Tragically, Aung San was murdered with six other ministers during a working session at the Secretariat Building on July 19, 1947, so that he was never able to reap the fruits of his life’s work. Burma gained independence from the colonial British Government on January 4, 1948.

The impressive house is built on a small man-made hill surrounded by a wellkept park and a lot of wellestablished trees. Today, it serves as a museum and for a small entrance fee of 300 kyat ($0.40), you can enter the guarded compound and walk up to get a glimpse of the interior to learn more about the life and work of General Aung San, though put your camera away as no photographs are allowed in the house.

Born on February 13, 1915, at Nautmauk in Magway Region up in Central Myanmar, Aung San (or Maung Htein Lin as his former name) was educated first in the Vernacular High School of Natmauk, then second in the National High School in Yenangyaung, before he became a graduate of the Rangoon (Yangon) University, studying English Literature, Modern History and Political Science.

Becoming a nationally prominent student leader in1936, Aung San also contributed articles to the press and served for some time on the editorial staff of the “New Burma” newspaper, the only Burmese-owned English newspaper in those days. In October 1938, he ended his further studies of law abruptly, in order to join the “Thakin” group, at that time the only militant and nationalistic political party in the country.

As a Thakin leader, he had visited India, and then went to Amoy in China to seek international contacts and aid for his country’s freedom struggle, but later went to Japan and came back to his county early in 1941 to communicate the war plans given by the Japanese to his comrades. Early in 1942, he came to Bangkok and there organized the Burma Independence Army with the help of the Japanese to march into Burma. On September 6, 1942, he married Daw Khin Kyi and had three children with her.

Later, with the inauguration of the so-called Independent State, he became “Defence” Minister, with the rank of Major-General, but started to form an anti-Japanese Resistance Movement. In contact with the Allied Headquarters since 1943, he led the open general uprising against the Japanese on March 27, 1945. The rest is history.   

If you enter the house via the prescribed way, you enter a dining room first, where you find an extract to read from his speech for unity at “Panglong” in Shan State in 1947. One day later a treaty was signed. Then you enter the reception and living room with a pleasant portrait of Aung San and other framed photos.

A staircase brings you then to the second floor of the house, where you find the three bedrooms, with toilet and bathroom, for his children, namely Aung San Suu Kyi and her two elder brothers, Aung San Oo and Aung San Lin. There is another meeting room, where you can read on the wall: “No constitution in the world is perfect.” A poignant reminder in present times.

After that, you enter the master bedroom, which is connected to an up-stairs Buddhist altar room. Finally, you reach the library room with a writing table and some book shelves. On one side of the room, there are still some 240 books encased behind glass and systematically noted down. Next to some government reports from Burma, India and Japan, I singled out the small “Spate” booklet “Burma Setting” (1944) and “Ideas have Legs,” written by Peter Howard in 1940.

Wandering outside in the park, you pass an old automobile, Type Wolseley from England, accepted at the end of January 1947. Its driver, Kyaw Sein, has long since passed away. There is also a large lotus pond, where Aung San Lin, the second son of Aung San, unluckily drowned in 1953 at the age of eight.     
        
The homely museum, located on aptly-titled Bogyoke Aung San Museum Street, is open daily from 10:00 am to 16:30 pm. except on public holidays. On Martyrs Day (July 19), entrance is free of charge. Don’t miss a visit to this remarkable heritage when in Yangon.