University of the Sun - General Aung San

First Panglong Conference

The word "Akhaya" is a very important word in the history of the Burmese independence struggle and in the establishment of an independent sovereign state of Burma in the form of a "Union" at the United Nations Headquarters in 1948.

“Panglong” is the name of a small mountain town in Leh Township, southern Shan State. Even we ourselves had never heard of the name “Panglong” before World War II. It seems that it was not a prominent town like Taunggyi, Nyaung Shwe, Shwe Nyaung, Pindaya, Hopong, and Nam Sam.

In any case, on February 12, 1915, in the pavilion built by the national leader, the British Government's Deputy Minister for the Commonwealth, Mr. Bartholomew, was in Panglong on that day, on behalf of the "National Unity Treaty" including the representatives of the lower house and the people.

Author

In fact, the Panglong Conference in February 1947 was the Third Panglong Conference. There was also the First Panglong Conference held in 1947. However, few people know about the First Panglong Conference. More than 10 years ago, I said that some people did not even know about it.

In fact, the Panglong meeting in 1646 cannot be called a “conference” or “conference.” It can be said that it was more like a seminar.

The British colonial governor, Sir Dorman Smith, and his government, Sir Pow Htun, fled Rangoon in early 1942 and lived in exile in Simla, India for three years. During this time, various plans were drawn up in white papers to return to Burma after the war and impose another round of colonial rule. These included plans for economic development, exploitation of natural resources, and various methods of dividing and administering the ethnic groups in the hilly regions.

However, the Burmese government, which had been separated from the Burmese state for more than three years, did not fully understand the rising ideology and standards of the ethnic people (including ethnic groups). Therefore, they tried to divide and rule the ethnic groups in the post-war period, just like their traditional divide and rule system.

In this situation, they tried to divide and rule for two weeks. The main aim was to unite the feudal lords who were still influential and to separate them from the Burmese political leaders led by General Aung San.

Invitations to attend the first Panglong Conference were distributed in the names of the chiefs, such as Le Cha, Mong Kai, Mong Naung, and Thaton Neal Shin, but in reality, they were the influential officials of the regional administration and the Frontier Areas Administration, who were the colonialist agents of the Governor-General.

It has already been reported that the British Viceroy, Sir Dorman Smith, will personally attend the first Panglong Conference.

Not only that, but other important news has also emerged. The Burmese politicians who have made arrangements in advance to attend the conference are Galun U Saw and his Education Minister, Hawng Tin.

The colonialists' idea was to establish a group called the "United Hill People's Organization" (UNITED HILL PEOPLE'S ORGANIZATION) that would bring together the Shan and Kachin ethnic groups. However, the British Governor himself would be the main chairman. Galun U Saw would be appointed as the general secretary.

News of this secret plot emerged, and the English newspapers "New Times and Barmin" published in Yangon wrote extensively about it.

Here in the Burmese political world...

"Oh, that's good. If the chairman of the mountain people's group is a white-faced governor, and the general secretary is a native of Tharyawadi, but the dark-skinned Galon Saw, who looks like a Negro (Kappali) from Uganda, Africa, is the one who is amazing."

This led to a series of jokes and mocking remarks.

However, the colonialists' plan, which they had hatched while resting for three years in India, was completely unsuccessful.

Panglong View (1947)

That day was February 12, 1947.

February 13th is the birthday of General Aung San, who turned 12 years old.

However, for him, February 12, 1947, was also the most important day in his life, because that day was the day when the historic Panglong Unification Treaty was signed, creating an independent Burma in the form of a union.

On that morning (12.2.1947), the view of the village of Panglong was as described above.

Kyamon 12-2-1995