Across Myanmar, statues honoring legendary independence leader Aung San are disappearing one by one. Official statements from military-backed authorities cite “incorrect proportions and shapes,” while scholars see a deliberate effort to erase his memory from public life and, by extension, to undermine the legitimacy of the elected government the junta overthrew.
Aung San, revered as the country’s founding father, founded the military, united the nation’s diverse ethnic groups, and championed a nationalist movement that ultimately secured independence from British colonial rule.
Since his assassination a few months after brokering the historic 1947 Panglong bansa that set the framework for modern Myanmar, his statues have stood watch over a nation he never had the chance to lead. Many of these monuments were erected during the brief democratic interlude when his daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, governed through the National League for Democracy before the military seized power again in February 2021.
The removal reflects an attempt to “diminish” Aung San’s legacy, says James Char, an assistant professor of Asian history and international relations at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. He warns that the project may take years to complete—and that any benefits are unlikely to materialize for General Min Aung Hlaing, who now pursues regional recognition after an election widely criticized as fraudulent.
Min Aung Hlaing’s ongoing outreach—mending ties with Thailand and Laos and deepening relations with China and India—relies on a version of history that the removed statues seem to contradict, according to scholars.”
