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Myanmar: 2007 flag proposals

by António Martins-Tuválkin, 12 June 2008

Description of the flag
Construction sheet
Earlier flag proposal

Description of the flag

According to reports the constitutional convention has now finished its job and the constitution has found its final wording. The flag enshrined in the final document is the yellow, green, and red flag reported earlier, but the star is not positioned in the upper, green stripe, as suggested before. In the final version the star is centered and enlarged so that it reaches into the upper and lower stripes.

Quoting "The New Light of Myanmar" newspaper for 3. September 2007, here is the section on the flag:

Chapter XIII
State Flag, State Seal, National Anthem and the Capital Regarding the State Flag,
"(1) The State Flag shall be prescribed as follows: The Flag is marked with yellow, green and red stripes in a proportionate ratio. On the green stripe in the centre of the State Flag is a large white star covering all the three stripes directing upwards.
"(2) Law shall be promulgated concerning the State Flag."

The drawing above is based on the report in "The Irrawaddy" for 3. September 2007, see: http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8478. It should be emphasized that the flag is far from being run up the flagpole. The constitution has yet to be adopted and it remains unclear when it will come into effect (or if it will at all). Unsurprisingly, both the constitution and the new flag is being criticized by the opposition to Myanmar's military government.
Jan Oskar Engene, 9 September 2007

At website http://burmadigest.info/2008/03/28/2008-constitution-of-burma/ the new State Constitution of Myanmar (2008) is published (in Burmese language). At the page nr.190 of the pdf-files
http://burmadigest.info/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/constitution-2008.pdf one finds the images of the new emblem and of the new flag.
Jens Pettke, 5 June 2008

A quick exchange of emails with Jos Poels revealed that the same document is available from the website of the Myanmar mission at the UN in Switzerland, indicating the document has official status:
http://mission.itu.ch/MISSIONS/Myanmar/pressrelease_PMGev/NationalConstitution(Draft)2008.pdf.
Jan Oskar Engene, 5 June 2008

Construction sheet

by António Martins-Tuválkin, 12 June 2008

Trusting this document (near p. 190), the new flag of Burma is a horizontal tricolor of yellow over green over red with a large upright five-pointed white star horizontally centered on it, overlapping all three stripes. The exact image used on the Constitution (at least in its pdf version) uses for each stripe multiple contiguous areas of similar color shades, surely the result of ill-chosen jpg-format for the flag image, but not less authoritative for that. Much worse, and harder to get right, is the fact that the star is shown clearly squeezed horizontally, enscribed in a vertically elongated ellipse of ratio ~79:85. Stretching the whole flag back (108%), the star becomes a regular starry pentagon and the overall ratio 4:7. The circle enscribing the star has a diameter of 6/7ths of the flag height; it is not vertically centered, but offset to the bottom so that the gap between the flag edge at the top doubles that at the bottom. The overall specs therefore seem to be: ratio is 168:294, height of each stripe is 56, diameter of the circle enscribing the star is 144, distance between the upper star tip and the flag edge is 32.

The shades of red and yellow used in the Constitution pdf cluster around respectively RGB:255-0-0 and RGB:255-255-0, which are our own default values for those colors. Green is bluish and greyish, though, around BS RGB:51-153-102. Seeing however so many obviously unwanted artifacts in the Constitution pdf image, I chosen a default value for the attached images.

António Martins-Tuválkin, 12 June 2008

Earlier flag proposal

by António Martins-Tuválkin, 19 January 2007

A new flag of Myanmar as well as a new name ("Union of the Republic of Myanmar", or "Pyidaungsu Thamada Myanmar Naing-Ngan Daw") and a modified "state seal" are coming. The new constitution is presently discussed by the National Convention (see http://www.myanmar.com/nationalconvention/index.html). The new flag with a new symbolic meaning would be an interesting return to the 1940s designs. It shall be composed of three stripes, green, yellow and red, with a large white star "on the left end of the green stripe at the top of the Flag".
Jan Zrzavy, 15 January 2007

Information for the proposal of the new flag was obtained from http://www.myanmar.com/newspaper/nlm/Jan02_04.html:

"The following is a translation of proposals on laying down detailed basic principles for chapters "Amendment of the Constitution", "State Flag, State Seal, National Anthem and the Capital", "Transitory Provisions" and "General Provisions" to be included in drafting the State Constitution presented by the Delegate Group of Intellectuals and Intelligentsia at the Plenary Session of the National Convention held at Pyidaungsu Hall of Nyaunghnapin Camp in Hmawby Township, Yangon Division, on 28-12-2006.
(...)

State Flag, State Seal, National Anthem and the Capital

Mr Chairman,

Regarding the detailed basic principles proposed at the plenary session held on 10 November 2006 by the National Convention Convening Work Committee chairman for the Chapter "State Flag, State Seal, National Anthem and the Capital" to be included in the State Constitution, we members of the delegate group of intellectuals and intelligentsia would like to present our views.

It is proposed that:

(1) The Flag is marked with green, yellow and red stripes in a proportionate ratio. On the left end of the green stripe at the top of the Flag is a large white star directing upwards.

(2) Law shall be promulgated concerning the State Flag.

He said that the colour green on the State Flag stands for peace and tranquillity and lush and verdant environment, yellow depicts solidarity. Moreover, red means valour and decisiveness. That is complete with good intention.

We studied the State flags of 194 nations. Of them, 24 countries' State flags are marked with stripes of three colours in a proportionate ratio. Each of the 24 countries uses three colours that match with the conditions of the nation concerned. Members of the delegate groups of intellectuals and intelligentsia made a comparative study of the State flags of the world nations and drew many new designs of State flag. Then, they submitted their works and exchanged views about the designs in the group.

Mr Chairman,

In our group, some members are knowledgeable about historical and Myanmar affairs. They specially studied the designs of the State flag of our country in Bagan Period, Innwa Period, Konbaung Period and pre-independence period. My thanks go to the members who drew new designs of State flag based on the designs of State flag used in the past and appreciate their efforts and goodwill. We members all participated in the discussions about the design of State Flag.

Some held discussions about the design of the three-colour State Flag and the place of the white star the Work Committee chairman presented.

Mr Chairman,

We considered that the proposed State Flag marked with green, yellow and red stripes in a proportionate ratio is endowed with essence and meaning. The big white star, which reflects perpetual existence of the consolidated Union, should be on the left end of the green stripe at the top.

Therefore, the point:

"(1) The State Flag shall be prescribed as follows: The Flag is marked with green, yellow and red stripes in a proportionate ratio. On the left end of the green stripe at the top of the Flag is a large white star directing upwards.

(2) Law shall be promulgated concerning the State Flag."

should be adopted as a detailed basic principle."

The rest concerns the seal, the anthem. The proposed new capital of the state would be is Nay Pyi Taw.

Pascal Vagnat, 18 January 2007

It is also interesting to look at some of the report by the committee. It seems they chose a striped flag because it was traditional, rather than looking for a distinctive design. The statement "Of [the 194 countries], 24 countries' State flags are marked with stripes of three colours in a proportionate ratio." could also help us determine the nature of the stripes. After a quick tally, it seems that out of the possible categories, flags based on three equal horizontal stripes of different colours come closest to the 24 described by the committee.
Jonathan Dixon, 19 January 2007