Nu ( Burmese : ဦးနု ; pronounced [ʔú nṵ] ; 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995), commonly known as U Nu and also by the honorific name Thakin Nu , was a prominent Burmese statesman and the first Prime Minister of Union of Burma . He was educated at Rangoon University , where he developed his political ideas and became actively involved in the student movement. Nu's involvement in the nationalist movement deepened during his university years, and he quickly emerged as a leading figure advocating for Burma's independence from British colonial rule .
127-452: Bogyoke Aung San ( Burmese : ဗိုလ်ချုပ် အောင်ဆန်း ; MLCTS : aung hcan: , pronounced [àʊɰ̃ sʰáɰ̃] ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese politician, independence activist and revolutionary. He was instrumental in Myanmar 's struggle for independence from British rule , but he was assassinated just six months before his goal was realized. Aung San
254-625: A British Army officer, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for supplying U Saw with weapons. Vivian was freed from prison when Karen soldiers captured Insein Prison in May 1949. According to General Kyaw Zaw he then lived with the Karen people in Kawkareik until 1950, when he traveled back to Thailand and then to England, where he lived until his death in 1980. Little information about his motives
381-514: A civil war began between the Burmese military and various insurgents, including communists and ethnic militias. The internal conflict within Myanmar continues to the present day. Aung San's name had been invoked by successive Burmese governments since independence, until the military regime in the 1990s tried to eradicate all traces of Aung San's memory. Nevertheless, several statues of him adorn
508-687: A family name . For example, Tun Myint's wife changed her last name to Myint, but Myint is part of his personal name. Honorifics are additions to a given name, commonly used both in written and spoken communication, especially with shorter names comprising one or two syllables. The practice of using honorifics is widespread across all cultures in the Burmese region. While certain ethnic groups may have unique honorifics, these terms are typically recognized and adopted by other groups rather than being translated. For instance, Aung San's parents are commonly referred to as U Pha and Daw Suu. While these could be translated as "Mr. Pha" and "Ms. Suu," they are often used in
635-473: A longyi , and booked a train to Rangoon using a pseudonym. Within weeks he had recruited thirty of his old revolutionary colleagues and smuggled them out of the country via Japanese intelligence networks. These " Thirty Comrades " were taken to the Japanese-occupied island of Hainan for further training. Aung San was twenty-five, the third-oldest of the group. While training on Hainan all thirty of
762-455: A Peace Within One Year campaign, involving various military actions and governmental reforms. Amongst this backdrop, U Nu combined orders for military equipment from India with a request to receive Buddhist relics on loan. U Nu toured the relics around the country, reaching into the stable parts of the countryside were ethnic unrest was still present, hoping to inspire peace through the power of
889-631: A colonel and put in charge of the force. He was later invited back to Japan, and was presented with the Order of the Rising Sun by Emperor Hirohito . On 1 August 1943, the Japanese held an independence ceremony in Rangoon, in which they formally granted Burma independence on condition that it would be under a wartime administration for the duration of the war. Burma was also required to declare war on
1016-561: A family. Strangely enough the first production of the play seems to have been in Pasadena, California . It later became a popular comic book in Burma, was translated into English, and made into a feature film at the height of the Cold War in the 1950s. The older generation in Burma can still remember having studied the play in their schooldays. In the play Thaka Ala , published just before
1143-600: A few thousand at its peak and his avowal to fight and overthrow Ne Win from the Thai border met with abject failure. He subsequently accepted an offer of amnesty granted by Ne Win and returned to Burma on 29 July 1980. After keeping a low profile, teaching Buddhism in Burma and the United States – U Nu visited Northern Illinois University in the US to lecture on Buddhism in 1987 – U Nu became once again politically active during
1270-687: A good impression in the meeting. World War II ended on 12 September 1945. Following the end of the war the Burma National Army was renamed the Patriotic Burmese Forces (PBF), and then gradually disarmed by the British as the Japanese were driven out of various parts of the country. The leaders of the Patriotic Burmese Forces, while disbanded, were offered positions in the Burma Army under British command according to
1397-821: A law degree. His intention at the time was to "take a shot at the examinations for the Indian Civil Service ... and go into politics". Along with other student leaders he founded the All Burma Student Union (later known as All Burma Federation of Student Unions ) in 1937, in which he was elected general secretary. In 1938 he became the president of both the All Burma Student Union and the Rangoon University Student Union, but his pursuit of these commitments did not leave him enough time to study, and he failed his examination in 1938. After 1938 he resolved to abandon
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#17327730012451524-406: A more informal manner. Some of the common honorifics used in Burmese culture include: According to The Chicago Manual of Style , Burmese names are indexed by the first element unless this element is an honorific. Honorifics are mentioned after the other elements of the name, separated by a comma, or are not stated at all. Many Burmese Buddhists also use astrology (which is determined by
1651-678: A part of the agreement. They hoped for a separate Karen State within the British Empire. The date of the signing of the Panglong Agreement has been celebrated in Burma as "Union Day", even though Ne Win effectively dissolved any agreement with Burma's minority communities following his coup in 1962 . The general election held in April 1947 was not ideal; the Karens, Mon , and most of Aung San's other political opponents boycotted
1778-813: A press conference during a stopover in Delhi , while on the way to meet Attlee in London, he stated that the Burmese wanted "complete independence" and not dominion status , and that they had "no inhibitions of any kind" about "contemplating a violent or non-violent struggle or both" in order to achieve it. He concluded that he hoped for the best, but was prepared for the worst. He arrived in Britain by air in January 1947 along with his deputy Tin Tut , who he considered his brightest official. Attlee and Aung San signed their agreement on
1905-405: A rogue faction in the British intelligence service was responsible. Besides Aung San, most of his cabinet, and U Saw, there were a number of other assassinations and attempted assassinations carried out against other men who had been close to Aung San at that time. Two of these included Aung San's English lawyer, Frederick Henry, who was murdered in his house, and F. Collins, a private detective who
