YANGON, Myanmar (AP) Horns honked and sirens wailed Friday as Myanmar revived a tribute that was silenced for decades to the country's slain independence hero, the father of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Adding a modern twist, many people played siren-like ring tones downloaded to their mobile phones to mark the moment at 10:37 a.m. when Gen. Aung San was assassinated by gunmen at a Cabinet meeting on July 19, 1947.
State-owned radio stations used to broadcast sirens in Aung San's honor but the custom was stopped for many years as part of the former military rulers' efforts to stem the popularity of Suu Kyi, who was kept under house arrest for 15 years.
The junta ceded power in 2011 to a nominally civilian government that has embarked on wide-ranging political and economic reforms.
Last year, for the first time in decades state television broadcast a memorial to Aung San.