Taukkyan war cemetery
There are so many wars along the history from the very beginning to the modern period. Among these wars, the Second World War is the largest and the most destructive one filled with a vast number of sacrifices and regretful events. During the Second World War (1939-1945), the Nippon Army of powerful Japan in the orient and the Allied Forces, composed by the British colonies with the leadership of Britain conflicted at the battlefields over Myanmar. At the same time, the independent struggles of patriotic Myanmar people were at its' climax.
The British writer Gorge Orwell mentioned that "There is no winner in a war, but survival only". There is no reason to deny the fact that war means bloodshed, parting, sorrow and vast destruction. Aiming to remind the meaning and nature of war, prevention the occurrence of such cruel wars in the future, War-Cemeteries were built to honour those whom their lives were scarified in the fighting, by the sponsorship of Commonth-Wealth Countries (once British colonies).
As a result, 3 war-cemeteries were built in Myanmar;
(1) 1939 Taukkyan War Cemetery 1945 which is the most well-known War-Cemetery and the largest of its' kind in Myanmar, lying 21 miles to the North of Yangon capital
(2) Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Mon State, dedicated to those fell in the construction of the Death Railway (famous as The Bridge on the River Kwai movie to the world)
(3)Yangon War Cemetery which is unknown, even to most natives of the city, yet it is just little far-off No. 353 Pyay Road in Sanchaung township close to the back ofSarpay Beikman Press and deep inside the Yangon city area.
These war-cemeteries in Myanmar are varied in their localities and number of dead. Body but similar in the excellent model of architectural design, ground plan and common features. These are established and trusted by the COMMON Wealth War-grave Commission stationed Head-Office at Maidenhead in England. Based on the practice and custom of England, these places prefer a graveyard to a garden-land, without the scene of headstones as they are covered with a carpet of green-grass, especially well-care grass with beautiful flowers as well as keeping tidy and neat in anyway.
Apart 21 miles away from the heart of Yangon, Taukkyan War Cemetery is located to the East of No. 1 Main-Road going down to the city. It was opened on 9 February, 1958 by the then Head of Government together with Mr. Francis testing, Ex-colonel and war veteran. It was come out of the Long-memory of the Westerners on their war deads and the generosity of Myanmar people in a spirit of harmony.
It is a rectangle-shape plot and spacious ground covered an area of about 1.4 acres. The wall facing to the road is made of stone and contains a height of waist. Inside the cemetery-compound, it seems to be covered a carpel of green-grass, suggesting a work of well taken care with beautiful flowers. There are pathways made of cement and headstones dotted in row by row. As of being straight as a line, the pathways are paralleled and crossing at right-angle thus, assuming chessboards pattern and something to look very beautiful. Over all, the site is seemed more a cemetery-compound than a beautiful garden in tidy and neat style as the architectural formation is in excellent model.
This cemetery-compound serves the perpetual resting place for naval-forces, infantry-troops and air-fighters of many nations such as Palestinians, Nigerians, Canadians, Britishes, New-Zealanders, Australians, Frenchs, American, Indian, Myanmar and so on.
Close to the main-gate, there is a stone-inscription of Remembrance and impression "THEIR NAMES LIVETH FOREVER". The physical body decays and dies but their supreme-sacrifice for all men to free and their spirit will live forever.
As you go toward a little-more, there is the Cross of Sacrifice about 20 feet height and a figure of sword in bas-relief Crowned over the cross. Beyond that and at the centre-of cemetery-compound, there is main-structure called Memorial-Point. The flat-roofing and circular at its' centre is supported by a tall double-colonnades which are, in fact, rectangular-columns. They serve two functions simultaneously, supporting the roofing and bearing the names of war-deads as inscriptions on both-sides. They are not conical form but a rectangle-stone-slabs with broad-faces and such a high. They seem to be the wings of central circle and are 56 columns each side. The names of thousand soldiers are inscribed on the faces from the top to the bottoms. The entire-length of colonnade from one top to another end is 315 feet and its' high-up in the mid-portion of the colonnade records "Here are recorded the name of twenty seven thousand soldiers of many races united in service to the British Crown who gave their lives in Burma and Assam but to whom the fortune of war denied the customary rites accorded to their comrades in death". It is crowned by another sentence; " THEY DIED FOR ALL FREE MEN". Furthermost at one side, there is a stone-wall with inscriptions of more names which is "In Honour of those officers and men who died in Battle and Whose Remains were Committed to Fire".
The headstones, in fact, are the major-theme of any war cemetery. The weather-resistant plaques on the top, usually acknowledge the visitor to have many sources to think The dead-body may be varied from private, captain to colonel, the most suitable word and for them is telescoped by a word "A soldier, yet the emblems or top plates mention their ranks and names. One of the surprising fact is that some of the plaques depict a symbol of the soldier's concern. The most common symbol is the CHRISTIAN-Cross. The Gurkha or their units are represented by a boomerang-knife of the Nepal whereas a pagoda or dancing-peacock is the symbol of Myanmar people.
On the whole, they are variant in ranks, unit, nationalities, the same themes are that they laid themselves down for the sake of all free men, died in their teen's only, rest on a spacious ground. Supposing they are in peace beyond their death and their-spirit will be purification, the cemetery-compound is well cared to be an enjoyable place and scenic garden so as to release the grief of kins concerned and also monotony of visitors anyway.
In fact, the dead-body of war could not fed any consciousness and don't know about the beautiful environs for the peace and purification for their souls, but they seem to remind us the destiny, the meaning of war whatever it may be right or wrong, beyond their death.
Anyway, one should visit this cemetery for study, research, sympathy or inspiration for reflective thinking. The war-cemetery will surely give you something for your life and concept, yet you may know or not.
Book Title : Aspects of Myanmar Culture Presented By : Tim Mg Oo (B.A. English) Licensed Tour Guide