Burmese Flag Analysis
- What group/place does this flag represent?
- This is the flag of Myanmar, where it represents the Burmese and several distinct ethnic groups that make up Myanmar.
- Visual description
- The Burmese flag is rectangle with stripes of yellow, green and red with a white star in the center, which are Myanmar’s national colors. The design is balanced and simple with the three stripes and the centered star. It follows the flag design guideline in being simple with no lettering. It is in some ways simpler and more balanced than the old flag, which consists of an intricate design in the corner. The intricate design included a cogwheel and a rice plant with a ring of 17 stars that represent its regions and states.
- Symbolism (meaning)
- The yellow represents solidarity with the ethnic groups, the green reflects the country’s rich vegetation and peace, the red symbolizes courage and decisiveness and the white star represents the consolidated union.
- Associations/Relations
- It is not related to the flag of Ghana, but it is associated with it because of its similarity in design and colors. I remember when it was changed, my Burmese friends complained about how similar they were.
- Background and Context
- This flag was adopted at 3 pm on October 21st, 2010. When the government was replacing the old with the new flag, only officials born on a Tuesday were allowed to lower the old flag while only the ones born on a Wednesday raised the new flag. The day on which a person is born is an essential part of the Burmese culture and Buddhist practice in Burma. The time at which the new flag was adopted was also calculated and significant. The number 9 is favorable in Myanmar. If you add the two numbers seen in 21 (the date it was adopted) and the digits in year 2010, they both add to three. If you add these threes with the digit of 3 from the time the new flag was adopted, it adds up to nine. A new flag was designed to reflect the changes in political systems in Myanmar. After decades of oppressive military junt,a which began with the dictatorship controlled by General Than Shwe, the country progressed towards liberalization starting from 2010.
Sources:
Myanmar (Burma). Accessed February 05, 2017. http://myanmarflag.facts.co/myanmarflagof/myanmarflag.php.
“Myanmar country profile.” BBC News. December 02, 2016. Accessed February 05, 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-12990563.
“Southeast Asia: Burma.” The World Factbook. Accessed February 05, 2017. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/print_bm.html.
