Burma Socialist Programme Party
Encyclopedia
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
.
" (BWS) by the Revolutionary Council (RC) on April 30, 1962. The BWS set out the political and economic ideology of the RC which had taken over power in the military coup
of 2 March 1962. The party Chairmen were:
The BSPP advocated a programme of the "Burmese Way to Socialism
" which embodied both Communist and Buddhist influences. A booklet was published in January 1963 in both Burmese and English languages entitled 'Special Characteristics of the Burma Socialist Programme Party'. The booklet distinguished the BSPP’s ideology from those of both 'bourgeoisie
' social democrat parties and Communist parties. The BSPP, the booklet stated, rejected the 'bourgeois' belief and practices of 'social democrat parties' that 'socialism
' could be reached through 'Parliamentary methods'. (Even before the announcement of the BWS, the RC had already abolished, by decree, the Parliament that was established under the 1947 Burmese Constitution stating in effect that 'Parliamentary democracy was not suitable for Burma'.) The booklet further stated that though there was much to be learnt from the doctrines of Marx
, Engels and Lenin it did not regard them as 'gospel' unlike Communists, 'especially Burmese Communists
', who are 'vulgar [philosophical] materialists'.
Later in the same year the BSPP published in both Burmese and English its ideology in a book entitled 'The System of Correlation between Man and His Environment', simply known as Innya myinnya (Correlation), where both Buddhist and Marxist rhetoric were used to espouse what came to be known as 'the Burmese Way to Socialism'. Its most memorable line was borrowed from an old popular expression "One can only afford to be moral on a full stomach" which struck a chord with the people trying to eke out a living in increasingly dire economic circumstances under the rule of the BSPP, and implemented by the Socialist Economy Construction Committee (hsa sa ta ka), starting with nationalisation of all businesses, dubbed 'capitalist
', across the board. In an article published in a February 1974 issue of Newsweek
magazine, the Burmese Way to Socialism was described as 'an amalgam of Buddhist and Marxist illogic'. Given that it was the brainchild of lapsed Communists and their Socialist counterparts that dominated the Burmese Army after 1948, it seemed a logical product of its time.
The now-defunct 1974 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma constitutionalised the BSPP’s leading role in Burmese politics. Article 11 of the 1974 Constitution stated that 'The State shall adopt a single party system. The Burma Socialist Programme Party is the single political party and it shall lead the State'. This provision merely formalised what was already a fait accompli
- a one-party state- since March 1964.
All government servants from all sectors including doctors, teachers, engineers, scientists, managers from the nationalised industries and businesses as well as civil administrators were compelled to undergo a three-month political indoctrination and basic military training at Hpaunggyi Central People's Services Training School, accommodated in military barracks, starting from the early 1970s. Everything was done in the name of 'the people', and everything had 'people' in its name from People's Shops to People's Parliament, with all the problems of the totalitarian state and none of the benefits seen in the Soviet bloc or China
. The phrase hsoshalit athi (socialist consciousness) became a pun for Socialist friend or connection that one must have in order to get anything or anywhere. The Military Intelligence Service (MIS) and its army of informers served the function of the secret police
to sniff out and extinguish any political dissent
.
was notably the only civilian in the higher echelons of the party.
Prior to being 'transformed' from a 'cadre Party' to a 'mass Party', the BSPP held four 'seminars', the last one from November 6 to November 11, 1969.
Extraordinary Congresses of the BSPP were held in:
At each regular Congress of the BSPP starting from June 1971 to October 1985, Ne Win was 'elected' and 're-elected' by the BSPP as its Chairman. Each Congress also elected a 150 to 200 member Central Committee and in the later Congresses a 'Central Executive Committee' (roughly equivalent to that of the 'Politburo
' in one-Party Communist States though the term 'Politburo' was never used) of about 10 to 15 members were elected.
and Young Pioneers
respectively of China
.
