016
33.6k

The contributions of some of Burma’s leading female figures are highlighted in the final part of a series that ran...

Read moreDetails
Australian-Karen Actress: ‘I Hope Karen People Will Have the Right to Self-Determination’
Asia

Australian-Karen Actress: ‘I Hope Karen People Will Have the Right to Self-Determination’

by Saw Yan Naing
January 18, 2016
13.7k

Tasneem Roc, an Australian actress who also has ethnic Karen roots, speaks with The Irrawaddy about her career and her...

Read moreDetails
Obama’s Second Burma Visit Falls Flat
Stories That Shaped Us

Obama’s Second Burma Visit Falls Flat

by Kyaw Zwa Moe
November 14, 2014
16.2k

As US President Barack Obama concludes his second visit to Burma, many in the pro-democracy movement slam his ringing endorsement...

Read moreDetails
Burma’s Media Landscape Through the Years
Burma

Burma’s Media Landscape Through the Years

by The Irrawaddy
May 4, 2016
13.5k

In the wake of World Press Freedom Day, celebrated on Tuesday, The Irrawaddy revisits a history of Burmese media stretching...

Read moreDetails
Burmese Director Explores Same-Sex Relationships in New Film
Burma

Burmese Director Explores Same-Sex Relationships in New Film

by Yu Mon Kyaw
January 28, 2016
8.2k

Entitled ‘Gemini,’ Nyo Min Lwin’s film about romance between two men explores ground seldom trod in Burma’s movie industry.

Read moreDetails
A Buddhist monastery.
Culture

Influential Artist Honored 70 Years After Death 

by Wei Yan Aung
July 27, 2017
10.5k

In a span of 15 years, U Ba Nyan was able to revolutionize Myanmar’s artistic sphere.

Read moreDetails
Load More
Next Post
A Look at Rangoon’s Best Neighborhood Pizza Joints

A Look at Rangoon’s Best Neighborhood Pizza Joints

Three Burmese Migrants Killed in Malaysia

Three Burmese Migrants Killed in Malaysia

No Result
View All Result

Recommended

37 Years and Counting: Why Has Myanmar’s Democracy Struggle Taken So Long?

37 Years and Counting: Why Has Myanmar’s Democracy Struggle Taken So Long?

6 days ago
1.3k
Myanmar Junta Blacklists 200 Firms for Dodging Hard Currency Grab

Myanmar Junta Blacklists 200 Firms for Dodging Hard Currency Grab

1 week ago
1.3k

Most Read

  • Chin Resistance Tensions Boil Over as CNA Seizes Rival’s Myanmar HQ

    Chin Resistance Tensions Boil Over as CNA Seizes Rival’s Myanmar HQ

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Starves Last Rakhine Strongholds as AA Closes In

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Myanmar Junta Trains Staff on Electronic Voting Machines Across the Country

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • China’s Surveillance State Watches Everyone, Everywhere

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Trump’s Tariffs to Hit Myanmar’s Garment Manufacturers Hard

    shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get The Irrawaddy’s latest news, analyses and opinion pieces on Myanmar in your inbox.

Subscribe here for daily updates.

Contents

  • News
  • Politics
  • War Against the Junta
  • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
  • Conflicts In Numbers
  • Junta Crony
  • Ethnic Issues
  • Asia
  • World
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Election 2020
  • Elections in History
  • Cartoons
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Commentary
  • Guest Column
  • Analysis
  • Letters
  • In Person
  • Interview
  • Profile
  • Dateline
  • Specials
  • Myanmar Diary
  • Women & Gender
  • Places in History
  • On This Day
  • From the Archive
  • Myanmar & COVID-19
  • Intelligence
  • Myanmar-China Watch
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion & Design
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Photo Essay
  • Donation

About The Irrawaddy

Founded in 1993 by a group of Myanmar journalists living in exile in Thailand, The Irrawaddy is a leading source of reliable news, information, and analysis on Burma/Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region. From its inception, The Irrawaddy has been an independent news media group, unaffiliated with any political party, organization or government. We believe that media must be free and independent and we strive to preserve press freedom.

  • Copyright
  • Code of Ethics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Team
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Burmese

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Burma
    • Politics
    • World
    • Asia
    • Myanmar’s Crisis & the World
    • Ethnic Issues
    • War Against the Junta
    • Junta Cronies
    • Conflicts In Numbers
    • Junta Watch
    • Fact Check
    • Investigation
    • Myanmar-China Watch
    • Obituaries
  • Politics
  • Opinion
    • Commentary
    • Guest Column
    • Analysis
    • Editorial
    • Stories That Shaped Us
    • Letters
  • Ethnic Issues
  • War Against the Junta
  • In Person
    • Interview
    • Profile
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Business Roundup
  • Books
  • Donation

© 2023 Irrawaddy Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.