Nay Pyi Taw, March 26
The statues of six Aung San Thuriya title winners were unveiled this morning to mark the 74th Anniversary Armed Forces Day, at the Memorial to the Fallen Heroes (Nay Pyi Taw), which was built in order to acknowledge Myanmar heroes who scarified their lives for independence and sovereignty of the country; to honour the heroes who sacrifi ced their lives in demonstrating their remarkable valor and gallantry after Myanmar gained independence with sovereignty and to make the younger generations remember those heroes; and to instill the younger generations with the love and willingness to sacrifice for motherland. The ceremony was attended and opened by Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.
Also present on the occasion were Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Union ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, Lt-Gen Sein Win and Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air)General Mya Tun Oo, retired senior military officers (Army, Navy and Air), senior military officers from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief, commander of Nay Pyi Taw Command and responsible persons.
In his greetings, the Senior General said that statues were built to honor winners of Aung San Thuriya title,the highest recognition for valor and gallantry demonstrated for the country and Tatmadaw. In Tatmadaw’s history, there were six heroes who won Aung San Thuriya medal who sacrificed their lives to perform their duties in independence struggle and post-independence period.Major Aung San Thuriya Aye Cho was the first to win the title as he fought with remarkable valour and strong morale the combined forces of White Flag Communist Party and insurgents in Poe Tha Aung bridge battle on 19 August, 1948.
Captain Aung San Thuriya Tai Chon (aka) Tai Kaung received Thuya title for his bravery in the face of bigger forces from Red Flag Communist Party in the south of Myebon on 28 October, 1947. He won the Aung San Thuriya title as he risked his life in raiding the enemy’s fortress in Saw Bwa Gyi Gon and U Seikkein Monastery battles in April, 1949. And private Aung San Thuriya Hla Thaung was awarded the title for his outstanding valor which he displayed in 3rd Burma Rifles Battalion’s resistance against insurgent attacks at the DaikU battlefront on 28 April, 1949.
Private Aung San Thuriya Suk Bahdur Rai was awarded the title because he managed to kill over 100 invading Kuomintang troops while they were marching to Tarlay-Pankhihak in southern Shan State on June 17, 18 in 1950 in spite of the rains of bullets coming from the enemy. Private Aung San Thuriya Saw Myint won the award as he risked his life and successfully led four civilians to rescue Colonel Maung Maung and his troops detained by insurgents in Yay Thoe Gyi Village, on 28 June, 1951. And Aung San Thuriya Saw Ba Yi was the only civilian to have won the medal for his voluntary participation and sacrifice in rescue operation of Colonel Maung Maung and his troops. The souls of Tatmadawmen who sacrificed their lives for the State and Tatmadaw will gather at the memorial and protect the Tatmadaw, Tatmadawmen and the country for now and ever.
The Senior General said the memorial to the fallen heroes was established with the statues of those who won Aung San Thuriya titles with the aim of ensuring that the posterity remembers the martyrs and inculcating a nationalistic spirit and a sense of serving the country at risk of life in new generation youths. So, the new generation youths are urged to try to become human resources who have strong nationalistic fervor and patriotism by serving their future country like those who won Aung San Thuriya titles and in accord with the four oaths of Tatmadawmen.
Then, retired senior military officers (Army, Navy and Air) unveiled the statues of six heroes who won Aung San Thuriya titles. The Senior General and party viewed the statues.The Senior General and retired senior military officers laid wreaths at the memorial, saluted the fallen heroes who sacrificed their lives for the State and the Tatmadaw and signed the guestbook. The two feet-high statues were carved of marble and their plinth is four feet high.