stunned the nation when he, 'taking indirect responsibility for the sad and bloody events of March and June 1988' (whereby many students and civilians in largely peaceful protests against the BSPP regime were shot and killed by the Military Police Lone Htein) tendered his resignation as Party Chairman. Ne Win also announced that four of his colleagues Vice-Chairman and State President San Yu, General Secretary Aye Ko, Joint-General Secretary Sein Lwin and Member of the Central Executive Committee Tun Tin, also a Deputy Prime Minister, had expressed their desire to resign. Referring to the student-led demonstrations against the government in March and June 1988 Ne Win stated that these events indicated that some people 'don't like the government' and 'the Party that led the government'. He also proposed that a nation-wide referendum be held in late September 1988 to determine whether the people preferred the one-party system or wished to shift to a multi-party system
. (A translation of Ne Win's speech can be read in the July 24, 1988 issues of the Rangoon Guardian and the Working People's Daily).
, who was widely perceived to be mainly responsible for the shootings and killings of more than 100 students at Rangoon University on July 7, 1962, shortly after Ne Win's coup d'etat
, as well as the killings of students and civilians in March and June 1988, earning the epithet "Butcher of Rangoon", sparked widespread protests in the country.
The Extraordinary Party Congress of July 1988 also rejected Ne Win's call for a national referendum. The election of Sein Lwin as Party Chairman as well as the refusal by the BSPP to take steps to move towards a multi-party system led to massive demonstrations to which the military responded by shooting and killing hundreds if not thousands of demonstrators in many towns and cities across the country from August 8–12, 1988. On August 12, 1988 Sein Lwin resigned as both Party Chairman and State President. After the selection by the BSPP Central Committee of Dr Maung Maung (January 31, 1925-July 2, 1994) as Party Chairman on August 19 and later by the one-party Pyithu Hluttaw (People's Parliament) as State President on August 20, 1988, the uprising against the BSPP government intensified.
On September 10, 1988 in yet another hastily reconvened Congress, the BSPP decided to hold 'multi-party elections' and the next day the Pyithu Hluttaw passed a resolution to hold multi-Party elections 'not earlier than 45 days and not later than 90 days'. However massive demonstrations in Rangoon and the rest of the country continued, demanding for the resignation of the BSPP government led by Dr Maung Maung in favour of a neutral interim government in order to supervise multi-party elections. On September 18, 1988 the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC or na wa ta), led by the army Chief of Staff General Saw Maung
(d. July 1997) took over after crushing what is now known as the failed 8888 Uprising
of August 8, 1988. The BSPP re-formed itself as the National Unity Party
(NUP - Taing-yintha Silone Nyi-nyut-yay Party or ta sa nya) on September 24, 1988. At the May 27, 1990 elections the NUP contested in virtually all the constituencies but won only 10 out of 485 seats in the new National Assembly which the SLORC and its successor State Peace and Development Council
(SPDC or na a hpa) never convened. The NUP Chairman from September 1988 until his death in early 2005 was U Tha Gyaw, a former army officer who later served as a Minister in the post-1974 BSPP government.
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...
's military regime that seized power in 1962 and was the sole 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...
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
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
.
History
The BSPP was established on 4 July 1962, after the declaration of the "Burmese Way to SocialismBurmese Way to Socialism
The Burmese Way to Socialism refers to the ideology of the Socialist regime in Burma, from 1962 to 1988, when the 1962 coup d'état was led by Ne Win and the military to remove U Nu from power...
" (BWS) by the Revolutionary Council (RC) on April 30, 1962. The BWS set out the political and economic ideology of the RC which had taken over power in the military coup
Coup 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...
of 2 March 1962. The party Chairmen were:
- Ne WinNe WinNe 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...
(4 July 1962 to 23 July 1988) - Sein LwinSein LwinSein Lwin , was a President of Myanmar for 17 days in 1988.He joined the Army in 1943, and in 1944 joined Ne Win’s 4th Burma Rifles. He is believed to have personally killed Karen rebel leader Saw Ba U Gyi. General Sein Lwin had a reputation as being a henchman for General Ne Win...
(26 July - 12 August 1988) and - Dr. Maung MaungMaung MaungDr. Maung Maung was the 7th President of Union of Myanmar, and a well-known writer.-Biography:Maung Maung was the son of lawyer U Sint and his wife Daw Aye Tin. He graduated from BTN High School. He attended the fourth intake of the Defence Services Academy. In 1946, he received the degree of...