2032-763: A secret meeting in Bago between the Burma National Army, the Communist Party of Burma, and the People's Revolutionary Party (which later reformed into the Burma Socialist Party). After this meeting, Aung San's forces began to secretly store supplies in preparation of their fight against the Japanese. In late March 1945, as Allied forces advanced towards Rangoon, Aung San led the BNA in a parade in front of Government House in Rangoon, after which they were sent by
2159-499: A similar organization, alternatively known as either the "People's Revolutionary Party" or the "Burma Revolutionary Party". This party was Marxist, formed with the goal of supporting Burmese independence against the British. It survived and was reformed into the Burma Socialist Party following World War II . Aung San was not paid for most of his work as a student or political leader, and lived for most of this time in
2286-547: A social philosophy based on the "standardization of human life". Aung San later became friends with U Thant through their mutual friendship with U Nu . After Aung San entered Rangoon University in 1933, he quickly became a student leader. He was elected to the executive committee of the Rangoon University Students' Union (RUSU). He then became editor of the RUSU's magazine Oway (Peacock's Call). Aung San
2413-563: A state of poverty. He was recognized by his peers for his strong work ethic and organizational skills, but was sometimes criticized by them for having poor public relations skills or for a perceived arrogance. He never drank alcohol and abstained from romantic relationships. Following the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Aung San helped to found another nationalist organization, the Freedom Bloc , by forming an alliance between
2540-521: A strategy of pursuing Burmese independence by staging countrywide strikes, anti-tax drives, and guerrilla insurgency. In August 1939, Aung San became a founding member and the first Secretary General of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB). Aung San later claimed that his relationship with the CPB was not smooth, since he joined and left the party twice. Shortly after founding the CPB, Aung San founded
2667-523: A work from the colonial period titled Yesset pabeikwe or It's So Cruel ( Man, the Wolf of Man ) U Nu describes how during the colonial period rich landlords were able to get away with just about any crime they wished to perpetrate. The play The Sound of the People Victorious ( Ludu Aungthan ) that U Nu wrote while he was Prime Minister is about the havoc that Communist ideologies can wreak in
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#17327730012452794-500: A year before his death, Aung San complained to Dorman-Smith that he felt melancholic, that he did not feel close to his old friends in the Burmese military, that he had many enemies, and that he was worried that someone would attempt to assassinate him soon. A little after 10:30 AM on 19 July 1947, a single army jeep carrying gunmen in military fatigues drove into the courtyard of the Secretariat Building , where Aung San
2921-610: Is considered to be the founder of modern-day Myanmar and the Tatmadaw (the country's armed forces), and is commonly referred to by the titles " Father of the Nation ", "Father of Independence", and "Father of the Tatmadaw". Devoted to ending British Colonial rule in Burma, Aung San founded or was closely associated with many Burmese political groups and movements and explored various schools of political thought throughout his life. He
3048-482: Is named Aung San Suu Kyi ( အောင်ဆန်းစုကြည် ). The first part of her name, "Aung San", is from her father's name at the time of her birth. "Suu" comes from her grandmother. "Kyi" comes from her mother, Khin Kyi ( ခင်ကြည် ). The addition of the father or mother's name in a person's name is now quite frequent, although it does not denote the development of a family name. Other nomenclature systems are used as well. The use of
3175-466: The 1947 Burmese general election , but he and most of his cabinet were assassinated shortly before the country became independent. Aung San's daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi , is a stateswoman, politician, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She was Burma's State Counsellor and its 20th (and first female) Minister of Foreign Affairs in Win Myint 's Cabinet until the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état . Aung San
3302-532: The Blue Print for a Free Burma was drafted. This document has been attributed to Aung San, though its authorship is disputed. In February 1941 Aung San, working with Japanese intelligence, left Hla Myaing in Bangkok and secretly re-entered Burma and began efforts to contact and recruit additional Burmese agents to work with the Japanese. He entered the colony secretly through the port of Bassein , changed into
3429-467: The Dobama Asiayone declared its intention to use force in order to overturn the government, leading the authorities to crack down on the organization. On 23 January Police raided their headquarters at Shwedagon Pagoda , arrested Aung San, and held him in prison for fifteen days on charges of conspiracy to overthrow the government, but these charges were dropped. Upon his release Aung San proposed
3556-632: The Kandy conference agreement with Lord Louis Mountbatten in Ceylon in September 1945. Aung San was not invited to negotiate, since the British Governor General, Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith , was debating whether he should be put on trial for his role in the public execution of a Muslim headman in Thaton during the war. Aung San was never tried or faced any consequence for the execution of
3683-730: The University of Belgrade ( Yugoslavia ) awarded him an honorary doctorate. On 26 September 1958, he asked the Army Chief of Staff General Ne Win to take over as a " caretaker government ", and Ne Win was sworn in as Prime Minister on 27 October 1958. In the February 1960 general election , U Nu's Clean faction of the AFPFL won in a landslide victory over the Stable faction led by U Ba Swe and Kyaw Nyein . U Nu returned to power forming
3810-453: The thwe thauk ("blood drinking") ceremony, a tradition inherited from the Burmese aristocracy. The participants collected their blood from a cut in their arms, mixing the participants' blood together with alcohol in a silver bowl, and drinking it while pledging eternal comradeship and loyalty. Three days later the BIA entered Burma behind the invading Japanese Fifteenth Army . The BIA left most of
3937-492: The 1960s. Before U Nu became Prime Minister, he had translated, in the late 1930s, Dale Carnegie 's book, How to Win Friends and Influence People ( Lupaw Luzaw Louknee in Burmese – in retranslation, it roughly meant 'How to Take Advantage of Man by Man'); later the translated name was changed to the more palatable 'Meikta Bala Htika' which can be retranslated as A Treatise on Friendly Social Contract . The translated work under
