Myanmar observes annual Martyr's Day, pays tribute to fallen heroes

Despite the ever-present threat of the coronavirus, Myanmar celebrated its slain independence heroes through its annual Martyr’s Day celebration.  Martyr’s Day which is observed every year in Myanmar marks one of the countries darkest times. During the Martyr’s Day tribute state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi reportedly laid a wreath on her late father’s mausoleum, her father is considered an independence hero and was assassinated in 1947 along with the rest of his Cabinet.

Muted celebrations for fallen heroes

According to reports, the day also saw crowds gathering to lay flowers beside statues of Aung San, he reportedly still remains a potent political force decades after his death and his images are widely used by his daughter and opposition parties in order to get public support. As per reports, the military junta that ruled Myanmar after Aung San’s death even prohibited the use of his image out of fear that it would help the democracy movement in Myanmar that began in 1988 led by Suu Kyi.

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Myanmar’s commercial capital of Yangon was filled on July 19 with crowds trying to maintain social distance from one another but also lining up so as to pay their respects to the independence leader. Myanmar has recorded 341 coronavirus cases since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic according to the John Hopkins coronavirus resource centre and has a death toll of only 6.

Myanmar will hold national elections once again in November in what many political analysts consider to be a crucial test for the budding democracy.

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