(19 August - 18 September 1988).
The BSPP advocated a programme of the "Burmese Way to Socialism
Burmese Way to Socialism
The Burmese Way to Socialism refers to the ideology of the Socialist regime in Burma, from 1962 to 1988, when the 1962 coup d'état was led by Ne Win and the military to remove U Nu from power...
" which embodied both Communist and Buddhist influences. A booklet was published in January 1963 in both Burmese and English languages entitled 'Special Characteristics of the Burma Socialist Programme Party'. The booklet distinguished the BSPP’s ideology from those of both 'bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
' social democrat parties and Communist parties. The BSPP, the booklet stated, rejected the 'bourgeois' belief and practices of 'social democrat parties' that 'socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
' could be reached through 'Parliamentary methods'. (Even before the announcement of the BWS, the RC had already abolished, by decree, the Parliament that was established under the 1947 Burmese Constitution stating in effect that 'Parliamentary democracy was not suitable for Burma'.) The booklet further stated that though there was much to be learnt from the doctrines of Marx
Karl Marx
Karl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
, Engels and Lenin it did not regard them as 'gospel' unlike Communists, 'especially Burmese Communists
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...
', who are 'vulgar [philosophical] materialists'.
Later in the same year the BSPP published in both Burmese and English its ideology in a book entitled 'The System of Correlation between Man and His Environment', simply known as Innya myinnya (Correlation), where both Buddhist and Marxist rhetoric were used to espouse what came to be known as 'the Burmese Way to Socialism'. Its most memorable line was borrowed from an old popular expression "One can only afford to be moral on a full stomach" which struck a chord with the people trying to eke out a living in increasingly dire economic circumstances under the rule of the BSPP, and implemented by the Socialist Economy Construction Committee (hsa sa ta ka), starting with nationalisation of all businesses, dubbed 'capitalist
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
', across the board. In an article published in a February 1974 issue of Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine, the Burmese Way to Socialism was described as 'an amalgam of Buddhist and Marxist illogic'. Given that it was the brainchild of lapsed Communists and their Socialist counterparts that dominated the Burmese Army after 1948, it seemed a logical product of its time.
One-party state
On March 23, 1964, the RC issued a decree entitled 'The Law Protecting National Unity' whereby all political parties except the BSPP were abolished and their assets appropriated. This was repealed on the day the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) seized power in the military coup of September 18, 1988.The now-defunct 1974 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma constitutionalised the BSPP’s leading role in Burmese politics. Article 11 of the 1974 Constitution stated that 'The State shall adopt a single party system. The Burma Socialist Programme Party is the single political party and it shall lead the State'. This provision merely formalised what was already a fait accompli
Fait Accompli
Fait accompli is a French phrase which means literally "an accomplished deed". It is commonly used to describe an action which is completed before those affected by it are in a position to query or reverse it...
- a one-party state- since March 1964.
All government servants from all sectors including doctors, teachers, engineers, scientists, managers from the nationalised industries and businesses as well as civil administrators were compelled to undergo a three-month political indoctrination and basic military training at Hpaunggyi Central People's Services Training School, accommodated in military barracks, starting from the early 1970s. Everything was done in the name of 'the people', and everything had 'people' in its name from People's Shops to People's Parliament, with all the problems of the totalitarian state and none of the benefits seen in the Soviet bloc or China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The phrase hsoshalit athi (socialist consciousness) became a pun for Socialist friend or connection that one must have in order to get anything or anywhere. The Military Intelligence Service (MIS) and its army of informers served the function of the secret police
Secret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
to sniff out and extinguish any political dissent
Political dissent
Political dissent refers to any expression designed to convey dissatisfaction with or opposition to the policies of a governing body. Such expression may take forms from vocal disagreement to civil disobedience to the use of violence. Historically, repressive governments have sought to punish...
.
