Soldiers march in Nay Pyi Taw on the morning of January 4 during an Independence Day ceremony. Pic: Thein Lin

MYANMAR marked its 60th Independence Day by raising the national flag at precisely 4:28am – the exact moment of freedom from Britain in 1948 – at a pre-dawn ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw on January 4.

The Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Senior General Than Shwe called on the country to go ahead with the roadmap to democracy in a message read out by Secretary-1 of the SPDC Lieutenant General Thiha Thura Tin Aung Myint Oo in front of about 8000 officials and soldiers.

In his message, Senior General Than Shwe urged people “to cooperate in realising the state’s seven-step roadmap with union spirit, patriotic spirit and the spirit of sacrifice.”

The National Convention to draft the principles for a new constitution, which first met in 1993, finished its work in September. Last month the 54-member commission to draft the new constitution met for the first time in Nay Pyi Taw.
Under the roadmap Myanmar will adopt a constitution in a referendum, which is supposed to lead to a general election in the future.

Senior General Than Shwe said in his message – which was also published in Myanmar’s three state-run newspapers – that the seven-step roadmap was vital for turning Myanmar into “a discipline-flourishing democratic nation”.

“The government has already proclaimed the seven-step road map to build a new, peaceful, modern and developed discipline-flourishing democratic nation,” he said.

Senior General Than Shwe rounded out his comments by speaking about the importance of Independence Day, recounting that “in the late 19th century, Myanmar monarchy met its end and the nation lost independence and sovereignty due to colonialist aggression”.

He said the people of the country “fought back the intruders sacrificing lots of blood, sweat and Independence lives and regained independence and sovereignty”.

Since then, the government “has been working overtime to ensure equitable progress in all parts of the nation … [and] has been making all-out efforts in every aspect to lay a durable foundation for the new nation”, he said.
The ceremony in Nay Pyi Taw lasted about 15 minutes and was broadcast live on MRTV.

Independence Day festivities in Nay Pyi Taw included a marathon organised by the Ministry of Sports and the Myanmar Track and Field Federation. Government staff and their families were invited to take part in the race’s novice category.

The day was also marked by the opening of a Water Foundation Garden and National Medicine Park in the administrative capital.

A flag-raising ceremony was also held on Friday in Yangon’s People’s Park, at which Senior General Than Shwe’s message was read by an official.