YANGON—A board member of the government-appointed body that manages renovations at Yangon’s Secretariat said a newly opened spa at the complex did not have government permission to operate a business, following public concerns that hosting a high-end beauty outlet at one of Myanmar’s most important colonial-era buildings was historically insensitive and could downgrade the building’s national significance.1

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After pictures from the opening ceremony went viral on Facebook and other social media, the event attracted a wave of online criticism, with many people questioning whether a building as historically important to the country as the Secretariat should host a spa. Many netizens dropped critical comments on the center’s Facebook page, including one that reads, “The secretariat is not a place to open spa […]  surprised that the authorities allowed this kind of service at our heritage premises. #ShowRespect.”

The colonial-era structure at No. 300 Theinbyu Road has witnessed some of the major milestones in Myanmar’s modern history. Most importantly, it’s the site of a national tragedy. The country’s independence hero, General Aung San, the father of State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, and his colleagues were assassinated in an upstairs room in the west wing of the complex in 1947. During colonial times, the Secretariat served as the headquarters for the British Burma administration. Standing in the center of the Secretariat courtyard is the flagstaff on which the flag of a newly independent Burma was first raised on Jan. 4, 1948. After the 1962 military coup, the complex became the Minister’s Office. It was used in this capacity until 2005, when it was abandoned as the military regime suddenly made Naypyitaw its administrative capital.

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  • 1. Singaporean-run Dé Béau Wellness Center held its grand opening ceremony at the Secretariat on Saturday. According to its website, it offers a form of ancient Chinese massage for “body and wellness”, as well as “beauty treatment” and “body slimming services” with a range of the finest-quality European beauty treatments and products from Singapore and Switzerland. Its Facebook page claims it is “the only Wellness & Business Centre to complete your high society lifestyle.”