The Burmese peacock is flying again at Rangoon University

March 10, Democratic Voice of Burma

A colourful dancing peacock, the symbol of Burmese students, flew into the main campus of Rangoon University and rested on the historic Convocation Hall before flying away on 9 March, causing excitement and various remarks among onlookers and students who were sitting their final exams.

The peacock landed on the building around 11am local time attracting students, teachers and onlookers around him. It is not known where he came from but those who saw him regarded his unexpected visit as an auspicious sign for the country. Burmese students adopted the dancing peacock as their symbol during the struggles for Burma’s independence from the British rule. The dancing peacock evolved into a fighting peacock when the students and people of Burma rose up against the army in 1988 nationwide uprising.

The fighting peacock is also adopted by the main opposition party, National League for Democracy (NLD) led by Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, which won a landslide victory in the 1990 election. But the ruling generals still refuse to hand over power to the party.