The bridge connecting Chaungsone to Mawlamyine in Mon State is to return to its original name, Thanlwin Bridge.
The bridge construction project was initiated by the U Thein Sein Government.
In 2013, Nai Hla Maung, Chaungzone Township Pyithu Hluttaw representative, proposed to the Hluttaw to build a bridge connecting Mawlamyine to Bilu Kyun Island. That proposal was approved.
At the time the construction project was given the name of Thanlwin Bridge (Chaungzone), The initial foundation work was launched on February 8, 2015. It is estimated about 59,800 million Kyat was spent on the bridge project which is 5,203 feet in length and 28 feet width.
When construction was completed by the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, on May 7, 2017 the bridge was renamed “Bogyoke Aung San Bridge”.
That name change received a great deal of criticism.
Roughly 14 political parties including the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), Ethnic Nationalities United Party, (New) National Democratic Party, and National Development Party, jointly issued a statement on April 5, 2017, requesting the NLD not change the name of the bridge.
Critics of the name change argued that referring to the bridge as Bogyoke Aung San would not help advance efforts for national reconciliation. While Aung San is seen as an independence hero, he is also known as a Burman nationalist. As a result local people rejected the name arguing it had a negative impact on ethnic national unity.
Tens of thousands of protesters staged two protests in April, 2017, in Mawlamyine. The protests brought together the ethnic peoples of Karen, PaO, and Bamar in addition to Mon. Petition campaigns rejecting the bridge collected roughly 150,000 signatures, and were submitted to the Hluttaw.
On February 28, 2017, despite the opposition, Pyithu Hluttaw representative Mi Kon Chan, proposed the name Bogyoke Aung San Bridge. The renaming was approved with 217 votes, 43 objections and 116 abstainations.
