4 June
Vice President U Myint Swe held discussions at the meeting yesterday about preparations for holding the 73rd Anniversary Martyrs’ Day which will be held on 19 July.
The meeting was held at the meeting hall of the President’s Office in Nay Pyi Taw.
The Vice President, in his capacity as the patron of the central committee for organizing the Martyrs’ Day, said that the event aimed to remember the martyrs, including Bogyoke Aung San, who sacrificed their lives, blood and sweat, and were assassinated on 19 July 1947 while they were striving for national independence.
This memorial event had been held annually for 73 years to keep up the national spirit of the country.
The Vice President also discussed the formation of respective committees for organizing the 73rd Anniversary Martyrs’ Day under order number 69/2020 of the Office of the President on 13 May.
The 21-member the Central Committee was established with Vice President U Myint Swe as the patron, Union Minister for Religious Affairs and Culture Thura U Aung Ko as the chairman and Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein as the vice-chairman, to implement three major tasks for adopting policies to hold the Martyrs’ Day, to lead work committee and security committee and to manage security measures at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum, Bogyoke Aung San Museum and the Secretariat (former Office of the Ministers).
The 27-member Work Committee is led by the Yangon Region Chief Minister to carry out three tasks, while the 16-member Security Committee is chaired by the Deputy Minister for Home Affairs to perform 12 works.
The 8-member sub-committees will also implement respective works for the successful holding of the event.
Vice President U Myint Swe gave the following directives to prevent and control Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), in addition to the common tasks of previous anniversary events.
For the 72nd anniversary, the state-owned newspapers, radios and television channels broadcast about the Martyrs’ Day ahead of the event.
It was also honoured with laying wreaths at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum and paying tributes to the fallen national leaders, arrangement for public access to Bogyoke Aung San’s residence, the national flag flying at half-mast, displays of exhibitions and offering meals to members of the Sangha at Zabuthiri Hall of Nay Pyi Taw Council Office and the Yangon City Hall, dedicated to the fallen martyrs on 19 July.
The Vice President emphasized to strictly follow the directives and regulations for the prevention of COVID-19 in organizing the Martyrs’ Day and to discuss whether to allow public access to the meeting room where the martyrs were assassinated and the parliamentary meeting hall this year due to the status of the existing pandemic and ensuring strength of the Bogyoke Aung San Museum building; making sure that his belongings were displayed as was done the previous year and making sure that the garden looked beautiful and neat in the museum compound.
The Vice President also discussed the works of the Security Committee, the duties of the Ministry of Information to publish news, information articles, interviews related to Martyrs’ Day, Bogyoke Aung San speeches, songs, the record of efforts made for Independence, movies, newspapers, radio and television for the public, as well as sounding the siren at 10:37 am on 19th July.
Union Minister Thura U Aung Ko briefed on the formation of work committees and its sub-committees for organizing the event.
Yangon Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein and Yangon Mayor U Maung Maung Soe reported on preparations of the work committees, including invitations, offering meals to members of the Sangha, wreath laying ceremony, healthcare services and disciplinary measures at the event.
Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Soe Tint Naing presented preparations for security affairs.
The members of respective committees also reported on their works for organizing the event, followed by the coordination of the Vice President on the discussions.—MNA (Translated by Aung Khin)
