8 July
Upon the arrival of July, the cause attached to the national spirits has led us to remember the Martyrs’ Day on which national patriotic leaders including Bogyoke Aung San and eight national leaders were assassinated by extremists. Myanmar nationals celebrate Independence Day in January; in February they celebrate Union Day and in March, the Armed Forces’ Day. When it is drizzling in July, Myanmar nationals begin to remember the Martyrs’ Day mournfully.
Historical records left behind
By the time national leaders were assassinated we were not born and brought up, but we still remember our national leaders as Martyrs up until now. They did something unusually to the cause of freedom of our country; Bogyoke Aung San died tragically young together with other national leaders young and old alike. We cannot help not only forgetting the tragic incidents of our beloved martyrs but also not to be able to forgotten Myanmar future generations. Martyrs’ Day cannot be forgotten until the end of the world, thus giving the way to leave historical records. Moreover, our leaders highly respected and beloved by our people were assassinated on 19 July and so were other national leaders in their respective countries in the world. Our nationals should get convinced deeply about the tragic accident of our national leaders so that we must try to improve the national morale.
Flouring keenly
Martyrs’ Day is celebrated yearly without fail to show and not to forget that Bogyoke Aung San and other national leaders made sacrifices for the cause of our country’s freedom. They made an endeavour to gain independence at the risk of their own lives. The young generation should know about it. They made sacrifices for the country and its people to flourish national spirits.
Remembrance forever in daily newspapers
We have seen preparations in daily newspapers for holding Martyrs’ Day; they must highly laudable. Our national leaders risked their own lives to gain independence for the country and the people. Our people were saddened to lose our leaders because they faced untimely death.
Our people put much value on our Martyrs in order to remember and vow them forever; it is the wish which belongs to all national races of the country. Our people imbued with the extraordinary morale of the martyrs, the young generation will boost patriotism and self-sacrifice to build a new modern society as expected.
Reduction in the morale of martyrs would impel us to have self-love and self-seeking. It would be unable to distinguish between mistakes and truth, good and bad, with our country falling into ruin. It is a great loss to our country when our national leaders were killed in action. The loss of national leaders leads us to remember them and to have national spirits like martyrs. The new young generation should understand inhuman acts to seize power of our country; depending on arms, actions of putting our country into a ruinous state must be rejected. These actions are not only somewhat similar to that of assassination of our leaders but also sending our country into a ruinous state.
Alerted by patriotism
Ceremonies for Martyrs’ Day at a designated time and place on 19 July are held yearly for the memorial services and vow to the fallen leaders who risked their own lives for freedom of our country so that their good deeds and sacrifices should be remembered. At the risk of their own lives, the independence was gained with difficulties, letting the next generation know with patriotism to be alerted.
Proliferation of martyrdom
Nowadays, people remember and pay respects to our martyrs to be able to the young generation our inheritance. Today youths must be imbued with patriotism like beloved martyrs so that they should remember not in a year, but the morale of martyrs thriving daily.
By Maung Nyein Aye
(Translated by Arakan Sein)
