HISTORYPOST-COLONIAL BURMA3011937
A new constitution
for Burma sets up a
legislative council,
giving locals a larger
role in the running of
the country; it’s not
enough to stem calls
for independence.1939
Still under British
watch, the leader of
Burma’s government,
U Saw, holds offi ce
until his arrest by the
British in January 1942
for communicating
with the Japanese.1941
After training with the
Japanese, Aung San- Aung San Suu Kyi’s
father – founds the
Burmese Army, and
marches into Burma
with his benefactors to
oust the British.
1945
Aung San turns his
army against the
Japanese to support
the British; later he
forms the Anti-Fascist
People’s Freedom
League (AFPFL) to
fi ght for Burmese
independence.Almost immediately, the new government led by U Nu had to contend
with the complete disintegration of the country, involving rebels, com-
munists, gangs and (US-supported) anticommunist Chinese KMT forces.
The hill-tribe people, who had supported the British and fought against
the Japanese throughout the war, were distrustful of the Bamar majority
and took up armed opposition. The communists withdrew from the gov-
ernment and attacked it. Muslims from the Rakhaing area also opposed
the new government. The Mon, long thought to be totally integrated with
the Burmese, revolted. Assorted factions, private armies, WWII resistance
groups and plain mutineers further confused the picture.
In early 1949 almost the entire country was in the hands of a number
of rebel groups, and there was even fi ghting in Yangon’s suburbs. At one
stage the government was on the point of surrendering to the commu-
nist forces, but gradually fought back. Through 1950 and 1951 it regained
control of much of the country.
With the collapse of Chiang Kai-Shek’s KMT forces to those of Mao Ze-
dong, the tattered remnants of the KMT withdrew into northern Burma
and mounted raids from there into Yunnan, China. But being no match
for the Chinese communists, the KMT decided to carve their own little
fi efdom out of Burmese territory.
The First Military Government
By the mid-1950s, the government had strengthened its hold on the coun-
try, but the economy slipped from bad to worse. A number of grandiose
development projects succeeded only in making foreign ‘advisers’ rather
wealthy. In 1953 Myanmar bravely announced that aid or assistance from
the USA was no longer welcome, as long as US-supplied Chinese KMT
forces were at large within the country.
U Nu managed to remain in power until 1958, when he voluntarily hand-
ed the reins over to a caretaker military government under General Ne Win.
Considering the pride most of the country had in the Burmese army, which
had helped bring independence, this was seen as a welcome change.
Freed from the ‘democratic’ responsibilities inherent in a civilian gov-
ernment, Ne Win was able to make some excellent progress during the
15 months his military government operated. A degree of law and order
was restored, rebel activity was reduced and Yangon was given a massive
and much-needed cleanup. According to Thant Myint-U, Ne Win’s fi rst
period of government was ‘the most eff ective and effi cient in modern
Burmese history’.
The Burmese Road to Socialism
Sadly, the same would not be true for the general’s second, much more
extended, stint at Burma’s helm. As promised, the military allowed free
Following Ne
Win’s military
coup in 1962, the
country started
closing off the
outside world,
limiting foreign-
ers’ visits to just
24-hour visas,
later extended to
a week.U Nu, Burma’s
first prime min-
ister, was also a
devout Buddhist
who banned the
slaughter of cows
after winning the
1960 election. His
autobiography
Saturday’s Son
was published in
1975.