Page 86 - Ancient Kingdoms: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia & Vietnam

that many workers and professionals from India were brought in to Burma; because of the
already existing ties between India and Great Britain, the Indians were viewed as suspect by
many of the local population.

The Thirty Comrades

During the 1920s and 1930s, the main resistance against the British rule came from religious
groups like the YMBA (Young Men’s Buddhist Association) and the RUSU (Rangoon University
Students Union).

With the outbreak of World War II, these young nationalists were torn between serving with
Great Britain—who might thereby grant independence after the war—or joining the forces
against Britain. Led by respected activist Aung San, a group known as the “Thirty Comrades”
^PN]P_Wd L[[]ZLNSPO 5L[LY bT_S LY ZʬP] _Z NZWW`OP LRLTY^_ _SP -]T_T^S -`_ bSPY T_ MPNLXP
apparent that the Japanese government would not keep its promises, the Burmese army, now
SPLOPO Md ,`YR >LY ZʯNTLWWd UZTYPO _SP ,WWTPO QZ]NP^

After the war, Great Britain did acknowledge Burma’s independence. A constitution for an
independent Burma was in the works when tragedy struck—a political rival assassinated Aung
San and several members of his political party on July 19, 1947. Despite the shocking event (or
perhaps because of it) the new constitution was quickly passed in 1948. From 1948 until 1962,
the government was a parliamentary democracy headed by a Prime Minister. But internal
politics and divisions among ethnic groups meant the government’s hold was tenuous. In 1962
a coup lead by General Ne Win abolished the constitution and established military rule.

Military Junta and Resistance

The military government’s extreme socialist economics meant that everything was
nationalized—utilities, industry, even retail shops. This in turn slowed the national economy
to a virtual standstill. In March of 1988, a student protest against the worsening economic
NZYOT_TZY^ bZY [`MWTN ^dX[L_Sd LYO _Z`NSPO Zʬ L bLaP ZQ []Z_P^_^ LYO ]LWWTP^ _S]Z`RSZ`_ _SP
country. It was during this time that Aung San’s daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi, began to emerge
as the voice of the opposition party, the NDL (National League for Democracy).

In September of 1988, a group of generals formed the State Law and Order Restoration Council
(SLORC). To control the uprisings, SLORC used the army against the protesters. It is estimated
_SL_ ZaP] []Z_P^_P]^ Z] LN_TaT^_^ bP]P VTWWPO LYO ]Z`RSWd ʮPO >7:=. _SPY [WLNPO
the country under martial law and announced an election to select an assembly that would
write a new constitution. Unfortunately for SLORC, it was the opposition— Aung San Suu Kyi’s
NLD—who won the majority of the seats in the 1990 election.

The military responded by refusing to let the assembly meet, and by holding two of the NLD
leaders, Aung San Suu Kyi and U Tin U, under house arrest. It was while under house arrest
that Aung San Suu Kyi won her Nobel Peace Award in 1991. For the next two decades, the
government would periodically relax its restrictions on Aung San Suu Kyi, only to detain her
again or re-arrest her.

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