Orders, decorations, and medals of Myanmar

This article considers the military and civil orders, decorations and medals of Burma.

Military

Order of the Star of the Revolution

Order of the Star of the Revolution

This award was for participation in both military and civil struggles of Burma's independence. This award is granted for service in three different periods:

  1. 8 January to 26 July 1942
  2. 27 July 1942 to 26 March 1945
  3. 27 March to 15 August 1945

Participants in all three periods were awarded the First Class, participants in only two periods received the second class and participants in only in one period were awarded the third class. The provision of this award can be passed down to direct heirs of the original participant and to be worn, multi-generationally, in this fashion similar to the awards bestowed by the ancient Myanmar kings to their loyal subjects. It was established in 1953 and the last Order of the Star of Revolution was awarded on 24 November 1986.

Aung San Thuriya

Aung San Thuriya Medal

Instituted in 1948, the Aung San Thuriya (အောင်ဆန်းသူရိယဘွဲ့) medal is the highest recognition for valour and gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that can be awarded to members of the Myanmar Armed Forces of any ranks in any services. This is the highest military award in Myanmar and it is equivalent to British Victoria Cross and German Knight Cross of the Iron Cross.

The decoration is a one and half inch (3.8 cm) stainless steel stylized sun of sixteen rays. Suspended by an integral straight bar suspender. The name of the recipient name and year of award is engraved on the reverse and the sun was held by two ribbons.

To this day, there have only been 6 Aung San Thuriya medals has been awarded and only one of the recipient is civilian. The recipients are:[1]

Name Rank Serial No. Ethnicity Unit Awarding Order No. Date Battlefield Enemy Forces
Aye Cho Major BC 5180 Burman No. 21 Union Military Police Battalion N/A 1948 Battle of Po Tha Aung Gon Communist Party of Burma (CPB)
Taik Chun Lieutenant BC 7288 Chin No. 1 Chin Rifles Battalion N/A 18/04/1949 Battle of Insein Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO)
Hla Thaung Private 88865 Burman No. 3 Burma Rifles Battalion 10/A Htoo/50 29/04/1949 Battle of Daik-U Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO)
Suk Bahadur Rai Private 01914 Gurkha No. 4 Burma Rifles Battalion 14/A Htoo/51 05/1950 Battle of Tachileik Highway Kuomintang (KMT)
Saw Myint Private 60603 Karen No. 1 Karen Rifles Battalion 3/A Htoo/52 28/06/1951 Battle of Yethogyi Road Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO)
Saw Ba Yi Civilian - Karen - 3/A Htoo/52 28/06/1951 Battle of Yethogyi Road Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO)

Thiha Thura

Thiha Thura Medal

The decoration is a bronze stylized Burmese lion, with the name of the decoration written in Burmese "Thiha Thura" (သီဟသူရ) on the scroll below. The ribbon is 1.25 inches (32 mm), bright red with yellow edges or red with dark green centre stripes.

A total of 46 Thiha Thura Medals has been awarded between 1949 and 2003.[2]

Thura

Thura Medal

A silver depiction of a stylized rising sun with the central sun in red enamel. The ribbon is 32 mm, bright red with yellow edges and a yellow center stripe.

To date, a total of 517 Thura medals has been awarded.

Civil awards

In the Parliamentary Democracy Period after regaining Independence in 1948, the honorary titles and honorary medals in conformity with the independent and sovereign country were created to confer them on the outstanding persons. From 1948 to 1978, the honorary titles and honorary medals conferred on the outstanding persons were as follows:-

  1. Independence Mawgunwin Title (First, Second and Third Classes)
  2. Thingaha Honorary Title
    1. Thudhamma Thingaha
      1. Agga Maha Thirithudhamma Title
      2. Thadoe Thirithudhamma Title
      3. Maha Thirithudhamma Title
    2. Pyidaungsu Sithu Thingaha
      1. Agga Maha Tharaysithu Title
      2. Thadoe Maha Tharaysithu Title
      3. Maha Tharaysithu Title
      4. Tharaysithu Title
      5. Sithu Title
  3. Honorary Title for Gallantry (It had not been awarded)
  4. Honorary Titles for Outstanding Performance
    1. Thiri Pyanchi Title
    2. Wunna Kyawhtin Title
    3. Alinka Kyawswa Title
    4. Theikpa Kyawswa Title
    5. Zeya Kyawhtin Title
  5. Medals for Gallantry
    1. Aung San Thuriya
    2. Thiha Thura
    3. Thura
    4. Aung San Medal
    5. Thiha Bala Medal
    6. Gallantry Medal
    7. Pyidaungsu Gold Medal
    8. Pyidaungsu Silver Medal
    9. Good Military Service Medal
    10. State Good Military Service Medal
    11. Good Police Service Medal (first and second classes)
  6. Medals for Outstanding Performances (It had not been awarded)

