Burma

On the 1st of August 1943 the Japanese replaced their own military government with a puppet government and declared Burma an independent State. The new flag was a horizontal yellow-green-red tricolour with the badge of Burma in the centre. This was the first time the modern colours were used in a flag. In 1945 a stylized version of the flag was designed, it featured a gold peacock.

British troops regained Burma at the end of the Second World War in 1945 and the blue ensign flag of British Burma was reinstated.

After the assassination of General Aung San and several of the leaders of the pre-independence government, Burma decided not to join the British Commonwealth and became the independent Union of Burma.

The first flag of the independent country was hoisted on the 4th January 1948, it was a plain red field with a blue canon top left with a large white five-pointed star surrounded by 5 smaller five pointed stars. The largest star represents the Union and the five other stars represent the 5 states of Burma.

When Burma became a socialist republic in 1974 the image on the state flag was changed to a corncob and a cogwheel surrounded by 14 five-pointed stars. When the countries name was changed to the Union of Myanmar in 1988 the flag remained the same.

In 2006 a new flag was proposed that was a green-yellow-red horizontal tricolour with a white five-pointed star in the top left hand corner and in 2007 the modern yellow-green-red flag with large white star in the centre was designed. The 2007 flag was adopted on the 21st October 2010.

The State Seal of Burma/Myanmar was adopted in 2008 and features a golden map of Burma surrounded by laurel and two Chinthe, lion like creatures, and traditional Burmese flowers. Above is a golden five-pointed star and below is the title “State Seal of Burma”

The previous state seal of Burma is similar, but featured two blue Chinthe and a white five-pointed star and cogwheel. And at one point the green peacock was the state symbol.