We have downtown Yangon’s Bogyoke Aung San Road, named after the father of independence and the father of Aung San Suu Kyi.
But Aung San Suu Kyi Bridge? That’s another story.
Photos circulated widely on Facebook today show what may be the first bridge in the country named after ‘The Lady.’
The small concrete structure in Bago Region’s Thanatpin Township took the place of a rickety wooden predecessor that was long overdue for replacement.
A sign commemorating the bridge says it was built in honor of “World Nobel Prize award winner Daw Aung San Suu Kyi” on the occasion of her birthday on June 19, 2015.
That wasn’t just another birthday for Suu Kyi. She turned 70.
The photo taken with one image is dated September 13, which could explain the delay in getting the news out to a wider audience.
The head of the National League for Democracy, Suu Kyi spent 15 years under house arrest in Yangon.
Although the measure was lifted in 2010 and Suu Kyi is now an elected lawmaker, she is still not allowed to run for president due to a section of the constitution barring anyone with a foreign spouse or children from holding the top job. Suu Kyi’s sons are British.
But in a country where bridges are being named after you, that rule looks more antiquated than it normally does.
Photos / Facebook / Si Si Roser
