THE ARAKAN STATE

by U KYAW MIN

Classic Literature Collection

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Title: THE ARAKAN STATE

Author: U KYAW MIN

Language: English

Subject: Fiction, Literature

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Copyright © 20, All Rights Reserved Worldwide by World Public Library, www.WorldLibrary.net
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 Cornell University Library
DS 485.B892K77
The Arakan State.

3 1924 022 999 126

K STATE

BY

U KYAW MIN, M.P., I.CS. (Retd j, Barrister-at-law.

 '

^^^^^A^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^A^^^^^^^^^^^^^A^<^^^^V^^^^^»VWW^VMW^MMMV^^^»<»»MV Ws^^WV\^W^M»^ of the Arakanese without patiently

trying to understand this historical

THE ARAKAN STATE background. It is of no value

whatever trying to be an ostrich and
burying one's face in the ground,
trying to get away from these histori-
cal facts, and just alleging that any
BY mention of these historical facts is
apt to create ill-will between the
Arakanese and the Burmese.
^^s^s^t^^s^s^it^ U KYAW MIN, M.P., I.CS. (Retd.), Barrister-at-law • i^^MAAA^^^^
So far as the Arakanese are con-
cerned, this historical background
In the Chamber of Deputies during the non-confidence motion forms an integral part of his very
against the Government last February Session, I made a speech on
being, from the time he wakes up in
Arakan Affairs which was stopped in the middle by the Spealter. the morning till he goes to sleep at
Moreover, he proliibited the publication of the speech in the night. Let me therefore state that
newspapers. it does not help to understand the
•

had occasion to have a joint. The Burmese consider the

Later, I Arakan problem if this background
is absent from the Burmese mind.
talk with the Hon'ble U
Kyaw Arakanese. to be the same as the
The Arakanese mind and the
-

Nyein, Deputy Prime Minister, and Burmese but living in a localised

he remarked to me that he regretted spot and thus having acquired Burmese mind cannot meet in under-
that my speech was unfinished, that localised characteristics. The standing if the Arakanese mind
perenially and perpetually has the
every problem deserved to be stated Burmese think that the Burmese ,

historical background and the

and considered, and he suggested that and the Arakanese come of the same
I write a paper in amplification of stock and are practically the same. Burmese mind has not.

my speech. The Burmese viewpoint is com-

When I made my speech in the Proud People
pletely mistaken. But if an Araka-
Chamber of Deputies, it had to be
nese begins opening his mouth to
short because of the time factor, and The Arakanese are a very proud
say that the Arakanese are not the people. They have had reason to be
the reasons for making certain same as the Burmese, the Burmese proud. And to back this pride are
statements could not be given. will shut him up by saying certain racial characteristics that
The reasons were however bona- that he is "dividing the blood" hard
conduce to greatness, namely,
fide. But the Hon'ble Bo Khin and trying to create ill-will
work, appreciation of and
integrity,
Maung Gale kept interrupting me between Burmese and the
the praise for high qualities in another,
saying that my speech tended to
Arakanese. And so the Arakanese etc.
create ill-will between the Burmese
quickly shuts his mouth. The During the 17th and 18th century,
and the Arakanese. Nothing could Arakanese considers that it is not power,
Arakan was a great naval
have been further from my mind. worth the trouble and effort to put dominating the Bay of Bengal, just
All I wanted was for the Burmese
the Burmese wise. After all, if the as the Portuguese dominated the
MPs in particular, and the Burmese Burmese think that the Burmese and Arabian Sea. One can read about
people in general to understand how the Arakanese are the same, why Arakan of those days in Mr.
the Arakanese were thinking, and LAND OF-^
reacting to the present circumstances
not let them continue in this Maurice Collis' THE
in Arakan.
mistaken belief? THE GREAT IMAGE". At one
I myself consider that half the time an Arakanese King held sway
Let me insert in parenthesis a
present trouble about Arakanis due from Dacca to Martaban. Arakan
personal explanation that I write
to this mistaken belief of the was a naval power, whereas. the
;
•

this in the spirit of an Advocate for

the Arakanese Burmese which no Arakanese has Burmese and Talaing Kingdoms
his client, namely,
really tried to explain to the Burmese. were land powers.
people, trying to explain faithfully
Let me repeat again that the However, in the latter half of the
the workings of the Arakanese mind, fell on bad
Arakanese consider themselves raci- 18th century, Arakan
so that the problem may be properly anarchy rampant.
ally to be different from the days with
understood. Arakan has always
throne and
Burmese, added to which is the Usurpers usurped the
been cut off from Burma Proper by or some years
'

