# Burma Adopts New Flag **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 23, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062 "2010-10-23T01:50:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/1 "2010-10-23T01:50:01Z")
As of Thursday. See it [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Myanmar.svg). Story [here](http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_593613.html). Excerpt: \*\*"The announcement of the new flag was made on state television just prior to the ceremonies, which were supposed to take place simultaneously all over the country. "‘We received the instruction to bring down the old flag and to fly the new flag at 3pm,’ said an education officer in Pathein township in Irrawaddy Division, who added that shortly before the ceremony his office still had not received its replacement. ## “The 2008 constitution pushed through by the military called for fresh national symbols, including a new flag whose colors of yellow, green and red would stand for solidarity, peace and tranquility, and courage and decisiveness. Still, the abrupt release of the new flag came as surprise.”\*\* Nothing like lots of advance notice! Personally, I liked the [old flag](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Myanmar_(1974-2010).svg) much better. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/2 "2010-10-23T03:38:27Z")
[Great. Now everyone will think Burma’s in Africa somewhere.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-African_colours) Additionally, I doubt that white star will contrast very well with the yellow at the top; they should have outlined it with something, black or dark blue being the obvious candidates. I suppose at some level it’s appealingly simple, but it’s also derivative (what, _another_ horizontal tricolor?) and therefore not especially distinctive. Also, [Lithuania’s gonna be pissed.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Lithuania) ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/3 "2010-10-23T03:47:14Z")
Exactly perfect summary, **Derleth**. White (or silver) on yellow (or gold) is a well-known heraldry fail. ---
**Author:** ![user\_hostile](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/user_hostile/32/474_2.png) [@user\_hostile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/user_hostile)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/4 "2010-10-23T04:55:45Z")
The afterimage of the new flag: deep blue, magenta, and cyan with a black star. Rather hideous The afterimage of the old flag: Cyan field, with a plain yellow canton and black rice staff. Either way, it’s better looking then the new one. ---
**Author:** ![dhkendall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@dhkendall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dhkendall)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/5 "2010-10-23T05:02:18Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > [Great. Now everyone will think Burma’s in Africa somewhere.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-African_colours) Additionally, I doubt that white star will contrast very well with the yellow at the top; they should have outlined it with something, black or dark blue being the obvious candidates. > > I suppose at some level it’s appealingly simple, but it’s also derivative (what, _another_ horizontal tricolor?) and therefore not especially distinctive. > > Also, [Lithuania’s gonna be pissed.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Lithuania) Well, no one thinks Lithuania is in Africa … (I shouldn’t underestimate, there might be, but I hang out with erudite vexillologists, usually.) [obligatory national anthems reference from the Dope’s resident anthematologist]The anthem is also changed to, according to the news. I haven’t had any word yet on what the new one is, but I’m working my contacts to find out posthaste.[/obligatory national anthems reference from the Dope’s resident anthematologist] ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/6 "2010-10-23T08:15:19Z")
You know, I don’t understand these juntas. Don’t they realize that they’ve just given the opposition the perfect flag - the old one - to rally around? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/7 "2010-10-23T08:40:21Z")
The new flag seems very reminiscent of the flag of the [“State of Burma”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Burma) from World War II, which is generally regarded as a Japanese puppet state. Just checking Wikipedia and [Flags of the World](http://flagspot.net/flags/), I don’t see anything to indicate that the wartime flag had any deeper roots in pre-War Burmese history (I mean the yellow-green-red horizontal tricolor with something in the middle; the peacock on 1943-45 flag clearly has deeper roots in Burmese vexillological history). Is this deliberate? How is the Japanese-backed “State of Burma” regarded locally? Does the ruling junta consider it to have been some kind of valid national liberation government, as opposed to a puppet of the Imperial Japanese Army? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/8 "2010-10-23T10:07:01Z")
Yes, but will their shave still be the same? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/9 "2010-10-23T10:58:08Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > You know, I don’t understand these juntas. Don’t they realize that they’ve just given the opposition the perfect flag - the old one - to rally around? And there **is** an opposition. Both active (in the field) and passive (raising funds & propagandizing in the West). Full disclosure–I am rather sympathetic to the _Free Burma!_ movement, although I am not a member. The current hunta is quite mad, you know. Denying the Tsnuami hit, deranged currency policies… ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/10 "2010-10-23T11:07:52Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > You know, I don’t understand these juntas. Don’t they realize that they’ve just given the opposition the perfect flag - the old one - to rally around? And they can probably pick up a bunch of them cheap right now, too. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/11 "2010-10-23T15:04:26Z")
This is just a guess, but knowing these guys like I do, I’d bet dollars to doughnuts that some fortune-teller or _feng shui_ expert told them to do this. The precise time to change is a give-away, although usually it’s not that exact, but rather something like 3:01 or 2:28pm. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/12 "2010-10-23T15:47:02Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > The precise time to change is a give-away, although usually it’s not that exact, but rather something like 3:01 or 2:28pm. Or I meant even more exact. You know. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/13 "2010-10-23T15:51:00Z")
It would seem more appropriate if the flag was displayed one panel at a time along several miles of highway. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/14 "2010-10-24T04:36:08Z")
It sure does look like a half-assed combination of Lithuania’s flag and [Somalia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_somalia)’s. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/15 "2010-10-26T04:58:40Z")
So the flag showing someone with a stick up their ass was taken? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/16 "2010-10-26T05:02:44Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > So the flag showing someone with a stick up their ass was taken? Um, I guess? ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/17 "2010-10-26T05:11:27Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > …the flag showing someone with a stick up their ass … God hates flags. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/18 "2010-10-26T05:14:16Z")
Needs a few weapons to lighten things up, like the AK-47 on Mozambique’s flag. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/19 "2010-10-26T05:45:31Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > Needs a few weapons to lighten things up, like the AK-47 on Mozambique’s flag. Maybe Burma is full of ninjas. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062/20 "2010-10-26T07:14:10Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Maybe Burma is full of ninjas. My god it’s full of stars… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/burma-adopts-new-flag/558062.md?page=2)