The Burmese flag (also called Myanmar) has been used since 3rd January 1974, upon the decleration of a socialist republic within burma by Ne Win. This flag originated in the Burman Resistance, which used a red flag with a white star when fighting the occupying Japanese troops during World War Two. After Independece, the star was modified to a blue canton, with five small stars surrounding the large one. This is said to symbolise unity between the countries diversity.

Red is meant to stand for the courage of the burmese people with blue standing for peace and white for purity.

However, in 1974, the emblem was chnaged to represent the new socialist ideas in the country. The 5 stars were changed to 14, suggesting a cogwheel and a rice plantation. With the rice standing for agriculture and the stars representing unity and equality between the 14 member states of the Burmese Union.