Myanmar marks 73rd Martyrs' Day with flowers, respect and masks

Yangon: Myanmar commemorated the 73rd Martyrs Day on Sunday, July 19 with senior government officials in attendance wearing masks and keeping safe distances from eachother to mitigate the risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus.

The public were also permitted to attend local commemorative events with appropriate social distancing. But attendance was sparse with many opting to stay at home to watch the ceremony at the Martyr Mausoleum in Yangon live on television. Myanmar has recorded 341 positive of Corona virus including six deaths, with 273 people recovered.

"Martyrs' Day at one time became extinct due to a political crisis. We young people are responsible for preserving Martyrs' Day so that it doesn't not fade during the Covid 19 outbreak. I have dared to come to the event to pay my respects as the infection rate of coronavirus in Myanmar has slowed down compared to that of neighboring countries." said Yin Yin Phyo Thu, resident of Yangon.

University student Kyaw Swer said- "The public is paying their respect to the martyrs and General Aung San in this park with precautionary measures and social distancing for Covid 19 as the state leaders have organized the state commemoration of Martyrs Day this morning. We came here out of respect and also to get ourselves political motivation for 2020, the year of transition (of general election)"

General Aung San, who is the father of current State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, was assassinated in the meeting room at the secretarial office in Yangon in 1947.