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4064-488: The 1962 coup, U Nu paints an extremely ugly picture of corruption both amongst the high-ranking politicians in power at the time as well as among the communist leaders who were gaining ascendancy. This is a play in the vernacular, a genre that hardly exists in Burmese literature. A translation into English was published in instalments in the Guardian newspaper. The play was critical of the current state of politics in Burma at
4191-540: The 33-man Internal Unity Advisory Board to advise on suggestions for internal unity and political change. In February 1969, U Nu submitted a report recommending that power be handed back to him and that the Parliament abolished by Ne Win in March 1962 be reconvened to appoint Ne Win as president to remove the 'taint' of Ne Win's government being 'usurpers'. Soon after submitting his report, U Nu, feigning illness, and under
4318-508: The 8888 Uprising forming the first new political party, the League for Democracy and Peace (LDP). Echoing his assertion that he was the 'legal Prime Minister' of August 1969 in London, U Nu reiterated on 9 September 1988 in Rangoon that he was still the 'legal Prime Minister'. U Nu initiated to form an interim government and invited opposition leaders to join him. Indian Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had already signaled his readiness to recognize
4445-496: The Allies. The Japanese had planned to make Aung San the leader of the country, but in the end they were more impressed with Dr. Ba Maw, and made him the leader instead, giving him virtually dictatorial control under their direction. Aung San was made the second most powerful person in the government. The government was modelled after Japan, and intentionally eschewed democratic principles and patterns of government. The army, still under
4572-627: The British parliament as soon as possible; and Britain would nominate Burma's entrance into the newly founded United Nations . The agreement was not unanimous: two other delegates who attended the conference, U Saw and Thakin Ba Sein, refused to sign it, and it was denounced in Burma by Aung San's critics, including Than Tun and Thakin Soe . No delegates representing Burma's ethnic minorities were present, and both Karen and Shan leaders sent messages warning that they would not consider any agreement signed at
4699-695: The Buddha. He had the Kaba Aye Pagoda and the Maha Pasana Guha (Great Cave) built in 1952 in preparation for the Sixth Buddhist Synod that he convened and hosted in 1954–1956 as prime minister. In a 1957 interview with American news broadcast See It Now , he stated that: Had it not been for my faith, I would have been finished in 1948, 1949, and 1950 when the insurrection was in its height. He also stated that although he
4826-636: The Buddhist scriptures, banned the slaughtering of cattle (beef became known as todo tha ( burmese:တိုးတိုးသား ); lit. hush hush meat), and commuted death sentences for parolees. Beyond stately actions, U Nu also took to fulfil the Buddhist ideal of the Chakravartin by engaging in personal merit-making and increasingly strong vows of celibacy to atone for the sins of the nation and to bring stability to his rule through religious devotion. When General Ne Win took over in 1962, one of his first acts
4953-655: The Burmese government following the Japanese conquest of the territory. Between November and December 1941 Aung San and his party were successful in recruiting approximately 3,500 Burmese volunteers from the Siam-Burma border to serve in their army. On 28 December 1941, Aung San and the rest of the Thirty Comrades formally inaugurated the Burma Independence Army in Bangkok . The event involved
5080-463: The Burmese military, led by Ne Win, overthrew the civilian government in a coup and instituted military rule . The Burmese military justified the legitimacy of their government partially by citing the legacy of Aung San in leading the country in WWII, when he was both a military and political leader. Following his coup Ne Win used official statements and propaganda to promote the idea that, as the leader of
5207-489: The Burmese royal family. He had a reputation for having a gentle and soft personality. Bo Min Yaung had a younger brother of the same name who had a great impact on Aung San's patriotic outlook. The younger Bo Min Yaung was remembered by Daw Thu Sa as being popular in his hometown for his handsomeness, strength, writing ability, and swordsmanship, which he practiced every day. King Mindon employed him in diplomatic service, and by
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5334-440: The Communist Party of Burma, but after they began criticizing him for working with the British he banned all communists from his Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League on 3 November 1946. Aung San was to all intents and purposes Prime Minister, although he was still subject to a British veto. British Prime Minister Clement Attlee invited Aung San to visit London in 1947 in order to negotiate the conditions of Burmese independence. At
5461-576: The Communist Party of Burma. He also agreed to appoint Aung San to the position of counselor for defense on the Executive Council (a provisional cabinet made in lieu of the upcoming Burmese national election). On 28 September 1946, Aung San was appointed to the even higher position of deputy chairman, making him effectively the 5th Prime Minister of the British-Burma Crown Colony. Aung San had at first worked closely with
5588-616: The Dobama, the All Burma Students Union, politically active monks, and Dr. Ba Maw 's Poor Man's Party . Dr. Ba Maw served as the anarshin ("dictator") of the Freedom Bloc, while Aung San worked under him as the group's general secretary. The group's goals were organized around the idea of taking advantage of the war to gain Burmese independence. The organization, goals, and tactics of the Freedom Bloc were modeled on
5715-547: The Indian independence movement, including Jawaharlal Nehru , Mahatma Gandhi , and Subhas Chandra Bose . When Aung San returned to Burma, he found the Burmese government had issued a warrant for his arrest, and the arrest of many other leaders of the Thakins and the Freedom Bloc, due to those organizations' efforts to organize a revolution against the British, at least partially with Japanese support. Besides his other warrants,
5842-665: The Indian revolutionary group " Forward Bloc ", whose leader, Subhas Chandra Bose , was in regular contact with Ba Maw. In 1939, Aung San was briefly arrested on the grounds of conspiring to overthrow the government by force, but was released after seventeen days. Upon his release Aung San proposed a strategy of pursuing Burmese independence by staging countrywide strikes, anti-tax drives, and guerrilla insurgency. In March 1940, he attended an Indian National Congress Assembly in Ramgarh , India, along with other Thakins , including Than Tun and Ba Hein. While there, Aung San met many leaders of
5969-720: The Japan-backed State of Burma led by Dr. Ba Maw . As the tide turned against Japan, he switched sides and merged his forces with the Allies to fight against the Japanese. After World War II, he negotiated Burmese independence from Britain in the Aung San- Attlee agreement. He served as the 5th Premier of the British Crown Colony of Burma from 1946 to 1947. He led his party, the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League , to victory in
