Martyrs' Day is a public holiday and remembrance day in Myanmar that commemorates eight leaders of the pre-independence interim Burmese government that were assassinated on July 19, 1947.
Following the end in the Second World War, negotiations for Burmese independence began.
In April 1947, general elections were held to form the constituent assembly.
On July 19, 1947, several interim government leaders held a cabinet meeting at the Secretariat Building in Yangon.
In the midst of the meeting, a group of armed paramilitaries burst into the Secretariat and shot down eight ministers, Thakin Mya, Ba Cho, Abdul Razak, Ba Win, Mahn Ba Khaing, Sao San Tun and Ohn Maung and Prime Minister Aung Sun.
The only person to survive was Minister of Finance Tin Tun.
The assassinations were planned and carried out by a rival political group led by U Saw, former Prime Minister of Burma.
U Saw and his accomplices were arrested and executed.
After Myanmar was declared an independent state in 1948, July 19 was proclaimed a public holiday.
The first ever ceremony was officiated by Myoma U Than Kywe.
