Yangon - Myanmar's ruling junta on Sunday briefly detained 21 pro-democracy activists Sunday who were marching to commemorate Martyr's Day, which honours among others the father of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, witnesses and security sources said. Despite tight police security, about 30 pro-democracy activists marched to the Martyr's Mausoleum Sunday morning to commemorate the July 19, 1947 assassinations of Aung San and 10 other independence heroes.
Police detained 21 of the marchers, including Naw Ohn Hla, a former member of the National League for Democracy opposition party, who was wearing a T-shirt with Aung San's picture on it, security sources said. They were released after questioning.
Three journalists had their camera confiscated for attempting the film the march, witnesses said.
The equipment was later returned.
Martyr's Day is a national holiday commemorating the assassination of Myanmar independence hero Aung San, his brother Ba Win, six cabinet ministers and three others on the orders of rival politician U Saw.
Myanmar's junta last year downgraded it from a national-level ceremony hosted by the Culture Minister to a Yangon municipal event in an apparent effort to diminish the memory of Aung San, the father of Suu Kyi, who has become a symbol of the opposition National League for Democracy opposition party.
This year's 62nd anniversary of Martyr's Day was hosted by Yangon City Mayor Brig Gen Aung Thein Lin with no senior generals or diplomats in attendance.
"No diplomats were invited to attend this year. We invited some government officials, non-governmental organizations, social organizations and relatives of fallen leaders," an official who requested anonymity said.
