Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League
Encyclopedia
The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League , or hpa hsa pa la by its Burmese
acronym, was the main political party
in Burma from 1945 until 1962. It was founded by the Communist Party of Burma
(CPB) led by Thakin Soe, the Burma National Army
(BNA) led by Aung San
, and the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) (later evolved into the Socialist Party
) led by U Nu
, at a secret meeting in Pegu in August 1944 as the Anti-Fascist Organisation
(AFO) to resist the Japan
ese occupation. The AFO was renamed the AFPFL after the defeat of Japan in order to resist the British
colonial administration and achieve independence.
, it was done in the name of a provisional government
of the AFO led by Thakin Soe. After negotiations with the British, the AFO was transformed into a political party called the AFPFL. When Aung San left the army to re-enter the political arena as a civilian, he became the recognized leader and president of the AFPFL in January 1946.
While often called a political party, the AFPFL was in fact more of a popular front
organization comprising many very different political parties held together by the common leadership of first Aung San and then U Nu. Its first general secretary was the communist leader Thakin Than Tun
.
Dissent and rifts began to appear in the AFPFL over the negotiations regarding strategy and more importantly the nature of independence on offer. Thakin Soe started a rebellion after splitting from the CPB forming a splinter group called the Red Flag Communist Party. The CPB, now dubbed the White Flag Communists, continued to cooperate with the AFPFL, but Than Tun was forced to resign as general secretary in July 1946 and replaced by the socialist Kyaw Nyein, after a split with Aung San and the rest.
Aung San became the de facto premier of Burma in September 1946 when he accepted the British Governor's invitation to lead the Executive Council. The communists accused him and the others of selling out and settling for what they alleged a 'sham independence'. The CPB was then expelled from the AFPFL the following November. The AFPFL negotiated with the British total independence for Burma including the ethnic minorities, and Aung San succeeded in uniting the majority Burmans
with the hills peoples at the Panglong Conference
in February 1947. Aung San was however assassinated together with six other members of his cabinet in July 1947. U Nu then became both the premier of Burma and leader of the party.
force out of the demobbed veterans, but also a large part of the Burma Rifles
led by communist commanders calling themselves the Revolutionary Burma Army (RBA). The AFPFL government had plunged into civil war
with not only Burman
insurgent groups but also ethnic minorities including the Karen National Union
(KNU), Mon
, Pa-O
, nationalist Rakhine
and the Mujahid or Rakhine
Muslims.
however came as a shock although the AFPFL was returned to office, as the opposition leftist coalition, known as the National United Front
(NUF) and led by Aung Than, older brother of Aung San, won 37% of the vote with an increased number of seats in parliament. In 1958, despite an economic recovery and the unexpected success of U Nu's 'Arms for Democracy' offer that saw the surrender of a large number of insurgents most notably the PVO, the party split into two factions namely the 'Clean' faction led by U Nu
and Thakin Tin (aka Nu-Tin faction) and the 'Stable' faction led by Ba Swe and Kyaw Nyein (aka Swe-Nyein faction). The political infighting resulted in U Nu narrowly escaping defeat in parliament over a motion of no-confidence by only 8 votes with the support of the opposition NUF. Still dogged by the 'multicoloured insurgency', the army hardliners' fear of the communists being allowed to rejoin mainstream politics through Nu's need for continued support by the NUF was compounded by the Shan Federal Movement
lobbying for a loose federation. The volatile situation culminated in a military caretaker government
under General Ne Win
that presided over a general election in 1960
which was won in a landslide victory by U Nu's faction renamed the Union Party.
policy based on unity and consensus, upheld parliamentary democracy and presided over a mixed economy
comprising both state and private enterprise. It spent most of this period in its history fighting several communist, socialist and ethnic separatist rebel groups for control over the future of the country. It also fought a successful war against Nationalist Chinese
(KMT) forces who occupied the far north of the country for several years after the Kuomintang
's defeat by the Chinese Communists. Its foreign policy followed strict neutrality
supporting the Bandung Conference of 1955, shunning the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) on account of the American support of the KMT on one hand, and facing the communist insurgencies on the other.
by Ne Win
, who immediately began to persecute all political opposition. The leaders of the AFPFL as well as the ethnic leaders were rounded up and thrown into prison. He then founded the Burma Socialist Programme Party
(BSPP) and established one-party rule banning all other political parties by decree in 1964.
The AFPFL has been superseded by other political parties and movements in opposition to the military junta
which still holds power today.
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
acronym, was the main political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Burma from 1945 until 1962. It was founded by the Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
(CPB) led by Thakin Soe, the Burma National Army
Burma National Army
The Burma National Army served as the armed forces of the Burmese government created by the Japanese during World War II and fought in the Burma Campaign...
(BNA) led by Aung San
Aung San
Bogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....