6096-425: The Japanese (1954), An Asian Speaks (1955), and Burma Looks Ahead (1951). His autobiography (1907–1962) Ta-Tei Sanei Tha ( Naughty Saturday-born ) was published in India by Irrawaddy Publishing (U Maw Thiri) in 1975. An earlier version had been published in 1974; it was translated into English by U Law Yone , Editor of the (Rangoon) Nation till 1963 and who, like U Nu, was jailed by the Revolutionary Council in
6223-399: The Japanese Army intervened. The capital of Burma, Rangoon , fell to the Japanese as part of the Burma Campaign in March 1942. The BIA formed an administration for the country under Thakin Tun Oke that operated in parallel with the Japanese military administration until the Japanese disbanded it. In July, the disbanded BIA was re-formed as the Burma Defense Army (BDA). Aung San was made
6350-419: The Japanese to the front. A few days later, on 27 March, the BNA switched sides and attacked the Japanese instead. 27 March came to be commemorated as Resistance Day, until the military regime renamed it " Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) Day". After the Burmese army began the attack on the Japanese, it was renamed the "Patriotic Burmese Forces" and its command structure was divided into eight different regions. Aung San
6477-426: The Kandy Conference, he reorganized his formally disbanded soldiers as a paramilitary organization the People's Volunteer Organization (PVO), which continued to wear uniforms and drill in public. The PVO was personally loyal to Aung San and his party rather than the government. By 1947, the PVO had over 100,000 members. In January 1946 a victory festival was held in the Kachin capital of Myitkyina . Governor Dorman-Smith
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#17327730012456604-475: The Karen leader Mahn Ba Khaing , the Shan chief Sao Hsam Htun, and the Bamar leader U Razak (who was of Tamil ancestry) to join his cabinet. No Communists were invited to participate. In the final years of the British administration of Burma , Aung San became good friends with the penultimate Governor of Burma , Colonel Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith , an Anglo-Irishman with whom he would regularly discuss his personal difficulties. In early 1946, approximately
6731-583: The Norwegian cargo ship Hai Lee to Xiamen , China. Neither Aung San nor Hla Myaing gave their real names, identifying themselves as "Tan Luang Shun" and "Tan Su Taung". They wandered the city for several weeks with no precise plan and little money, until they were intercepted by Japanese secret police who convinced them to go to Japan instead. The pair left for Tokyo via Taiwan and arrived in Japan on 27 September 1940. In May 1940 Japanese intelligence officers led by Suzuki Keiji had arrived in Yangon posing as journalists in order to gather information and to seek
6858-409: The Pyidaungzu (Union) government on 4 April 1960. The Clean AFPFL was subsequently renamed the Union Party . U Thant had been Secretary to the Prime Minister U Nu before he was appointed Burmese Ambassador to the United Nations in 1957. U Thant became the third UN Secretary-General in 1961. U Nu participated in the 1st Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 in Belgrade making Burma one of
6985-403: The SLORC repeatedly asked U Nu to formally 'abolish' his 'interim government', but U Nu refused to do so. As a result, Nu was put under house arrest on 29 December 1989. SLORC spokesmen at that time stated that although U Nu could have been tried for 'treason', due to his advanced age and his contribution to the freedom struggle, he was not charged with that offence. He was released on 23 April 1992
7112-453: The armed forces and a member of the Thirty Comrades, he was the sole legitimate successor of Aung San. Burmese honorifics Burmese names ( Burmese : မြန်မာ အမည် ) lack the serial structure of most Western names. Like other Mainland Southeast Asian countries, the people of Myanmar have no customary matronymic or patronymic naming system and therefore have no surnames . Although other Mainland Southeast Asian countries introduced
7239-408: The cases of U Nu and U Thant ("U" being an honorific). In the mid-20th century, many Burmese started using two syllables, albeit without any formal structure. In the late 1890s, British scholars observed that Arakanese commonly adopted three-syllable names whereas Burmans were still using one or two at most. As they become more familiar with Western culture, Burmese people are gradually increasing
7366-487: The chairman of the Old Myoma Students Association in Yangon. He became the first Prime Minister of independent Burma, and he had to deal with armed rebellion. The rebels included various ethnic groups, White Flag and Red Flag communist factions, and some regiments in the Army. Yet another challenge was the exiled Kuomintang (KMT). After being chased out of ( Mainland ) China by the victorious Communists, they had established bases in eastern Burma, and it took several years in
7493-447: The child's day of birth in the traditional eight-day calendar) to name their children. For instance, a Monday-born child may have a name beginning with the letter "k" ( က ). The following is a traditional chart that corresponds the day of birth with the first letter used in a child's name, although this naming scheme is not universally used today: U Nu He played a crucial role in the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL),
7620-417: The colonial government in 1940 along with Thakin Soe , Thakin Than Tun , Kyaw Nyein , U Măd , and Ba Maw . The prison holding Nu was largely abandoned by the British in the course of the rapid Japanese advance. From August 1943, when the Japanese declared nominal independence for Burma under a regime led by Ba Maw , Nu was appointed foreign minister. In 1944 he was appointed minister of information until
7747-489: The conference legally binding to their communities. Two weeks after the signing of the agreement with Britain, Aung San signed an agreement at the second Panglong Conference on 12 February 1947, with leaders representing the Shan, Kachin, and Chin peoples. In this agreement these leaders agreed to join a united independent Burma, under the condition that they would have "full autonomy" and the right to secede in 1958, after ten years. Karen leaders were not consulted and were not
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#17327730012457874-417: The control of Aung San, took their motto, "One Blood, One Voice, One Command" at this time. It is still the official motto of the Burmese military . As the tide of war turned against Japan, Aung San was increasingly skeptical of Japan's ability to win the war and made plans to organize an anti-Japanese uprising in Burma, secretly forming the " Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League " in August 1944. He organized
8001-412: The cooperation of local parties for the intended Japanese invasion of Burma, occupying an office at 40 Judah Ezekiel Street for that purpose. Among their network of local collaborators they made close connections with the Thakins , of which Aung San was a leading member. The familiarity of Japanese intelligence with prominent political actors in Burma ensured that they were aware of Aung San's activities by
