Strife-torn Myanmar marks 77th anniversary of the assassination of independence hero Gen. Aung San

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar’s military government held a wreath-laying ceremony in the country’s largest city Friday to mark the anniversary of the assassination of the country’s fallen independence heroes, including Gen. Aung San, the father of the country’s ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Neither Suu Kyi, who is imprisoned, nor Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the current head of the army-led government, attended this year’s main ceremony at the Martyrs’ Mausoleum near the foot of the towering Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon. Min Aung Hlaing led the army’s 2021 seizure of power from Suu Kyi’s elected government.

Aung San, who led the independence struggle against Britain, was 32 years old when he was gunned down along with six Cabinet ministers and two other officials 77 years ago. He is considered the architect of Myanmar’s independence from Britain, which was achieved less than six months after his death. A political rival, former Prime Minister U Saw, was tried and hanged for plotting the attack.

The anniversary of his death has been an important day in Myanmar’s calendar for years, but the main ceremony at the mausoleum has had a lower profile since the 2021 military takeover.

The highest-ranking officials present at Friday’s ceremony were Gen. Maung Maung Aye, chief of the combined armed forces and Mahn Nyein Maung and Hmu Htan, all members of the military's ruling council. Suu Kyi’s estranged older brother, Aung San Oo, laid a wreath in front of their father’s tomb with a flag flying at half-staff.

In Yangon, neighborhoods heard wailing sirens and car horns bellowed out for one minute at 10:37 a.m., the time of the 1947 attack.

Scattered rallies by the pro-democracy and the members of armed resistance forces were also held in several cities across the country to...