Independence Commemorative.

[medals73]

Awarded for participation in the struggles which led to Burma's independence, either in military or political aspects of the struggle. The award is granted for service in three time periods: (1) 8 January 1942 to 26 July 1942 -- when the Burma Independence Army were forming and welcomed the Japanese, their part in the Battle of Shwedaung, and ends with BIA being dispanded by the Japanese and replaced by the Burma Defence Army/Burma National Army in April/May 1942. (2) 27 July 1942 to 26 March 1945 -- formation of the BDA, Ba Maw being appointed by the Japanese to lead the country, with his war minister, Aung San, systematically working against him to undermine the Japanese administration, and subjugate/turn senior members and parts of the BDA/BNA into agents acting for Force 136 and Communist factions, and (3) 27 March 1945 to 15 August 1945 -- national uprising of the BNA, inspired by the Anti-Fascist Organisation after significant Japanese losses, and the loss of Ba Maw's power base and his flight to Thailand. Participants in the freedom struggle in all three periods were awarded the first class, participants in only two of the periods received the second class, and participants in only one of the time blocks were recognized with the third class.

A peculiar aspect of this decoration is the provision that the award can be passed down to direct heirs of the original freedom fighter and be worn, multi-generationally, in this fashion.

Established: 3 November 1953. The decoration has not been awarded since March 1962 and became obsolete on 24 November 1986 (?).

Obverse:A five-pointed 60-mm rayed gold breast star with a smaller five-pointed smooth gold star between the points. The central medallion shows a green-enameled peacock with displayed tail in green. Below, a Burmese inscription reading "Independence". The whole is surrounded by a light green enameled wreath. The differences for each class are indicated on the reverse.

Reverse:The class of award is indicated on the reverse and there is a horizontal pin.

Ribbon: Equal stripes of yellow, green, red, with a miniature of the star worn on the central stripe. The ribbon is also (incorrectly?) recorded as blue, with a yellow edge stripe to the left(wearer's right), a thin green center stripe, and a thin red edge stripe to the right; this is exactly the same as the ribbon for the A Ye Daw Bon Tazeit. The image of a cased specimen (third class?), shown below, suggests the proper ribbon (?).