Cadre to mass party
In 1971 BSPP was opened up for mass membership as 'a People's Party'. During the 1960s, there were three types of membership in the BSPP. The first type or tier was that of a 'friend of the Party' (Pati meik-swei). The second type or tier was that of an 'alternate or provisional membership' (Ayan pati-win lending itself to mockery as ayaan meaning reckless) and the third type was that of a 'fully-fledged' Party member (Dinn-pyei pati-win). Under the Party rules of the time once a person became a 'full Party member', unless there were extraordinary reasons such as those of ill-health one could not 'resign from the Party'. A full Party member could only be dismissed from the Party. The BSPP continued to be dominated by the military, and in 1972 more than half of its 73,369 full members was still made up of army or police personnel; Dr. Maung MaungMaung Maung
Dr. Maung Maung was the 7th President of Union of Myanmar, and a well-known writer.-Biography:Maung Maung was the son of lawyer U Sint and his wife Daw Aye Tin. He graduated from BTN High School. He attended the fourth intake of the Defence Services Academy. In 1946, he received the degree of...
was notably the only civilian in the higher echelons of the party.
Prior to being 'transformed' from a 'cadre Party' to a 'mass Party', the BSPP held four 'seminars', the last one from November 6 to November 11, 1969.
- The first Congress of the BSPP was held from June 28, 1971 to July 11, 1971
- the second in October 1973
- the third in February 1977
- the fourth in August 1981 and
- the fifth in October 1985.
Extraordinary Congresses of the BSPP were held in:
- April 1973
- October 1976
- November 1977
- July 1988 and
- September 1988.
At each regular Congress of the BSPP starting from June 1971 to October 1985, Ne Win was 'elected' and 're-elected' by the BSPP as its Chairman. Each Congress also elected a 150 to 200 member Central Committee and in the later Congresses a 'Central Executive Committee' (roughly equivalent to that of the 'Politburo
Politburo
Politburo , literally "Political Bureau [of the Central Committee]," is the executive committee for a number of communist political parties.-Marxist-Leninist states:...
' in one-Party Communist States though the term 'Politburo' was never used) of about 10 to 15 members were elected.
Youth wing
A nationwide youth organization of the party was formed in 1984 known as the Lanzin lu nge. Students were required to join the organization. Its counterpart in schools was the Sheizaung lu nge and they were modelled on the Red GuardsRed Guards (China)
Red Guards were a mass movement of civilians, mostly students and other young people in the People's Republic of China , who were mobilized by Mao Zedong in 1966 and 1967, during the Cultural Revolution.-Origins:...
and Young Pioneers
Pioneer movement
A pioneer movement is an organization for children operated by a communist party. Typically children enter into the organization in elementary school and continue until adolescence. The adolescents then typically joined the Young Communist League...
respectively of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Purge
In November 1977 a 'purge' of the BSPP including those on the Central Committee took place. This 'schism' in the BSPP was seen as a power-struggle or in-fighting between the military faction and the 'ex-Communist' faction (mainly consisting of some ex-communist rebels who had surrendered to the government, joined and risen in the ranks of the BSPP hierarchy and their sympathizers) in the BSPP. Among the thousands that were purged from the party were 'leftists' or 'communist sympathizers'.Crisis
An Extraordinary Congress of the BSPP was held from July 23 to July 26, 1988. In his inaugural speech on July 23, 1988, Party Chairman Ne WinNe 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...
stunned the nation when he, 'taking indirect responsibility for the sad and bloody events of March and June 1988' (whereby many students and civilians in largely peaceful protests against the BSPP regime were shot and killed by the Military Police Lone Htein) tendered his resignation as Party Chairman. Ne Win also announced that four of his colleagues Vice-Chairman and State President San Yu, General Secretary Aye Ko, Joint-General Secretary Sein Lwin and Member of the Central Executive Committee Tun Tin, also a Deputy Prime Minister, had expressed their desire to resign. Referring to the student-led demonstrations against the government in March and June 1988 Ne Win stated that these events indicated that some people 'don't like the government' and 'the Party that led the government'. He also proposed that a nation-wide referendum be held in late September 1988 to determine whether the people preferred the one-party system or wished to shift to a multi-party system
Multi-party system
A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally...