8128-508: The country, one of his election campaign promises as well as instated the Buddhist lunar calendar by official observance of the so-called Buddhist sabbath days, or Uposatha , in lieu of the Christian Sabbath day, Sunday. On Uposatha days, state broadcasting radio was required to dedicate its airtime to religious programs, while state schools and government offices were closed, and liquor was not allowed to be served in public spaces. The act also required government schools to teach Buddhist students
8255-408: The decades following Aung San's assassination many people came to view him as a symbol of democratic reform; during the 8888 Uprising in 1988 against the military dictatorship , many protesters carried posters of Aung San as symbols of their movement. Many people at the time saw Aung San as a symbol of what Burma could have been, but was not at the time: prosperous, democratic, and peaceful. In 1962
8382-450: The district superintendent of Henzada , a man named "Xavier", had issued a reward of 500 rupees for anyone who could capture Aung San. Some of Aung San's colleagues advised him to go to the Shanghai International Settlement and make contact with communist agents there, but he was in a hurry to leave and was unable to find passage on a ship travelling to that city. On 14 August 1939, Aung San and another Thakin colleague, Hla Myaing, boarded
8509-545: The early 1950s to drive them out. A democratic system was instituted and parliamentary elections were held several times. Throughout the 1950s, U Nu oversaw the implementation of the Pyidawtha Plan , a national economic development plan to establish an industrial welfare state in Burma. He voluntarily relinquished the Prime Ministerial position in 1956. He was one of the leaders of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) from 1942 to 1963. AFPFL member Ba Swe served as Prime Minister from June 1956 to June 1957. In 1955,
8636-463: The few Karen politicians not to have boycotted involvement in the new government. Sao Sam Htun , the minister of the Hill Regions, was a Shan prince who had taken an active lead in convincing the other ethnic minorities to join Burma in becoming independent. Ohn Maung was a deputy minister in the ministry of transportation who had just entered the conference room to deliver a report before the assassination. Abdul Razak's 18-year-old bodyguard, Ko Htwe ,
8763-422: The fighting to the Japanese Army but occupied the areas behind Japanese lines after the British had retreated. The arrival of BIA units in many areas of Burma was followed by escalating communal violence, especially against Karen people and others who held privileged positions and whom they believe to have oppressed the Buddhist Burmese during the British administration. The violence lasted for several weeks until
8890-410: The first time widely circulated Burmese-language translations of the Marxist classics. He also became a leader and co-founder of the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP), which later became the Socialist Party , and the umbrella organisation the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL), which advocated Burmese independence from both Japanese and British control during the 1940s. He was detained by
9017-435: The foot of the Shwedagon Pagoda in 1947, and 19 July was designated Martyrs' Day , a public holiday. Aung San's original mausoleum was destroyed by the blast on 9 October 1983 when the President of South Korea , Chun Doo-hwan was nearly assassinated by North Korean agents. Another monument was built in its place. Within months of Aung San's assassination, on 4 January 1948, Burma was granted independence. By August 1948,
9144-401: The former capital Yangon and his portrait still has a place of pride in many homes and offices throughout the country. Scott Market, Yangon's most famous market, was renamed Bogyoke Market in his memory, and Commissioner Road was retitled Bogyoke Aung San Road after independence. These names have been retained. Many other towns and cities in Burma have thoroughfares and parks named after him. In
9271-527: The founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement . In 1961, U Nu made briefly made Buddhism the state religion and caused dissent amongst Christian Kachin nationalists and was one of the main factors for the Kachin conflict . Less than two years after his election victory, U Nu was overthrown by a coup d'état led by General Ne Win on 2 March 1962. After the 1962 coup, U Nu was put in what
9398-520: The general secretary. Aung San was editor and publicity officer. Nu and Aung San were both expelled from the university after an article, Hell Hound At Large , appeared in the union magazine, which was obviously about the rector. Their expulsion sparked off the second university students' strike in February 1936. Aung San and Nu became members of the nationalist Dobama Asiayone (Our Burma Association) which had been formed in 1930 and henceforth gained
9525-553: The guard standing outside, and burst into the council chamber. The gunmen shouted, "Remain seated! Don't move!" Aung San stood up and was immediately shot in the chest, killing him. The gunmen sprayed the area where he was standing with gunfire for approximately thirty seconds, killing four other council members immediately and mortally wounding another three. Only three in the room survived. In addition to Aung San, eight other people were killed, seven of whom were also politicians. Thakin Mya
9652-443: The interim government and Burmese troops started to change sides with Burmese Navy almost totally siding with the opposition. However, Aung San Suu Kyi categorically rejected U Nu's plan by saying "the future of the opposition would be decided by masses of the people". Ex-Brigadier Aung Gyi , another opposition politician at the time of the 8888 crisis, followed and rejected the plan after Suu Kyi's refusal. Crucial months were passed on
9779-456: The majority of Burmese with single-syllable names. Former titles, such as min ( မင်း ; "leader") were re-appropriated as part of personal names. For example, Burmese nationalist Aung San 's parents were named Pha ( ဖာ ) and Suu ( စု ), both of which are single-syllable names. His birth name was Htain Lin ( ထိန်လင်း ), but he changed his name to Aung San ( အောင်ဆန်း ) later in life. His child
9906-453: The meeting Aung San stated his intentions to ally with the British until the Japanese had been driven out of Burma, and agreed to incorporate his forces into Slim's British-led army. When Slim asked Aung San whether he was taking a risk by unexpectedly coming to his camp in the uniform of a Japanese officer and adopting a bold attitude, Aung San answered that he was not, "because you are a British officer." Slim later wrote that Aung San had made
10033-418: The men took pseudonyms beginning with the word "Bo", meaning "officer", which had become a title used by Westerners in Burma. Aung San took the nom de guerre "Bo Teza" ("Teza" means "fire"). The Thirty Comrades trained for six months on Hainan with Suzuki Keiji and other Japanese officers. Aung San, Ne Win , and Setkya all received special training, since the Japanese intended to place them in senior positions in
