Myanmar

2:3 and 6:11 Variants of the National Flag

2:3, Željko Heimer

6:11, Željko Heimer

The flag was adopted on 3 January 1974, the year when Burma became the Socialist Republic of the Burmese Federation. Since then the state has changed its name, but not its flag. The fourteen stars are for 14 states, the cog wheel and rice are for industry and agriculture.
Željko Heimer, 24 February 1996

From http://www3.itu.int/missions/Myanmar/flag.htm:

The State Flag is rectangular in shape and its background colour is red with a dark blue canton at the top left corner. A pinion and ears of paddy encircled with fourteen white stars of equal size have been superimposed on the dark blue field of the canton.

The center of the pinion coincides with the center of the blue canton. The pinion has fourteen cogs of equal size and within it are two ears of paddy consisting of 34 grains. At the top of each cog of the pinion is a star with five vertices.

Of the three colours of the flag, red signifies courage and decisiveness, white signifies purity and virtue and dark blue signifies peace and integrity.
contributed by Dov Gutterman, 7 March 1999

Significant Dates

4 January 1974. New flag and new constitution ('Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma')
26 September 1988. New country name ('Union of Burma'), no flag change.
19 June 1989. New country name ('Union of Myanma', or 'Mynamar'), no flag change.
Ivan Sache, 28 January 2001

The flag (in its present form) was established by Decree No. 109 of the Revolutionary Council, published in the Rangoon Guardian of 27 December 1973.
Christopher Southworth, 8 April 2005

The current national emblem was officially adopted on 3rd January 1974 in accordance with Article 191/192 of the constitution of the Union of Myanmar which was adopted by the national referendum conducted in the previous year. However on 18 September 1988 the state law and order restoration council took over the responsibilities of the state. The previous Socialist system ceased to exist when the new government adopted a new policy towards establishing a multiparty democratic system along with a market-oriented economic policy. Therefore the Myanmar word meaning "socialist republic" was deleted from the emblem. Except for that minor alteration the other features of the state emblem remain unchanged.
Received from the Myanmar Embassy to Japan by Nozomi Kariyasu, 16 April 1999

Dimensions

The illustration in Chapter XIV, Article 190 of the Constitution of 4 January 1974 (and accompanying text) shows a hitherto unknown ratio of 5:8, with a canton in proportions of 4:5 occupying 55% of the flag's width. If this were not enough, the list of colours gives the "rice stalk" as "yellow"? The drawing of this rice stalk, of the cog wheel and of the stars is far too crude (and indeed uneven) for specification purposes, but in approximate figures and assuming a flag of 240 x 384 units the hoist would read 132-108 and the length 165-219, the complete emblem is contained within an imaginary circle of diameter equaling 128 units with each star at 13.5 units, the outer rim of the cogwheel at 93 units and the inner blue circle at 58 units diameter.

A quick look at the various official websites of Myanmar, appears to confirm that the flag as currently flown has a ratio of 5:9, that the canton is one-half the width of the flag and in proportions of 5:8, and that the emblem occupies some 88 - 90% the width of the canton. Whether this reflects the Decree of 1973 or some later
legislation is a matter of conjecture.
Christopher Southworth, 8 April 2005
 

From: http://www3.itu.int/missions/Myanmar/seal.htm, the image of the seal:

The distinguishing features of the State Seal are as follows:-

a) At the center of the State Seal is a pinion with fourteen equal-sized cogs on which the map of Myanmar is superimposed. The pinion and the map are encircled with two ears of paddy.

b) The ears of paddy are flanked on each side by an artistic Myanmar Lion. The lion on the right side faces towards the right and the one on the left side faces towards the left.

c) The words "The Union of Myanmar" are inscribed in Myanmar below the lions and the ears of paddy.

d) At the top of the State Seal is a star with five vertices.

e) Myanmar floral designs are etched on either side of the ears of paddy and the star.
contributed by Dov Gutterman, 7 March 1999

President's Flag

by Martin Grieve

Petersen (1971) shows an orange flag with a peacock as the president's flag.
Michael Smuda, 22 October 2001

Crampton (1990) shows a very similar flag and says: "The flag of the President (1948-62) was orange with a peacock in the centre."  However, Barraclough
(1965) still showed the orange flag with the peacock, while Barraclough and Compton (1981) says: "Prior to 1974 there was a flag for the President, but it is
uncertain if this still is in use".
Mark Sensen, 22 October 2001

Pedersen (1970) reported "The flag shows Burma's national symbol, the peacock, which was used from about 1800 as a Royal Beast by the last King of Burma."
Ivan Sache, 2 May 2002

Evans (1959), Carr (1961), Kannik (1959) all imply this flag was in use since 1948.
Jarig Bakker, 17 September 2002

Rangoon Port Commissioner

by Blas Delgado Ortiz