Taungup: The Burmese military junta has failed to mark Martyr’s Day on 19 July in towns throughout Burma, except in Rangoon, but many people commemorated the day with unofficial ceremonies.

However, people were unable to observe the day sans anxiety because authorities often try to disturb and prevent the commemoration of Martyr’s Day.

In Taungup town in Arakan, a group of NLD leaders commemorated the 63rd anniversary of Martyr's Day and had to put up with many disturbances by the authorities.

A leader, who organized the ceremony said, "The ceremony ended peacefully yesterday in Taungup, but some intelligence officers followed us on motorcycles and closely monitored what the leaders were doing during the day."

Seventy youths attended the ceremony to hear about Burma's Martyr’s Day from NLD township leaders.

"It is Martyr’s Day in Burma and everybody has the chance to commemorate the day honouring martyrs because they sacrificed their lives for Burma's independence, but the authorities treat such ceremonies as being related to political gatherings against the military government," he said.

In Thandwe, the southern district town of Arakan, some townspeople also commemorated Martyr’s Day to honour Bogoke Aung San and other leaders. The people, who participated, also had government officials watching their behaviour.

In Sittwe, the capital of Arakan, the authorities deployed additional security forces at many key places the day before to avoid untoward incidents during Martyr’s Day.

Burmese people observe Martyr’s Day on 19 July every year to mark the assassination of independence hero General Aung San and eight other leading politicians on the same date in 1947.