2 April

THE museum in the Secretariat building, which is currently undergoing renovation, is scheduled to be opened in July, said officials. The renovation project for the museum cost over K20 million, they said.

The cultural heritage museum will feature two showrooms— one will be dedicated to martyrs and the second will serve as a parliamentary exhibition hall.
“The museum will open in July. The estimated cost of the project is over K20 million,” said Dr. Maung Maung Thein, the chairman of the Secretariat Conservation Trust.

“Nowadays, the majority of youth are not aware of the history of our independence struggle. Therefore, we decided to open this museum. The museum will have two main showrooms. We will also permit events of different types at the museum. We haven’t signed contracts with any organization yet,” said Dr. Maung Maung Thein.

The museum will charge an entrance fee from visitors, he added.

“The renovation of the Secretariat building is almost complete.

In fact, 90 per cent of the work has been finished. But, we still need to renovate some parts of the showrooms. We will try to finish as soon as possible, and expect to complete the project by early July. In spite of charging an entrance fee, it will take us 30 years to recover the capital investment and interest,” he added.

The Secretariat building is a prominent landmark in Myanmar history. The museum which will be housed in the building is expected to turn into a popular site for both tourists and locals.— Maung Myint

(Translated by Hay Mar)