In 1978, the Burma Socialist Programme Party issued new provision on honorary titles and honorary medals in conformity with the Socialist System to amend the honorary titles and honorary medals awarded in the Parliamentary Democracy Period. According to new provision, the titles and medals were conferred on those who forged the Socialism, on those who made utmost efforts for improvement of the Socialist economic system and on those who made sacrifice of lives in safeguarding the nation. The honorary titles and medals awarded from 1978 to 1988 were as follows:-

  1. Independence Mawgunwin Medal (First, Second and Third Classes)
  1. Honorary Title
    1. Tagun Group
      1. Aung San Tagun Title
      2. Pyidaungsu Tagun Title
      3. Tagun Title
    2. Zarni Group
      1. Lanzin Zarni Title
      2. Pyidaungsu Zarni Title
      3. Zarni Title
    3. Naingngan Gonyi Title (First and Second Classes) (no permission to use it as prefix or suffix to the name of the winner)
  2. Honorary Titles for Gallantry
    1. Aung San Thuriya Title
    2. Thiha Thura Title
    3. Thura Title
  3. Honorary Titles for Outstanding Performance (It had not been awarded)
  4. Medals for Gallantry
    1. Aung San Medal
    2. Thiha Bala Medal
    3. Gallantry Medal
    4. Ye Thiha Medal
    5. Ye Thura Medal
    6. Ye Bala Medal
  5. Medals for Outstanding Performance
    1. All-round Excellent Performance in Socialist Economy
    2. Excellent Performance in Agricultural Field (First, Second and Third Classes)
    3. Excellent Performance in Industrial Field (First, Second and Third Classes)
    4. All-round Excellent Performance in Socialist Democracy
    5. Excellent Performance in Administrative Field (First, Second and Third Classes)
    6. Excellent Performance in Social Field (First, Second and Third Classes)
    7. Ayaydawpon Medal
    8. Independence Organizing Medal
    9. Medal of Freedom
    10. Good Military Service Medal
    11. Good Public Medal
    12. Medal for those who made sacrifices
    13. State Military Service Medal
    14. Medal for Combating Foreign Enemy
    15. People’s Militia Combat Medal
    16. Ye Thurein Medal
    17. Ye Kyawswa Medal
    18. Ye Kyawthu Medal
    19. Good Police Service Medal
    20. State Police Service Medal
    21. Police Joint Combat Medal
    22. Public Good Service Medal
    23. Public Service Medal
    24. Rule of Law and Order Medal

The honorary titles and medals awarded from 1988 to 2009 were as same as from period of 1978 to 1988. There were no changes in honorary titles and medals and most were awarded in accord with the system practised in the period of Burma Socialist Programme Party.

In 2001, State Peace and Development Council added new categories of medals in the Medals for Outstanding Performance. They were:-

In December 2009, State Peace and Development Council issued the new provision on honorary tiles and honorary medals. The following are the current 16 honorary titles and 22 honorary medals and classes are awarded:-

  1. Thingaha Title
    1. Thudama Thingaha
      1. Agga Maha Thiri Thudama Title
      2. Thadoe Thiri Thudama Title
      3. Maha Thiri Thudama Title
    2. Pyidaungsu Sithu Thingaha
      1. Agga Maha Tharay Sithu Title
      2. Thadoe Maha Tharay Sithu Title
      3. Maha Tharay Sithu Title
      4. Tharay Sithu Title
      5. Sithu Title
  2. Gallantry Title
    1. Aung San Thuriya Title
    2. Thiha Thura Title
    3. Thura Title
  3. Title for Outstanding Performance
    1. Thiri Pyanchi Title
    2. Zeya Kyawhtin Title
    3. Wunna Kyawhtin Title
    4. Alinka Kyawswa Title
    5. Theikpa Kyawswa Title
  4. Gallantry Medal
    1. Aung San Medal
    2. Thiha Bala Medal
    3. Gallantry Medal
    4. Ye Thiha Medal
    5. Ye Thura Medal
    6. Ye Bala Medal
  5. Medal for Outstanding Performance
    1. Myanmar Military Service Thingaha Medal
    2. Good Military Service Medal
    3. Good Public Medal
    4. State Military Service Medal
    5. Medal for Thwarting Foreign Enemy
    6. People’s Militia Combat Medal
    7. Ye Thurein Medal
    8. Ye Kyawswa Medal
    9. Ye Kyaw Thu Medal
    10. Good Police Service Medal
    11. State Police Service Medal
    12. Myanmar Joint Police Combat Medal
    13. Good Public Service Medal
    14. Public Service Medal
    15. Rule of Law and Order Medal
    16. State Peace Medal

In December 5, 2014,the President of Union of Republic of Myanmar issued the order of creation and addition of new categories of the Medals for Outstanding Performance in Administrative, Social, Economy and Subjects fields. They are:-

References

  1. ↑ Defence Museum, Yangon
  2. ↑ The New Light of Myanmar. Missing or empty |title= (help);
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