historical background of an after some months

impassable mountains. Just as it is
Arakanese Kingdom and Arakanese were in turn overthrown by otlier
not diflScult to pick out and identify the
Kings for the past at least 3.000 usurpers. About this time
a Karen or a Shan and distinguish
years, and because of the stories Burmese of Upper Burma managed
him from a Burmese, similarly it is
handed down for the past 150 years to throw back the Takings, and
not difficult to pick out an Araka-
from generation to generation, they Alaungpaya managed to found the
nese and distinenish him from a some
resent the conquest of Arakan by Shwebo Dynasty. In 1785
Burmese.
Bodawpaya and the removal of the relatives of an Arakanese King who
Mistaken Belief
Mahamuni Image to Mandalay, and had lost his throne appealed to the
believed that the lastly the depopulation of the then Burmese King Bodawpaya tc
Racially it is

Arakanese people are of Aryan country after the Boh Chin Byan come to their help, but instead the
Revolt. I mention here about the Burmese King came and conquered
stock mixed with the indigenous
people who have inhabited- Arakan depopulation of Arakan because of Arakan.
from time immemorial. certain references to it that I make Tens of thousands of Ara[kanese
were killed whilst tens of thousands
The hiurmese however view the later.

Arakanese from a different view- One cannot understand the spirit ran away to Bengal for protection
under the East India Company. how Arakan being ad-
to prosper in spite of the keen com- But is
Later came the Arakanese Revolt petition from ministered since the AFPFL came
the Indian and the
under Boh Chin Byan. This was Arakan is in fact
British merchants. into power?
followed by the Order of the AFPFL Bur-
After a hundred years of British being by
run
Burmese King which was quite usual rule, memories of the 40 years from Rangoon. And
of mese Ministers
m those days and it was that Arakan Burmese misrule in Arakan began who is the Commissioner ? A non-
should be depopulated. As a to subside. The British were the Arakanese. Who are the three
consequence all males, from infants paramount power; Britishers were Deputy Commissioners in Arakan?
to grown-ups, were massacred. there to see to justice. The Burmese Who are the
All non-Arakanese.
Again there was an exodus of tens could no longer bully the Ar&a- Arakan? All non-
three DSPs in
of thousands of Arakanese to
safety nese. Arakanese. Who are the Judicial
under the East India Company. Both the Burmese and the Araka- Officers, the SDOs, the Deputy
Then came the First Anglo- nese had to depend on their own Superintendents of Police, the Civil
Burmese War which was in a way the efficiency and the Education Officers,
merit for advance- Surgeons,
outcome of the continual clashes ment in The British way the Forest Officers? Practically all are
life. of
between the Arakanese was such
refugees in life that
the neither non-Arakanese. In fact, over 90 per
Bengal and the Burmese Officials. Arakanese nor the Burmese could cent of the Gazetted Posts in Arakan
As a result. Arakan and Tenasserim get an advantage through intrigue are filled by non-Arakanese. Please
were ceded to Great Britain, and or backbiting. compare it to the time when once in
tens of thousands of Arakanese the Akyab District under British
refugees managed to return to their Govt. Services
Rule, the DC, the DSP and the
native land.
Sessions Judge were all Arakanese.
But the country had been so In recruitment to the. Govern-
But that does not end the
depopulated by the Burmese that the ment Services, the British depended
Quite
catalogue of non-Arakanese.
British had to resort to the giving of
mostly on competitive examinations
a few of the non-gazetted staff, like
Waste Land Grants. and the Public Service Commission,
There must Township Officers, SIPs, subordi- .
be some 40 or 50 Waste Land Grants and thus it was
that the Arakanese
nates in every other department arc
m Akyab District ranging each
