Orders, decorations, and medals of Burma

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 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	N/A	Burman	No. 3 Union Military Police Battalion	N/A	1948	Battle of Po Tha Aung Gon	Communist Party of Burma (CPB)
Taik Chun	Lieutenant	N/A	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" 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

• Thiri Thudhamma Thingaha (Order of Thiri Thudhamma)
• Pyidaungsu Sithu Thingaha (Order of Union of Burma)

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:-

• Excellent Performance in Arts (First, Second and Third Classes)
• Excellent Performance in Science (First, Second and Third Classes)
• Excellent Performance in Medical Field (First, Second and Third Classes)
• Excellent Performance in Technology (First, Second and Third Classes)

In December of 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

References

1. ^ Defence Museum, Yangon
2. ^ The New Light of Myanmar.