The Secretariat, a building in Myanmar’s former capital where the independence hero Aung San was assassinated in 1947, is a powerful touchstone for the country’s history and identity.

Next week, the Secretariat’s grounds are scheduled to host a night bazaar promoting ties between Myanmar and the United States, with Krispy Kreme doughnuts and other American food, and live music from the local Hard Rock Cafe’s house band.

But critics say choosing the complex for such an event was insensitive.

Do the organizers “want to see businesspeople washing the blood of our hero with alcohol?” one critic, U Tin Mg Htut, asked in a Facebook post. “Such a shame that this historic place is turning into a bar.”

U Kyaw Zay Ya, a member of Parliament from Yangon, the former capital and Myanmar’s biggest city, said he understood that the bazaar was a business venture. “But we can’t replace that money if we lose the cultural and historic value of the place,” he said.