Martyrs’ Mausoleum is under renovation in Yangon on June 16. ( Kaung Htet / The Myanmar Times)
Amid hopes that President U Htin Kyaw himself might attend, ambitious preparations are going forward to mark the 69th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day on July 19, including plans to renovate Martyrs’ Mausoleum in Yangon before the ceremony. The mausoleum was built to honour the national heroes assassinated in 1947, including Bogyoke Aung San, Mahn Ba Khaing and U Razak.
U Nay Win, deputy head of the Department of Engineering (Building) of Yangon City Development Committee, told The Myanmar Times yesterday that the large-scale renovation was being carried out on the instructions of the Union government.
“We usually renovate the mausoleum before Martyrs’ Day, but this year we will undertake large-scale repairs. Architects are drawing up new designs, which we will implement pending a decision from the Union level,” he said, adding that the proposed design entailed decorating the rocks with images of the nation’s martyrs.
On June 6, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein met with YCDC committee members and chief engineers at the mausoleum to discuss the renovation plans. The government will soon set up an organising committee to decide who should be invited to the event.
U Zaw Htay, the spokesperson for the President’s Office, said no decision had been taken yet to invite the nationwide ceasefire agreement signatory groups, and it was not known whether the president himself would appear. It would be the first such appearance by a Union president.
However, the spokesperson was quoted in The Voice Daily on June 15 saying that the government intended to invite ethnic armed groups to attend the Martyrs’ Day ceremony.
The ethnic armed groups could not be reached for comment on the matter.
Last year, vice president Sai Mauk Kham attended the ceremony in Yangon, the highest-ranking official to have attended the ceremony.
Source : Myanmar Times
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