. (A translation of Ne Win's speech can be read in the July 24, 1988 issues of the Rangoon Guardian and the Working People's Daily).
Demise
The BSPP Congress accepted the resignations of Chairman Ne Win and Vice Chairman San Yu but rejected the resignations of General Secretary Aye Ko, Joint General Secretary Sein Lwin and Central Executive Committee member Tun Tin. Joint-General Secretary Sein Lwin (former Brigadier, d. April 9, 2004) was chosen and appointed as the new Chairman of the Party by the Party Congress. The appointment of Sein LwinSein Lwin
Sein Lwin , was a President of Myanmar for 17 days in 1988.He joined the Army in 1943, and in 1944 joined Ne Win’s 4th Burma Rifles. He is believed to have personally killed Karen rebel leader Saw Ba U Gyi. General Sein Lwin had a reputation as being a henchman for General Ne Win...
, who was widely perceived to be mainly responsible for the shootings and killings of more than 100 students at Rangoon University on July 7, 1962, shortly after Ne Win's coup d'etat
Coup 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...
, as well as the killings of students and civilians in March and June 1988, earning the epithet "Butcher of Rangoon", sparked widespread protests in the country.
The Extraordinary Party Congress of July 1988 also rejected Ne Win's call for a national referendum. The election of Sein Lwin as Party Chairman as well as the refusal by the BSPP to take steps to move towards a multi-party system led to massive demonstrations to which the military responded by shooting and killing hundreds if not thousands of demonstrators in many towns and cities across the country from August 8–12, 1988. On August 12, 1988 Sein Lwin resigned as both Party Chairman and State President. After the selection by the BSPP Central Committee of Dr Maung Maung (January 31, 1925-July 2, 1994) as Party Chairman on August 19 and later by the one-party Pyithu Hluttaw (People's Parliament) as State President on August 20, 1988, the uprising against the BSPP government intensified.
On September 10, 1988 in yet another hastily reconvened Congress, the BSPP decided to hold 'multi-party elections' and the next day the Pyithu Hluttaw passed a resolution to hold multi-Party elections 'not earlier than 45 days and not later than 90 days'. However massive demonstrations in Rangoon and the rest of the country continued, demanding for the resignation of the BSPP government led by Dr Maung Maung in favour of a neutral interim government in order to supervise multi-party elections. On September 18, 1988 the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC or na wa ta), led by the army Chief of Staff General Saw Maung
Saw Maung
Senior General Saw Maung was the founder of the State Peace and Development Council in Myanmar. He served as their Chairman from 1988 to 1992.-Early life and career:...
(d. July 1997) took over after crushing what is now known as the failed 8888 Uprising
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
of August 8, 1988. The BSPP re-formed itself as the National Unity Party
National Unity Party (Burma)
The National Unity Party is a political party in Burma . It was formed by the military junta as well as members of the Burma Socialist Programme Party to take part in the general election of May 27, 1990. The party was defeated by the National League for Democracy. NUP's headquarters are in Bahan...
(NUP - Taing-yintha Silone Nyi-nyut-yay Party or ta sa nya) on September 24, 1988. At the May 27, 1990 elections the NUP contested in virtually all the constituencies but won only 10 out of 485 seats in the new National Assembly which the SLORC and its successor State Peace and Development Council
State Peace and Development Council
The State Peace and Development Council was the official name of the military regime of Burma , which seized power in 1988. On 30 March 2011, Senior General Than Shwe signed a decree to officially dissolve the Council....
(SPDC or na a hpa) never convened. The NUP Chairman from September 1988 until his death in early 2005 was U Tha Gyaw, a former army officer who later served as a Minister in the post-1974 BSPP government.
External links
- The Burmese Way to Socialism (top secret) The Revolutionary Council, 28 April 1962
- The Constitution of the Burma Socialist Programme Party The Revolutionary Council, July 4, 1962
- The System of Correlation of Man and His Environment BSPP, 17 January 1963, 3rd. edition 1964
- The Extraordinary Session of the BSPP Congress, 23-25 July 1988 Working People's Daily