Dagontara - Independence, Politics, Peace and Democracy

My feeling is that during the Japanese occupation, the Burma Independence Army was seen as a political organization. There is a reason. The founders of the Burma Independence Army were people from the Student Union and the Do Burma Association. They were also leaders. I know that the thirty comrades who went to Japan and received military education will be used as historical figures in the future.

I don't know everyone, but I know my union colleagues and friends from the Do Burma Association. The Student Union is a student organization, and the Do Burma Association is a political organization, a political organization formed by a group of educated young people who were active after the Saya San Farmers' Uprising. The goal is national independence.

The Student Union is a student organization, the Do Burmese Union is a political organization, and it is clear that the student union leaders at that time joined the Do Burmese Union when they left school. I think some of them joined the Do Burmese Union while they were still in school. As far as I remember, Ko Aung San and Ko Ba Hein joined the Do Burmese Union when they were still students and added the word Thakin to their names. Thakin Aung San joined the Do Burmese Union while he was still in law school. He resigned as the president of the student union.

I saw him go to law school. I don't remember if he finished or not. But I think he didn't finish. I think Thakin Nu, Thakin Soe, and Thakin Than Htun also joined the Do Burma Association at about the same time. They founded the Red Dragon Book Club. I understand that the Red Dragon Book Club was founded in 1937 and planted the seeds of leftism that was popular among the youth in Burma during and after independence.

Thakin Soe's book "Socialism" published by Nagani Publishing House is one of the earliest Burmese books on socialism and communism. Then, Thakin Nu's book "The Escape of the Poor", which translated the history of the Russian Revolution, was also published by Nagani Publishing House. I still remember Ko Ba Hein's book "The World of the Poor" published by Tun Aye Publishing House. Socialism, leftism, is the ideology of the state that was established after independence. His style and writings are very socialist. 47 I later realized that the constitution of the state was a constitution that was copied from the constitution of the Soviet Union in some ways.

I was not involved in the Wan Tha Nu (Wa) national independence movement that emerged around 1920. I was born early, but I was involved in the second student strike of 1936. At that time, I was a tenth grade student and attended the first National Students’ Conference. I first met Aung San at that conference. Then, when I went to Rangoon College, I came into contact with the students’ union community and the Do Burma Association and became friends with them.

Before I reached the tenth grade, I was in the National School in Kyaiklat. I heard the words "nationalism" very often. I had a feeling for it. I knew the meaning of the word "independence" vaguely, even though I didn't fully understand it. But I didn't like the foreign government (or the British government) ruling us. It can be said that I didn't like it without any motivation.

I don’t know if I was in the 9th grade, but I couldn’t join the police force formed by the school. I participated in the National Day parade in front of the student police. Then I remember attending the training without thinking. But I liked the military song. It was an old classic song played by the band. The townspeople cheered on the people who were marching. They gave oranges to the police. We understood that the British Empire on which the sun never set was built by the power of arms. At that time, the police force was formed through military training, but it was like competing with the British government. I understood that the people cheered on the police force in this way.

I am a martial artist. Being far from the physical training arena, I felt very burdened by the fact that I had to do the police training.

After the 1936 student strike, he came to the Yangon Methodist School. He passed the tenth grade there. Then he went to college. He was released from the police force. After the 1936 student strike, the National Students Union emerged, and the National Students Union formed the Student Iron Corps. This corps was no longer compulsory. Anyone who wanted to join could join or not. Student Iron Corps were formed all over the country. I served as an executive member of the University Union.

(C)

The general strike, known as the 1300th Uprising, which broke out in 1938-39, is considered one of the most important milestones in the political life of Burma. It was a democratic mass movement that united educated students, young people, and workers and peasants against the British government.

This was the birth of a powerful force in the march towards democracy through the national independence movement. We gained a lot of experience from the 1300th uprising. After the 1300th uprising, our student union colleagues held small meetings here and there. Sometimes at an appointed place, sometimes without an appointment.

I don't attend every one of these discussions, but when they do, I attend. When we meet. I don't know if there are many who don't. Then, when we gather and talk, the idea comes to mind that it is not easy to achieve independence from the British Empire, which has a huge military force, through a democratic mass movement. So what will we do to achieve independence? Some have begun to believe that it is not possible to achieve independence through mass movement alone.

He said that independence would only be achieved by fighting back with weapons. So where would we get weapons? We discussed the idea that it could only be achieved with foreign aid. At that time, I said, "I don't believe in armed struggle, nor do I have any interest in it."

That's why they call me a craftsman, a craftsman, a thinker. I am a craftsman. At that time, I was 22 years old. They were about 4-5-6 years older than me. Ko Aung San was 4 years older than me.

After the uprising, I met him. He moved to the headquarters of the Do Burma Union on Ye Kyaw Street. After the 1300th uprising, an agreement was reached with the U Pu government. The government recognized the union. The union was allowed to have a representative on the university administration. The first union representative was Thakin Aung San. Only a graduate could be a member of the administration. There was a requirement that he be selected. Ko Aung San already had a BA degree. He was selected. When he was selected, the university administration invited him to speak at the Maung Mae Thit Lwin welcome party.

He is a representative on the governing body, but he has not yet registered his BA degree.

While Ko Bahin and I were talking on the main road, Ko Aung San arrived. He asked if I had ten baht. Ko Bahin asked what I should do. I want to pay the registration fee. I have to pay ten baht. I handed him the ten baht that I had in my pocket. (Ten baht was not a small amount at that time.) “Come and support my brother Thit Lwin at the meeting,” he said and left. He took the ten baht with a smile. Ko Bahin and I looked at each other.

But that morning, Ko Ba Hein and I had a good conversation and didn't even encourage him to go to the meeting. He came back and said, "You are very bad people. You don't come to the meeting, and you don't encourage me either." We both smiled.

(19-10-94)

Yadana Thit Magazine, March 1995.