10160-407: The names of one's parents and relatives in personal names has been criticized as an un-Burmese adoption of seriality , although it differs from historical Western practices. Burman names commonly include Pali -derived words combined with native Burmese words, including: Burmese people who marry foreigners or move to countries that use surnames may use their name as if part of it represented
10287-593: The nation's turbulent political history. Nu was born to U San Tun and Daw Saw Khin of Wakema , Myaungmya District , British Burma . He attended Myoma High School in Yangon, and received a B.A. from Rangoon University in 1929. In 1935 he married Mya Yi while studying for a Bachelor of Laws . Nu's political life started as president of the Rangoon University Students Union (RUSU) with M. A. Rashid as vice-president and U Thi Han as
10414-413: The number of syllables in their children's names, by use of various structures. Today, names with up to four syllables are common for men and up to five for women. Scholars such as Thant Myint-U have argued that the rise of complex Burmese personal names resulted from the collapse of the Burmese monarchy, which ended the sophisticated system of Pali-Burmese styles, crown service and gentry titles, leaving
10541-422: The open rebellion by the AFPFL against the Japanese military in March 1945. Though aware of the resistance and in contact with its leaders, Nu did not actively participate in the underground activities of the AFPFL up to the rebellion, and unlike its leading figure Aung San , did not join the rebellion and move to areas under Allied control. Instead, Nu retreated with the Japanese and Ba Maw in late April, 1945. Nu
10668-524: The prefix Thakin ('Master'), proclaiming they were the true masters of their own land. For a few years after independence in 1948 Nu retained the prefix 'Thakin', but around 1952 he announced that since Burma was already independent the prefix of 'Thakin' was no longer needed and henceforth he would be known as U ('Mr') Nu. In 1937 he co-founded with Thakin Than Tun the Nagani (Red Dragon) Book Club which for
10795-557: The pretext of a pilgrimage to India left Burma for India. When Ne Win made no response to his report, U Nu left India for London . In a London press conference on 27 August 1969, U Nu announced that he was the 'legal Prime Minister' and pledged that he would not give up his struggle for democracy in Burma and that Burma was under the 'same kind of fascism' that General Aung San had fought. In November 1969, Ne Win formally rejected U Nu's proposal, saying that he took over power – and held on to it – not because he craved power but to uplift
10922-561: The primary political organization leading the fight for independence. Following Burma's independence in 1948, Nu became the country's first Prime Minister under the provisions of the 1947 Constitution of the Union of Burma. His tenure was marked by efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation, establish democratic governance, and navigate the complexities of ethnic and political divisions within Burma. Nu's administration faced numerous challenges, including economic difficulties, internal insurgencies, and
11049-436: The principal of the high school there. Aung San rarely spoke before the age of eight. As a teenager, he often spent hours reading and thinking alone, oblivious to those around him. In his youth he was generally unconcerned with his appearance and clothing. In his earliest articles, published in the "Opinion" section of The World of Books , he opposed the ideology of Western-style individualism supported by U Thant in favour of
11176-775: The process. Since they ran virtually unopposed, every delegate in Aung San's party was elected. In the end Aung San's AFPFL won 176 out of the 210 seats in the Constituent Assembly , while the Karens won 24, the Communists 6, and the Anglo-Burmans 4. In July, Aung San convened a series of conferences at Sorrenta Villa in Rangoon to discuss the rehabilitation of Burma. Following the 1947 election Aung San began to form his own cabinet. In addition to ethnic Burmese statesmen like himself and Tin Tut, he also persuaded
11303-402: The pursuit of a conventional career and committed himself to revolutionary politics. In October 1938, Aung San left his law classes and entered national politics. At this point, he was anti-British and staunchly anti-imperialist. He became a Thakin ("lord" or "master": a title often used as an informal title for Westerners in Burma; the usage by Burmese proclaimed that the Burmese people were
11430-634: The reign of Burma's last king, Thibaw , he had been appointed to administer the region of Myo Lu Lin, close to the northern side of the Pegu Mountain Range in Upper Burma . After learning of King Thibaw's abdication and subsequent exile to the British Raj , following the brief Third Anglo-Burmese War in 1885, Bo Min Yaung became angry, and made up his mind to resist the British. The rebellion failed. After his refusal to surrender, he
11557-408: The rest of the party leadership. He subsequently co-founded the People's Revolutionary Party (later the Burma Socialist Party ) with the primary goal of Burmese independence from the British. Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Aung San fled Burma and went to China to solicit foreign support for Burmese independence. During the Japanese occupation of Burma, he served as the minister of war in
11684-564: The royal family of the Pagan Kingdom through its last king, Narathihapate . Daw Thu Sa had several cousins who had worked within the government of the last Burmese kingdom . One of her cousins, Bo Min Yaung , had been the royal treasurer during the reign of King Mindon . King Mindon awarded Bo Min Yaung the title of "Mahar Min Kyaw Min Htin", an honorary title similar to knighthood given to those who are not close relatives of
11811-649: The same day the SLORC Chairman Senior General Saw Maung was forced to relinquish power and replaced by military junta (officially named the State Peace and Development Council ) chief Senior General Than Shwe . A devout Theravada Buddhist , U Nu had long been popular with the Buddhist majority of the country. In 1950, with the Karen Uprising, the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League controlled Parliament launched
11938-487: The second title became a prescribed text in schools in the 1950s as was U Nu's original work in Burmese, The People Win Through or The Sound of the People Victorious ( Ludu Aungthan ). He organized a Burma Translation Society and first volume of Burmese Encyclopedia published in 1954. The Sarpay Beikhman continued those works. Besides serving as Prime Minister, U Nu was also an accomplished novelist and playwright. In
12065-556: The street and the interim government was not internationally recognized due to lack of support from opposition. Political analyst Susanne Prager-Nyein described Aung San Suu Kyi's refusal as "a major strategic mistake". Nonetheless U Nu formed his own 'government' reappointing Mahn Win Maung who was overthrown in the 1962 coup as 'President'. After the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) took over power on 18 September 1988,
