The military has removed the bronze statue of General Aung San located in downtown Bago, Bago Region, by cutting off electricity and dismantling it during the night, according to local residents. The incident occurred at midnight on August 7, when military forces arrived with crane trucks to remove the statue situated near No. 1 Basic Education School, at the intersection of Pagoda Road and Taungoo Road, Hospital Road and 30th Street, directly opposite the Bago Region Government Office.
According to local residents, the military completely cut off electricity in the area during the removal operation and arrived with crane trucks and military vehicles. They also demolished the statue’s base, and the area remained without electricity even after the statue’s removal was complete. Local sources reported that the operation was carried out under complete darkness, with military personnel using cranes and other heavy equipment to dismantle and remove the monument.
In a similar incident, around 12:30 AM on July 28, the military also removed another statue of General Aung San located near Pyabba Market between Thanlwin Road and Zawgyi Road in Pyinmana Township, Naypyidaw. The military used crane trucks and backhoe loaders to remove this statue and also demolished its platform. Both incidents occurred during nighttime hours and appear to have been planned and executed by military forces in a coordinated manner.
According to military sources, the removal of General Aung San’s statues might be related to a superstitious ritual of the military leadership, though images of General Aung San continue to be displayed and saluted within military battalions and units. It has been noted that the removed statues were those erected during the National League for Democracy (NLD) government’s administration. Military sources have indicated that while these particular statues are being removed, large portraits of General Aung San remain hanging in military installations, and there have been no orders to remove these portraits.