managed to enter the Govermnent
from non-Arakanese.
40,000 acres Services, especially the Superior
to 1,000 acres. The The Burmese Officers now posted
idea was to transport back the Services, in greater proportion than
to Arakan have come mostly on
Arakanese who had run away to the the population of Arakan warranted.
promotion but, once they reach
Bengal area and to settle them at the In addition, in pre-war days the
Arakan, all they are thinking of is
expense of the Waste Land Grantee, Burmes^ Officials hated to serve in
how to get back to their native land.
who in turn was given the grant in Arakan, and most Burmese Officials
posted Arakan wriggled out of
to
And most of the work they do is
perf)etuity at land revenue rates not merely to obey the behests of the
exceed two-thirds the rate in their transfers, whilst some actually
to
resigned from Government service
AFPFL in every way.
surrounding areas. Now, is it not fair to ask whether
The Town rather than go to Arakan.
of Akyab was founded it was by accident or whether it was
by the British and mostly peopled The effect was that 90 per cent of by design of the AFPFL Govern-
the Gazetted Officers in Arakan were
with the Arakanese refugees from ment that practically all the senior
Arakanese, whilst in the non-
Bengal. But tens of thousands did and many of the Junior Government
gazetted services practically all were
not come back and were happy in Servants in every department in
Arakanese.
Bengal because of special privileges Arakan are non-Arakanese ?
The final result was that there
during the British days. But after And then how about the Army and
were only a handful of Burmese ever
the Second World War, from 1946 Navy and the UMP ? Those who are
in Arakan, and the Burmese
onwards, it is estimated that about in Arakan are non-Arakanese.
Officials that did stay more than a
30,000 to 40,000 Arakanese return-
few months were of the more con-
AFPFL Imperialism
ed to Arakan and Rangoon, but Can therefore anyone deny that
genial kind. The Arakanese in
there are probably about 1,00,000 Arakan is being governed as a colony
Arakan had forgotten what the
Arakanese still left in East Pakistan. of Burma? (Sn anyone deny that
Burmese even looked like and what
Then came the Second Anglo- Arakan is a patent example of
were their racial characteristics, etc.
Burmese War and finally the Third. AFPFL imperialism ?
The problem of the Arakanese
At first, the British ruled Arakan And what do they think of the
iwas the Chittagonian problem, not
and Tenasserim direct from India, attitude of the Burmese personnel
the Burmese. The Chittagonians,
but later, Burma became a Province in Arakan ? They swagger about as
however, came to Arakan as serv-
of India while Arakan became a if they belong to a Superior race.
ants and labourers and as such they
Division of Burma.
They In Akyab, the young Burmese
were wanted in Arakan.
When the British were in Burma, Officers have a Club or Group of
never were really a serious problem
the Arakanese had very little to their own to which the Arakanese
for they kept their place as servants
complain, except generally, that the are not admitted.
and labourers and in the mofussil,
surplus revenue received from Lower And how about the armed forces
where they came as peasants, there
Burma, including Arakan were utiliz- in Arakan, whoas I have indicated
was enough room for them because
ed for the development of the deficit before, are mostly Burmese?
of the lack of Arakanese farmers.
areas like Upper Burma. Because Actually they just act in Arakan as
The relations were always cordial.
of the qualities of head and heart of they act in Burma proper. They
The first clash between them was
the Arakanese. they mostly held the want everyone to remember, and
with the advent of the Japanese in
top-jobs in Government Service in they themselves cannot forget, that
Arakanese early 1942. But that is a story
Rangoon, whilst the they are risking their very lives
apart.
people in Arakan generally managed
/