, and the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) (later evolved into the Socialist Party
Burma Socialist Party
The Burma Socialist Party, initially known as the People's Freedom Party was a political party in Burma. BSP was the dominant party in Burmese politics after 1948. It was the dominant political force inside the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League.The party was founded in September 1945. It was a...
) led by U Nu
U Nu
For other people with the Burmese name Nu, see Nu .U Nu was a leading Burmese nationalist and political figure of the 20th century...
, at a secret meeting in Pegu in August 1944 as the Anti-Fascist Organisation
Anti-Fascist Organisation
The Anti-Fascist Organisation was a Burmese resistance movement against the Japanese Occupation during the Second World War. It was the forerunner of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League so renamed at the end of the war on 19 August 1945 after the defeat of Japan and the return of the British...
(AFO) to resist the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese occupation. The AFO was renamed the AFPFL after the defeat of Japan in order to resist the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
colonial administration and achieve independence.
Fight for freedom
When in March 1945 Aung San led the BNA in a national uprising against the Japanese and the Burmese puppet government led by Dr Ba MawBa Maw
Dr. Ba Maw was a Burmese political leader, active during the interwar and World War II period.-Early life and education:Ba Maw was born in Maubin. Ba Maw came from a distinguished family of mixed Mon-Burmese parentage which bred many scholars and lawyers...
, it was done in the name of a provisional government
Provisional government
A provisional government is an emergency or interim government set up when a political void has been created by the collapse of a very large government. The early provisional governments were created to prepare for the return of royal rule...
of the AFO led by Thakin Soe. After negotiations with the British, the AFO was transformed into a political party called the AFPFL. When Aung San left the army to re-enter the political arena as a civilian, he became the recognized leader and president of the AFPFL in January 1946.
While often called a political party, the AFPFL was in fact more of a popular front
Popular front
A popular front is a broad coalition of different political groupings, often made up of leftists and centrists. Being very broad, they can sometimes include centrist and liberal forces as well as socialist and communist groups...
organization comprising many very different political parties held together by the common leadership of first Aung San and then U Nu. Its first general secretary was the communist leader Thakin Than Tun
Thakin Than Tun
Thakin Than Tun born in Kanyutkwin, Myanmar, was a Burmese politician and leader of the Communist Party of Burma from 1945 until his death at age 57.-Struggle for freedom:...
.
Dissent and rifts began to appear in the AFPFL over the negotiations regarding strategy and more importantly the nature of independence on offer. Thakin Soe started a rebellion after splitting from the CPB forming a splinter group called the Red Flag Communist Party. The CPB, now dubbed the White Flag Communists, continued to cooperate with the AFPFL, but Than Tun was forced to resign as general secretary in July 1946 and replaced by the socialist Kyaw Nyein, after a split with Aung San and the rest.
Aung San became the de facto premier of Burma in September 1946 when he accepted the British Governor's invitation to lead the Executive Council. The communists accused him and the others of selling out and settling for what they alleged a 'sham independence'. The CPB was then expelled from the AFPFL the following November. The AFPFL negotiated with the British total independence for Burma including the ethnic minorities, and Aung San succeeded in uniting the majority Burmans
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
with the hills peoples at the Panglong Conference
Panglong Conference
The Panglong Conference , held in February 1947, was an historic meeting that took place at Panglong in the Shan States in Burma between the Shan, Kachin and Chin ethnic minority leaders and Aung San, head of the interim Burmese government...
in February 1947. Aung San was however assassinated together with six other members of his cabinet in July 1947. U Nu then became both the premier of Burma and leader of the party.
Independence and civil war
Burma declared independence from Britain in January 1948, and the CPB went underground the following March after U Nu ordered the arrest of its leaders for inciting rebellion. Other groups also soon dropped out of the AFPFL to join the rebellion, not only the White-band faction of the People's Volunteer Organisation (PVO) formed by Aung San as a paramilitaryParamilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
force out of the demobbed veterans, but also a large part of the Burma Rifles
Burma Rifles
The Burma Rifles were a regiment of the British Indian Army created in 1917. The regiment re-used the name of an unrelated earlier unit, the 10th Regiment Madras Infantry, which evolved into the 10th Princess Mary's Own Gurkha Rifles....
led by communist commanders calling themselves the Revolutionary Burma Army (RBA). The AFPFL government had plunged into civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
with not only Burman
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
insurgent groups but also ethnic minorities including the Karen National Union
Karen National Union
The Karen National Union is a political organisation with an armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army that represents the Karen people of Burma. It operates in Eastern Burma, and has underground networks in other areas of Burma where Karen people live. In Karen, this Karen area is called...
(KNU), Mon
Mon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
, Pa-O
Pa-O
The Pa-Oh form an ethnic group in Burma, comprising approximately 600,000. The Pa-Oh form the second largest ethnic group in Shan State, and are classified as part of the "Shan National Race" by the government, although they are believed to be of Tibeto-Burman stock, and are ethnolinguistically...
, nationalist Rakhine
Rakhine people
The Rakhine , is a nationality in Myanmar forming the majority along the coastal region of present day Rakhine State or Arakan State. They possibly constitute 5.53% or more of Myanmar's total population but no accurate census figures exist. Rakhine people also live in the southeastern parts of...
and the Mujahid or Rakhine
Rakhine State
Rakhine State is a Burmese state. Situated on the western coast, it is bordered by Chin State in the north, Magway Region, Bago Region and Ayeyarwady Region in the east, the Bay of Bengal to the west, and the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh to the northwest. It is located approximately between...
Muslims.
Parliamentary rule and AFPFL split
With two short interruptions, Nu and the AFPFL remained in power until March 2, 1962, winning several parliamentary elections. The 1956 election resultsBurmese general election, 1956
Burma held its second general election on 27 April 1956 to vote for 202 out of 250 seats to the Burmese Chamber of Deputies; the remaining 48 were decided automatically as no opposition candidates were entered against candidates of the ruling Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League .The Anti-Fascist...
however came as a shock although the AFPFL was returned to office, as the opposition leftist coalition, known as the National United Front
National United Front
The National United Front was a political coalition in Burma, formed ahead of the April 1956 general election. NUF consisted of the Burma Workers and Peasants Party, the Justice Party led by Dr. E Maung, the People's Unity Party led by Thein Pe Myint, the People's Peace Front and other sectors. NUF...
(NUF) and led by Aung Than, older brother of Aung San, won 37% of the vote with an increased number of seats in parliament. In 1958, despite an economic recovery and the unexpected success of U Nu's 'Arms for Democracy' offer that saw the surrender of a large number of insurgents most notably the PVO, the party split into two factions namely the 'Clean' faction led by U Nu
U Nu
For other people with the Burmese name Nu, see Nu .U Nu was a leading Burmese nationalist and political figure of the 20th century...
and Thakin Tin (aka Nu-Tin faction) and the 'Stable' faction led by Ba Swe and Kyaw Nyein (aka Swe-Nyein faction). The political infighting resulted in U Nu narrowly escaping defeat in parliament over a motion of no-confidence by only 8 votes with the support of the opposition NUF. Still dogged by the 'multicoloured insurgency', the army hardliners' fear of the communists being allowed to rejoin mainstream politics through Nu's need for continued support by the NUF was compounded by the Shan Federal Movement
Federalism
Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and...
lobbying for a loose federation. The volatile situation culminated in a military caretaker government
Caretaker government
Caretaker government is a type of government that rules temporarily. A caretaker government is often set up following a war until stable democratic rule can be restored, or installed, in which case it is often referred to as a provisional government...
under General Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
that presided over a general election in 1960
Burmese general election, 1960
Burma held its third general election on 6 February 1960 to decide which faction of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League should take over from General Ne Win's interim administration, established in October 1958...
which was won in a landslide victory by U Nu's faction renamed the Union Party.
Policies
During its time in office, the AFPFL pursued a nationalistNationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
policy based on unity and consensus, upheld parliamentary democracy and presided over a mixed economy
Mixed economy
Mixed economy is an economic system in which both the state and private sector direct the economy, reflecting characteristics of both market economies and planned economies. Most mixed economies can be described as market economies with strong regulatory oversight, in addition to having a variety...
comprising both state and private enterprise. It spent most of this period in its history fighting several communist, socialist and ethnic separatist rebel groups for control over the future of the country. It also fought a successful war against Nationalist Chinese
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
(KMT) forces who occupied the far north of the country for several years after the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
's defeat by the Chinese Communists. Its foreign policy followed strict neutrality
Neutrality (international relations)
A neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
supporting the Bandung Conference of 1955, shunning the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) on account of the American support of the KMT on one hand, and facing the communist insurgencies on the other.
Demise
In March 1962 the Union government was overthrown in a coup d'étatCoup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
by Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
, who immediately began to persecute all political opposition. The leaders of the AFPFL as well as the ethnic leaders were rounded up and thrown into prison. He then founded the Burma Socialist Programme Party
Burma Socialist Programme Party
Burma Socialist Programme Party was formed by the Ne Win's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole political party allowed to exist legally in Burma during the period of military rule from 1964 until its demise in the aftermath of the popular uprising of 1988.-History:The BSPP...
(BSPP) and established one-party rule banning all other political parties by decree in 1964.
The AFPFL has been superseded by other political parties and movements in opposition to the military junta
Military junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
which still holds power today.
External links
- Woodman, Dorothy (February 28, 1948). Burma - free and socialist. New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
- The House on Stilts TIMETime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine cover story, August 30, 1954