Political parties welcome Martyrs’ Day participation
July 26 - August 1, 2010
U Aung San Oo (third right) pays respect to his father, the late Bogyoke Aung San, and eight other leaders who were assassinated on July 19, 1947, during an official ceremony at Martyr’s Mausoleum in Yangon on July 19. Pic: AFP
POLITICAL parties that have registered to contest this year’s election expressed appreciation at the government’s decision to allow them to participate in the Martyrs’ Day ceremony at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum in Yangon on July 19.
“We would like to thank [the authorities] for making it possible so we can pay respect to our fallen leaders,” U Phyo Min Thein, chairman of the Union Democratic Party, said while waiting near the Shwedagon Pagoda’s Eastern Stairway.
U Thu Wai, chairman of the Democratic Party (Myanmar), also told The Myanmar Times that he welcomed the government’s decision to allow political parties to attend the event.
“I hope we can honour [the martyrs] more freely in the future,” said U Thu Wai, as he waited to enter the mausoleum with the daughters of former prime ministers and deputy prime ministers from the post-World War II government.
Martyrs’ Day marks the anniversary of the death of Bogyoke Aung San and eight other senior government officials, who were assassinated while holding a meeting at the Secretariat on July 19, 1947.
Their deaths were engineered by a rival politician, U Saw, who was later hanged for his part in the crime, which cast a pall over independence celebrat-ions the following January.
The 63rd Martyrs’ Day was attended by chairman of the Yangon City Development Committee Mayor and other government officials. The ceremony officially started at 8am with a two-minute silence to the fallen independence leaders.
U Aung San Oo, eldest son of Bogyoke Aung San, considered the hero of Myanmar’s independence movement and the founder of the army, attended the ceremony together with his wife and laid a wreath at the mausoleum. Relatives of the other martyrs also laid wreaths at the mausoleum, followed by associations representing different professions.
Later, registered political parties were also permitted to lay wreaths at the mausoleum.
“It’s good that the government is giving parties the opportunity to take part,” said Myanmar Democracy Congress chairman U Kaung Myint Htut.
U Thar Win, a member of Union Solidarity and Development Party and former member of the Union Solidarity and Development Association, said he felt “honoured” to attend the event and pay respect to the fallen independence heroes.
Members of the public were also able to pay their respects at the mausoleum after the ceremony.
Other invited parties included the National Unity Party, National Democratic Force, Modern People Party, Union of Myanmar National Political Force, 88 Generation Student Youths (Union of Myanmar), National Political Alliance, Kayin People’s Party, National Democratic Party for Development, Peace and Diversity Party and the Myanmar New Society Democratic Party.
