Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
second university students' strike in 1936 to protest the expulsion from Rangoon University
of a certain young
Aung San
and his colleague
U Nu
, both of whom would go on to play
seminal roles in the history of the country.
Burma was uncoupled from India in 1937 and given a new constitution, including its own
elected assembly and prime minister (although with limited actual powers). Despite these
concessions, major protests erupted in 1938-39, leading to the so-called
1300 Revolution
(1300 being the Buddhist calendar equivalent to 1939). Strikes by employees of the Burmah
OilCompanyinthecentreofthecountrydevelopedintonationwideprotests.Thesubsequent
crackdown claimed 33 lives including thirteen unarmed protesters shot dead in Mandalay - a
small but chilling foretaste of atrocities yet to come.
World War II
Agitations for independence took a back seat, however, with the outbreak of
World War II
,
during which Burma would become a pivotal region in the fight between Japanese, Allied
and Chinese forces. Many nationalists saw the war as a chance to wring further concessions
out of the British in return for Burmese help; others, including the Thakins, were resolutely
opposed to any form of involvement in the fighting.
The rebellious young student
Aung San
, meanwhile, had given up his university studies in
order to devote himself to the anti-colonial struggle and in 1940 was forced to flee Burma
after the British issued a warrant for his arrest. He travelled to China, hoping to gain assist-
ance from the Kuomintang government, but was intercepted by the Japanese authorities in
Amoy, who offered their help instead. Aung San and 29 of his other fellow nationalists - the
so-called “
Thirty Comrades
” (whose number also included future dictator Ne Win) - were
subsequently taken by the Japanese to Hainan Island and given military training.
The Japanese occupation
Meanwhile, in Southeast Asia the war was advancing steadily closer to Burma. In November
1941 the Japanese forces invaded British-ruled Malaya and began moving into Thailand
(which had signed a military alliance with Japan). Two months later, further Japanese forces
(accompanied by the Thirty Comrades, including Aung San) moved through northern Thai-
land and into Tenasserim (Tanintharyi) in southern Burma, capturing Moulmein (Mawlamy-
ine) after fierce fighting. Rangoon was evacuated in March 1942, there being insufficient
troops available to defend the city, leaving the Japanese to enter unopposed. Allied troops
retreated northwards and, after further fighting, were ordered to leave Burma for India. The
Thai army, meanwhile, occupied Kayah and Shan States, as previously agreed in their treaty
with the Japanese.
ManyBurmeseinitiallysawtheJapanese-fellowAsiansandBuddhistsalike-asliberators
come to help them shake off British rule, although it soon became obvious that the life under
the Japanese was no better than it had been under the British - in fact quite possibly the op-
