Min Aung Hlaing attended Martyrs' Day ceremony, but Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was not allowed to participate

Photo – The 79th Martyrs' Day ceremony was held at the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon with tight security, but although junta leader Min Aung Hlaing attended, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of the architect of independence, General Aung San, was not allowed to participate this year. (MOI) 001 (July 19) Mizzima. The 79th Martyrs' Day ceremony was held at the Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon with tight security, but although junta leader Min Aung Hlaing attended, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, daughter of the architect of independence, General Aung San, was not allowed to participate this year. Union-level officials, the Speaker of the Parliament, and newly appointed Chiefs of Defence Services attended the ceremony along with Min Aung Hlaing. However, two Vice Presidents of the military junta were not seen at the ceremony. Representing General Aung San's family, U Ye Aung Hlaing, grandson of General Aung San's elder brother U Aung Than, and his wife attended. The couple has been attending the Martyrs' Day ceremony for two consecutive years, representing General Aung San's family. Furthermore, a wreath sent by General Aung San's son U Aung San Oo and his wife was also seen at the ceremony. During this year's Martyrs' Day ceremony, security measures in Yangon were exceptionally tight, with security forces being reinforced around the Martyrs' Mausoleum. According to some Yangon residents, phone lines and communication services were temporarily disrupted in some townships. Although Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to attend some Martyrs' Day ceremonies during the periods she was under house arrest during the previous military government, she has not been allowed to participate in ceremonies since being detained following the 2021 military coup. The military junta has stated that she has been transferred from prison to a designated residence, but her contact with the outside world remains restricted, and Mizzima has not yet been able to confirm her health status or detention conditions. Currently, despite the "Proof of life" campaign demanding concrete evidence that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is alive and well, the military junta continues to keep Daw Aung San Suu Kyi cut off from external contact. After the military coup, the State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was accused in 19 cases and sentenced to a total of 35 years in prison, and is currently serving a sentence of nearly 19 years. Editor – Thant Zaw (Thanlyin)