Former US Embassy

Key Notion: Foreign Witness

Built: 1926

Date of Incident: 1988

The building was built in 1926 for the business traders of Balthazar&Son, in the mid of the Commerce District of the Dowtown part of Yangon. Unlike other Colonial buildings, this compound was due to its long-term use as an embassy well maintained. As architectural modern building, it blends in with surrounding architectural style with the white bricks. For its strategic interest to fight Communism in the region, the US moved into this building after Myanmar’s Independence. Today the US Embassy moved out of this building to a newly built compound near the Inya Lake. The US Embassy moved into these premises soon after Burmese independence. Burma was of utmost strategic interest to the Americans, who feared the spread of Communism in the region. It was here, in front of the embassy, when the fire was opened towards an unarled mass of student protestors on 8th August 1988. The doors of the embassy were opend and gave shelter to the many protestors but still today is a relic of the tragic historic event in the struggle of Myanamr for democracy and self- determination.