against the insurgents and that they earlier that the Burmese and the manifesto of U TUN
AUNG, MLC,
are the saviours of the country. Arakanese are not the same. Many Principal of the National High
They are paramount. of the racial characteristics are School, Akyab, issued some time
If there is any minor fight between different. before the Second World War.
some stray personnel of the armed "If only Arakan is separately
forces and the civihans. the armed Language administered and not from Rangoon
forces bring up reinforcements As
for the sameness of the langu- as at present, there can be advantage
armed to the teeth and proceed to age which is one of the arguments to Arakan in the future. Arakan
hammer and even to shoot up the put by some of the Burmese Ministers should remain joined to Burma, but
civilians indiscriminately. to show that the Burmese and the no advantage to Arakan
there can be
And there are so many instances Arakanese are the same, superficially ifArakan submits to administration
that have inflamed public opinion it may be believed that the two langu- from Rangoon as at present and not
where, for example, a few insurgents ages are the same, but every Araka- separately."
shoot at some passing armed forces nese knows that it is not so. The Now we cometo the period after
and the latter then enter the nearest Arakanese way of expression especial- the Second Worid
War. All the
village and kill defenceless women, ly for those who are not very Members of the Constituent Assem-
children and aged men at point educated, is not the same as the bly returned from Arakan were
blank range. Bumese. Therefore let us not talk AFPFL. The Arakanese rejoiced in
This is all very well in Burma too much about "dividing the blood". the idea of Independence for Burma.
proper, but what is the reaction in And for inciting hatred and The Arakanese Members raised
Arakan? The Arakanese consider creating animosity between the with Boyoke Aung San the grantmg
that this kind of thing has happened Arakanese and the Burmese, let me of an Arakan State, like the Shan
because the soldiery are Burmese. tell you the answer. It is due to all the State and the Kachin State, but was
The emphasis is on the fact that thousands of Burmese personnel who told not to complicate matters at that
they are Burmese. The Arakanese have been stationed in Arakan since juncture but that the matter would be
feel that if the soldiery had been 1948 to the present day, swaggering raised after Independence.
Arakanese, such incidents would about as if they belonged to a superior Bogyoke Aung San's formula for
never happen and certainly that such race, believing that might is right and the granting of an autonomous State
cowardly and bullying tactics would depending on the gun to settle all was well known. I personally got it
never have been used. Actually disputes. Do not be misled; it is from U
Aung Than, elder brother of
such incidents are happening daily in these Bumese personnel themselves Bogyoke Aung San. I have since
Burma proper, but the Arakanese who are the cause of all the trouble. come to understand that this was the
do not know it. Resentment is I now come to the present demand formula followed in Soviet Russia.
born, and resentment is against the for an Arakan Arakan wants
State. Bogyoke Aung San said that any
Burmese race and not against the a State within the Union of Burma, nationality would be given a state
soldiery as such. like the Shan State or the Kachin that fulfilled four conditions :-
Andthe stories of the depopula- State or the Karen State. I personally 1. It must have its own historical
tion of 150 years ago are repeated consider that the AFPFL false pro- background.
from mouth to mouth, how the paganda to the ignorant Arakanese
2. It must have its own natural
Burmese are a cruel people, etc., and Burmese people that the Arakan
boundaries.
and the smoulderiag past hate National United Organisation is

against the Burmese is slowly re- advocating an independent sovereign 3. It must be an economic
ignited and resuscitated. And this state is unfair and unwarranted. entity.

