Myanmar

MYANMAR, formerly known as BURMA, is the largest country in South East Asia. Population of just over fifty-three million is a culturally rich mix of more than a hundred ethnic groups and dialects. Strategically situated between the world’s two most populous nations, China and India. Myanmar has a distinctive ancient culture, sharing traditions with both neighbors.

In the 19th century, Burmese rulers sought to maintain their traditional influence in the western areas of Assam, Manipur and Arakan. Pressing them, however, was the British East India Company, which was expanding its interests eastwards over the same territory. Over the next sixty years, diplomacy, raids, treaties and compromises, known collectively as the Anglo-Burmese Wars, continued until Britain proclaimed control over most of Burma. With the fall of Mandalay, all of Burma came under British rule, being annexed on 1 January 1886.

On 1 April 1937, Burma became a separately administered colony of Britain, and Ba Maw became the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma. Ba Maw was an outspoken advocate for Burmese self-rule, and he opposed the participation of Britain, and by extension Burma, in World War II. He resigned from the Legislative Assembly and was arrested for sedition. In 1940, before Japan formally entered the war, Aung San formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.

As a major battleground, Burma was devastated during World War II by the Japanese invasion. Within months after they entered the war, Japanese troops had advanced on Rangoon, and the British administration had collapsed. A Burmese Executive Administration headed by Ba Maw was established by the Japanese in August 1942. Wingate‘s British Chindits were formed into long-range penetration groups trained to operate deep behind Japanese lines. A similar American unit, Merrill’s Marauders, followed the Chindits into the Burmese jungle in 1943.

Beginning in late 1944, allied troops launched a series of offensives that led to the end of Japanese rule in July 1945. Although many Burmese fought initially for the Japanese as part of the Burma Independence Army, many Burmese, mostly from the ethnic minorities, served in the British Burma Army. The Burma National Army and the Arakan National Army fought with the Japanese from 1942 to 1944 but switched allegiance to the Allied side in 1945.

Following World War II, Aung San negotiated the Panglong Agreement with ethnic leaders that guaranteed the independence of Myanmar as a unified state. Aung Zan Wai, Pe Khin, Bo Hmu Aung, Sir Maung Gyi, Sein Mya Maung, Myoma U Than Kywe were among the negotiators of the historic Panglong Conference negotiated with Bamar leader General Aung San and other ethnic leaders in 1947. In 1947, Aung San became Deputy Chairman of the Executive Council of Myanmar, a transitional government. But in July 1947, political rivals assassinated Aung San and several cabinet members.

On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, under the terms of the Burma Independence Act 1947. The new country was named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first president and U Nu as its first prime minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the Commonwealth. A bicameral parliament was formed, consisting of a Chamber of Deputies and a Chamber of Nationalities, and multi-party elections were held in 1951–1952, 1956 and 1960.

On 2 March 1962, the military led by General Ne Win took control of Burma through a coup d’état, and the government had been under direct or indirect control by the military since then. Between 1962 and 1974, Myanmar was ruled by a revolutionary council headed by the general. Almost all aspects of society (business, media, production) were nationalised or brought under government control under the Burmese Way to Socialism. A new constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma was adopted in 1974. Until 1988, the country was ruled as a one-party system, with the general and other military officers resigning and ruling through the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP). During this period, Myanmar became one of the world’s most impoverished countries.

Burma was known as “the rice bowl of Asia” in the late 1950s, and was the leading economic state of the region when its fledgling democratic government was deposed by a xenophobic military dictator. In August 1988, become well known uprising which is 8-8-88 was a political turning point. Even so, people suffered for another quarter of a century under different military rulers before Myanmar finally emerge from dark days, electing a new, mainly democratic, parliament in 2012, although seats are still reserve for military representatives.

A quasi-civilian government was formed, and today further democratic reforms are underway as Myanmar approaches fresh elections. Its most famous political detainee, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Laureate, who was released after nearly twenty years of under house arrest in 2010, and appointed as a State Counsellor of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar after 2015 general election. Again, The allegedly governing National League for Democracy (NLD), the party of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, contested against a number of minor parties in Myanmar’s 2020 parliamentary election. However, on the morning of February 1, 2021, some NLD party officials were seized by the military on suspicion of election fraud and corruption. The Military Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing appointed a caretaker administration, and the government and State Administrative Council announced that a free and fair election would be held in August 2022.

The most fascinating aspect of Myanmar history is its chronology, which includes many national flags and political systems from before and after independence. In summary, there are eight major periods, which are as follows: