Kovind honours Myanmar martyrs; visits Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon

President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday laid a wreath at the Myanmar martyrs' mausoleum where he honoured the supreme sacrifices of General Aung San, father of State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi.

The mausoleum in Yangon is dedicated to Aung San and other leaders of the pre-independence government, all of whom were assassinated in July, 1947.

Kovind is in Myanmar on a two-city visit to continue India's high level bilateral engagements under the rubric of the 'Act East Policy' and the 'Neighbourhood First Policy'.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the martyrs of Myanmar were honoured by Kovind.

"A wreath is laid by President Kovind at Martyrs mausoleum in Yangon to honour the supreme sacrifices of General Aung San, father of Aung San Suu Kyi, Cabinet Ministers and others on July 19, 1947," Kumar said in a tweet.

Kovind and First Lady Savita visited the holy Shwedagon Pagoda which is believed to be possessing relics of eight stands of hair of Gautam Buddha along with other relics of three preceding Buddhas, he said.

"Shwedagon means Reliquary of Four," Kumar said.