12192-502: The student boycott council and second as the student representative for the government's University Act Amendment Committee, which the government formed in response to the strike. Later in 1936, after the student strike was over, he was elected the vice president of the Rangoon University Student Union. Because of his participation in the student strike he was not able to sit for the examination in 1936, and received his Bachelor of Arts in 1937. After his graduation Aung San began studying for
12319-712: The task of unifying a diverse population. During his time in office, Nu implemented several significant reforms, including land redistribution policies and initiatives to promote education and healthcare. He also pursued a policy of neutrality in foreign affairs, aligning Burma with neither the Western bloc nor the Soviet Union during the Cold War . However, his government struggled with internal dissent and regional insurgencies, leading to political instability. Nu's first term as Prime Minister ended in 1958, but he briefly returned to power in 1960. However, his second tenure
12446-536: The terms of Burmese independence on 27 January: following the Burmese election in 1947 Burma would join the British Commonwealth (like Canada and Australia), though its government would have the option to leave; its government would control the Burmese Army once Allied armies had withdrawn; a constitutional assembly would be drawn up as soon as possible, with the resulting constitution presented to
12573-687: The time (around 1960) and in this critical stance it resembles Thein Pe Myint 's The Modern Monk ( Tet Hpongyi in Burmese). Like The Modern Monk , it deals with scandalous sexual liaisons not much in keeping with traditional modes of Burmese behaviour.One of the greatest female writers of the Post-colonial period is Journalgyaw Ma Ma Lay . Khin Myo Chit was another important writer, who wrote, among her works, The 13-Carat Diamond (1955), which
12700-619: The time he arrived in Japanese-occupied China. Aung San spent the rest of 1940 in Tokyo, learning the Japanese language and political ideology. At the time he wrote that he was opposed to Western individualism and that he intended to create an authoritarian state modelled on Japan with "one state, one party, [and] one leader". While in Japan he dressed in a Japanese Kimono and adopted a Japanese name, "Omoda Monji". During this time
12827-662: The true masters of their country) when he joined the Dobama Asiayone ("We Burmans Association"). He acted as its general secretary until August 1940. While in this role, he helped organize a series of countrywide strikes that became known as the ME 1300 Revolution. The name of this movement was based on the Burmese calendar year 1300: in the Western calendar this year occurred between August 1938 and July 1939. On 18 January 1939
12954-452: The university authorities reinstated Aung San and Nu. The events of 1936 had a profound effect on the future of Aung San. Before 1936 he was not well known outside of Rangoon University, but during the student strike his name and image were published and discussed in daily newspapers, and he became known nationwide as a nationalist revolutionary and a student leader. He also served in his first student leadership positions, first as secretary of
13081-441: The using of surnames in early 20th century, Myanmar never introduced the using of surnames and lack surnames in the modern day. In the culture of Myanmar , people can change their name at will, often with no government oversight, to reflect a change in the course of their lives. Also, many Myanmar names use an honorific , given at some point in life, as an integral part of the name. Burmese names were originally one syllable, as in
13208-464: The village headman. The delegates agreed that the new Burmese army would be composed of 5,000 of Aung San's Japanese-trained Bamar soldiers, and 5,000 British-trained soldiers, most of whom were either Chin , Kachin , or Karen . Aung San wrote to U Seinda in Arakan , saying that he supported U Seida's guerrilla fight against the British, but that he would cooperate with them for tactical reasons. After
13335-452: The war. When Allied forces retook Rangoon on 2 May 1945, the BNA were symbolically sent into the city two days before any other soldiers. The Allies helped to arm Aung San's forces somewhat after their defection, supplying the BNA with 3,000 small arms. Aung San first met with General Bill Slim on 16 May 1945, appearing unexpectedly in Slim's camp in the uniform of a Japanese major general. At
13462-695: The welfare of the 'workers and peasants' and that U Nu's proposals amounted to 'turning back the wheel'. U Nu then used former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official Bill Young to help him raise international funding for founding the United National Liberation Front (UNLF). By the end of 1970, they had garnered more than $ 2 million. U Nu later formed the Parliamentary Democracy Party (PDP) and led an armed resistance group. U Nu's 'resistance group' consisted of no more than several hundred or at most
13589-399: Was a minister without portfolio who had been a student leader and a close friend of Aung San. Ba Choe , the minister of information , had been the editor of a prominent nationalist journal. Abdul Razak , a Tamil Muslim, the minister of education , had been a headmaster. Ba Win , the minister of trade , was Aung San's older brother. Mahn Ba Khaing , the minister of industry , was one of
13716-419: Was a lawyer who was described by others as introverted and reserved. According to Aung San, U Phar studied law and passed his bar exam third in his class of 174, but after his education ended he never went on to work as a lawyer, instead focusing on doing business. U Phar died at the age of 51, when Aung San was in 8th grade. Aung San's paternal grandmother was Daw Thu Sa, whose family traced their lineage from
13843-577: Was a life-long anti-imperialist and studied socialism as a student. In his first year of university he was elected to the executive committee of the Rangoon University Students' Union and served as the editor of its newspaper. He joined the Thakin Society in 1938 and served as its general secretary. He also helped establish the Communist Party of Burma in 1939 but quit shortly afterwards due to vehement disagreements with
13970-569: Was born Buddhist, he was particularly attracted by the Kalama Sutta , a Buddhist doctrine that challenges believers to actively question their beliefs and views instead of passively accepting them: You must not believe anything which you cannot test yourself. On 29 August 1961, Parliament passed the State Religion Promotion Act of 1961, initiated by U Nu himself. This act made Buddhism the official state religion of
14097-557: Was born in Natmauk , Magway District , on 13 February 1915 during the British Raj . The family was considered middle-class. He was the youngest of nine siblings; he had three older sisters and five older brothers. Aung San's name was given to him by his brother Aung Than. Aung San received his primary education at a Buddhist monastic school in Natmauk, but he moved to Yenangyaung in grade 4 because his eldest brother, Ba Win , had become
14224-405: Was captured and executed by the British. Some sources have reported Bo Min Yaung's relationship to Aung San differently, claiming that he was Aung San's paternal grandfather, rather than his paternal grandmother's cousin. For his work towards Burmese independence and uniting the country, Aung San is revered as the architect of modern Burma and a national hero. A Martyrs' Mausoleum was built at
14351-417: Was cut short by a military coup in 1962, led by General Ne Win . Following the coup, Nu was placed under house arrest and later allowed to go into exile. He continued to be an influential political figure and an advocate for democracy until his death on 14 February 1995. Nu's legacy is remembered for his dedication to Burma's independence, his efforts to establish democratic governance, and his complex role in
14478-432: Was described by contemporary students as being charismatic and keenly interested in politics. In February 1936 he was expelled from the university, along with U Nu , for refusing to reveal the name of the author of an article he had run in the student newspaper called "Hell Hound at Large", which criticized a senior university official. The expulsion led to the three-month long Second University Students' Strike, after which
14605-666: Was drawn back into the politics of the AFPFL where he initially struggled to keep its Communist contingent within the party. After the assassination of its political and military leader Aung San along with his cabinet ministers on 19 July 1947, U Nu led the AFPFL and signed an independence agreement (the Nu-Attlee Treaty) with the British Premier Clement Attlee in October 1947. Burma gained independence from Britain on 4 January 1948. U Nu became
14732-494: Was euphemistically called 'protective custody' in an army camp outside Rangoon. He was released more than four years later on 27 October 1966. Among others, on the day of the military coup on 2 March 1962 President Mahn Win Maung as well as Chief Justice U Myint Thein (22 February 1900 – 3 October 1994) was also put in 'protective custody'. Win Maung was released from detention in October 1967 and Myint Thein not until 28 February 1968. On 2 December 1968, Ne Win appointed U Nu to
14859-573: Was ever charged with his murder. A theory that the British were involved in Aung San's assassination was investigated in a documentary broadcast by the BBC on the 50th anniversary of the assassination in 1997. What did emerge in the course of the investigations at the time of the trial was that several low-ranking British officers had sold firearms to a number of Burmese politicians, including U Saw. Shortly after U Saw's conviction, Captain David Vivian,
14986-585: Was given command of the first region, comprising the areas of Prome , Henzada , Tharrawaddy , and Insein . His designated political advisor was Thakin Ba Hein , a Communist Party leader. On 30 March, the Allied commander in Southeast Asia, Louis Montbatten , formally recognized the Burmese army as "an Allied force". The Burmese National Army continued to harass the Japanese throughout the remainder of
15113-405: Was having a meeting with his new cabinet. There was no wall or gate protecting the government building, and although Aung San had been warned that someone may have been plotting to kill him the sentries guarding the building did not challenge or stop the car in any way. Four men from the car, armed with three Tommy Guns , a Sten gun, and grenades, ran up the stairs towards the council chamber, shot
15240-452: Was investigating Aung San's assassination. According to General Kyaw Zaw, these murders were evidence that somebody was trying to cover up their involvement in the assassination. In September 1948, nine months after Burma's independence, somebody assassinated Tin Tut, who had been one of Aung San's closest advisors and who at the time was Burma's first foreign minister, by throwing a grenade into his car. The assassins were never caught and nobody
15367-604: Was invited to attend, but neither Aung San nor anyone from his party were, due to "their connection with the Burma Independence Army". In an audacious move, Aung San turned himself in for the execution of the village headman. As arresting him would mean a nationwide armed rebellion by the PVO, Dorman-Smith was replaced by a new Governor General of Burma, Sir Hubert Rance . Rance agreed to recognize and negotiate directly with Aung San, possibly to distance them both from
15494-434: Was killed before the gunmen entered the room. Burma's last pre-World War II Prime Minister, U Saw (who had himself lost an eye surviving an assassination attempt in late 1946), was arrested for the murders the same day. U Saw was subsequently tried and hanged for his responsibility in the assassination, but there have been many other claims of responsibility from multiple parties ever since Aung San's death. Some claimed that
15621-462: Was nearly killed on August 12, 1945, when Allied pilots strafed and destroyed the house Ba Maw had been given by the retreating Japanese, but both escaped the residence during the attack. Following Japanese surrender, Nu retired from politics for a time, writing his memoirs of the war years, Burma Under the Japanese and tracts on Marxism. As a popular figure with early connections to Aung San and other nationalists from their student days, however, Nu
15748-481: Was not necessarily evidence of British complicity in Aung San's murder but rather the greed of the individual soldiers. He identified the officer responsible for selling the arms as Major Lance Dane, but claimed that Dane and his associates were later "secretly released" after being imprisoned. Kin Oung claimed that the name of one of Aung San's assassins was "Yan Gyi Aung". Aung San's parents were U Phar and Daw Su. U Phar
15875-487: Was revealed either during or after the trial. Kin Oung, the son of the deputy police inspector who arrested U Saw, claimed that U Saw bought the arms found at his house from the black market after they had been sold by British soldiers, not by the soldiers directly. Kin Oung claimed that the arms, before being smuggled into the black market, were in the process of being transported to Singapore in preparation for their withdrawal from Burma, so U Saw's possession of these weapons
16002-585: Was to repeal the Buddhist acts that had passed under U Nu's administration, including the ban on cow slaughtering and declaration of Buddhism as the state religion, as they had alienated largely Christian ethnic minorities such as the Kachins and the Karens , and perhaps was symbolic of a personality clash between Nu and Ne Win. U Nu authored several books some of which have been translated into English. Among his works are The People Win Through (1951), Burma under
16129-404: Was translated into many languages. The journalist Ludu U Hla was the author of numerous volumes of ethnic minority folklore, novels about inmates in U Nu-era jails, and biographies of people working in different occupations. The Prime Minister U Nu himself wrote several politically oriented plays and novels. Nu died of natural causes on 14 February 1995 at his home in Yangon's Bahan Township at
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