is reinforced by the tactless attitude During the British days, there was 4. It must have its own culture,
of the gazetted and non-gazetttd law and order in the land with in- language and customs.
Burmese personnel in the Civilian termittent doses of political reforms.
The Arakanese knew that Arakan
Government Services who are As I have said before, there were no conformed to Bogyoke Aung San's
thinking only of how the AFPFL Burmese personnel ruling the Araka- formula and decided to bide their
will win at the elections by hook or nese in Arakan, though, of course, time. The Arakan State would
by crook. One thing they do not Arakan, as part of Burma, was being surely come. Unfortunately for
understand, or may be they forget, ruled from Rangoon. Here again, Arakan, Bogyoke Aung San was
is the basic nature of the Arakanese the Arakanese were to the fore in assassinated in July 1947.
people in general, that they hate Rangoon, and since the separation of
anything unfair, that they hate any- Burma from India, there were always Re^onal Autonomy
thing underhand. two prominent Arakanese as Minis- After the attainment of Independ-
Some of the Burmese Ministers, ters in all the successive Rangoon ence, the question of a State foi
prompted by some of the Arakanese Cabinets. Arakan was pursued. There was
Quislings who profess to love the But evenbefore that, the Araka- however one rival idea to that of an
Burmese so much and who have got nese mind was not sleeping as to Arakan State, namely, a Minister for
themselves into positions of petty what might happen after the British Arakan. Section 91 of the new Con-
kings of Arakan, keep levelling the left Burma. At the Second Round stitution was studied, but no one
charge against some of the Araka- Table Conference in London, the seemed to know what
"regional
nese leaders about "dividing the Arakanese representatives raised the autonomy" meant. I wish to confess
blood" and inciting hatred between question with the British leaders here that though I studied Political
the Burmese and the Arakanese. about keeping Arakan apart from Science during my College days in
As far as "dividing the blood" is con- Burma proper, but received no reply. England I had never heard of regional
cerned, I have already mentioned Let me also quote from the autonomy, and never understood what
/
regional autonomy meant till I into a ferment. The Arakanese satisfying the different peoples of a
went to Moscow in 1952. people have nearly gone mad over country. Federalism is the strength
Some thought that regional the idea of getting a State. One must of the United States of America
autonomy entailed a Minister for look at it also from the historical where they have 48 States. Federalism
Arakan and that it might be better and nationalistic point of view; an is also the strength of the USSR
than having a State. In many ways, Arakan State means the running of where they have 16 States plus, for
itwould be correct. Minister forA Arakan by Arakanese. namely, by the less advanced peoples, some
Arakan would be a Super-Com- persons who know the mentality and Regional Autonomy Areas and a few
missioner, dealing with every subject, conditions of the Arakanese people. National Areas.
with every matter, pertaining to The Arakanese people now under- The majority of Governments in
Arakan. With Cabinet rank, he stand what it is to be a State. The the world are Federal Governments.
could make demands from his powers of a State are enumerated in The greatest example of Federalism
colleagues, say for an extra school the Constitution of the Union of is Switzerland, a country not bigger
from the Education Minister or an Burma. The State will have its own than Arakan. There are three
extra hospital from the Health State Services and its own State different races in Switzerland, speak-
Minister. He would be a little King Public Service Commission. It will ing French, German and Italian, yet
of Arakan. have an Arakan Affairs Council and by having Federalism in Switzerland,
But others realized that any success its own State Ministers, and under every race is satisfied. Federalism is
he had would depend on his person- them there will be its own Com- well known to strengthen a country,
ality —
a person with a strong person- missioner, Deputy Commissioners and and not weaken it as U Nu wishes to
ality could get two schools where an DSPs. No more will these officers argue.
average person could get only one, be the nominees of the Govt, of Just as it is true that asking for a
but a person with a weak personality Rangoon. This alone, in my mind, new State without rhyme or reason is
would get none. should be a sufficient reason for the bad, U Nu and his Cabinet should
Others favoured an Arakan State, Arakanese wanting an Arakan know that in caseswhere conditions
where things did not depend on the State. for the formation of a new State are
personality of a Minister. Law and Order, the Administra- fulfilled, the refusal to form such a
There was some agitation for an tion of Justice, the Police, Education, new State can adversely affect the
Arakan State. So also was there Health, Communications, Agricultur- unity of Burma. This is a matter
agitation for a Karen State and a al loans, etc.. will be State subjects. which those who take a long view
Mon State. Things came to a head That is good enough. These are the . and have the prosperity of the Union
with the appointment of the Sir Ba U nation-building subjects. The face of of Burma at heart should carefully
Commission in October 1948. I Arakan and the Arakanese could be remember.
mention this date specially to prove changed in a generation if Arakan Regarding Bogyoke Aung San's
the to the
lie late false AFPFL were made a State. formula, cannot be denied that
it
propaganda that the idea of an Take, for example, the matter of Arakan conforms to all the four
Arakan State was born within the teaching English in Schools. At conditions, namely, it has its own

brain of U
Kyaw Min. For at the present English can be taught in State historical background, it has its own
time of the constitution of the Sir Ba Schools only from the 5th Standard. natural boundaries, it is an economic
U Commission, I was still a Govern- If Arakan were a State we could pass entity and has its own culture,
ment servant without any interest or an order that English will be taught language and customs. Whoever is
training in politics. The memorandum from the 1st Standard or even from denying Arakan a State is just trying
of UShwe Baw, MA, BL. a member the Kindergarten. We
could also to weaken the strength of, and break
of the Commission, clearly shows that arrange that English be taught in up, the Union of Burma.
the Arakan Freedom League demand- Arakan by people who know English When the Sir Ba U Commission
ed a State. well. was inaugurated in October 1948, U
At this stage may I comment on In a nutshell, it is better in every Nu made a speech entitled "Satisfac-
what Premier U
Nu said in the way to have an Arakan State than for tion of all Nationals" which is re-
Chamber of Deputies on the Thurs- Arakan to be run as at present from ported at page 156 of "Towards
day before the Non-Confidence Rangoon by persons who know Peace and Democracy" by Thakin
Motion. Replying to Hla Tun U scarcely anything about Arakan or ; Nu. The speech is so important tliat
Phyu. U
Nu remarked that States who have scarcely heard of Arakan. I am reproducing it here in full:
were given to the Shans and Kachins Federalism "Mr. Chairman End Members or
and the Kayahs against the will of
the AFPFL. that the AFPFL favour- In the debate on the Thursday
the Commission, —
If I am asked
to make a single remark today at
ed a Unitary State, that having con- before the Non-Confidence Motion,
this hour, in this room, I would
stituent States weakened the Union, U Nu said that having constituent make this request, " Please explore
and that the AFPFL did not want to States weakened a country. I do not
the means and ways of satisfying,
grant Arakan a State, not because know whether U
Nu was talking with without hindrance, all the legitimate
they hated the Arakanese but because his tongue in his cheek. Having a aspirations of Mon, Karen and
they did not want to create any more Union means having Constituent Arakanese nationals.
States States and this is called Federalism, "I am not saying this rashly; T
If this bedid the. AFPFL
so, why and our Constitution in Section 1
have ample reasons for it. Let us

Government ever appoint the Sir Ba says that Burma shall be called "The first turn over the pages of World
U Commission ? As a result of the Union of Burma", History by way of clarification and
appointment of this Commission, It is well known that Federalism is we will see that the history of the
Arakan has now been whipped up .a device for bringing together and world has one dominating factor
 '

towering above all others. This is no shell, the firm foundation is no July 1950. And that was all. When it
other than the fact that the coun- other than the satisfaction of all submitted a report a few months
tries in which people are united
nationals. So long as this satis- later, it recommended a State for the
become World powers, whereas the faction exists, even the King of Karens inspite of the fact that they
countries in which the people are Devas cannot break up this national satisfied only one of the four con-
disunited have receded to the back- unity. If there is no satisfaction, ditions of Bogyoke Aung San's for-
ground in the World's line-up. we need not take the trouble of
" 1 do not deny that manpower mula, but regarding Arakan, the Com-
going up to the imperialists, the
and sound economy are mission said it had not had the op-
essential exploiters and the enemies of the
prerequisites to make a country a portunity to study the problem and
Union to find the accused for the
first class power. But I would like recommended that a small Committee
disruption of national solidarity,
to remind the members that but this lack of satisfactioa itself
be appointed to go into the question.
however strong a country may be will be the accused No.l for the
Because of the Sir Ba Com- U
in respect of manpower and eco- disruption of our national unity.
mission and the grant of a State to the
nomy, it can never become a world " Mr. Chairman, and members Karens, the Arakanese people have
power if it is bereft of national of the Commission, please allow come to fever pitch about an Arakan
unity. •
me to explain a little on what I State. And the flame was fanned in
" if it was true that manpower February 1956 on the occasion of the
mean by this satisfaction. To put it
and national economy were the briefly, satisfaction is r.oie other moving Arakan
in Parliament of the
only factors to turn a country into than the conviction by each national State by U Ba Myaing when
Bill
a world power, India would group that it is receiving fair and Minister Bo Khin Maung Gale told
then be in a better position than just treatment in the hands of us to try and secure at the General
Great Britain, and China more others. Election a quarter of the seats in
favourable than Japan for supre- " Mere lip cannot give
service Parliament with the grant of an
macy. India is endowed with greater satisfaction it must be implemented
; Arakan State as the main platform.
manpower and vaster national re- by deeds. It seems to me that the
sources than Great Britain. China principal task of this Commission Boastful Challenge
hkewise, is more favoured in these is no other than the exploration of The Arakan National United Orga-
respects than Japan. For all these means by which we can show our nisation knew full well that 95 per-
advantages, India, far from attain- goodwill to our fraternal commun- cent of the voters in Akyab District
ing world supremacy, had fallen Mons, Karens and Araka-
ities like leaving out Buthidaung and Maung-
low under Great Britain, because nese not merely by words but by daw, 90 per cent of the voters of
.

she did not possess a solid national

unity as Great Britain did.
" We s.ee similar instance inChina.
She enjoys far greater man-power
and vaster national resources tlian
Japan, but lack of national soli-
darity had made her a vassal of
Japan for a considerable length of
deeds. Kyaukpyu District and 85 per cent of
"To be candid, the statesman- the voters of the Sandoway District
ship of our national leaders is now were in favour of an Arakan State. It
being put to a severe test at present, could not therefore understand this^
more than in any other period of boastful challenge of Bo Khin Maung
history. We all must give the answer Gale. It was to realize only later.
to the world whether we are really It was all very well for U Nu to say
(

time.
" It is, therefore, up to all of us:
Shans, Chins, Kacnins, Karens,
Karennis, Mons, Burmans and
other indigenous races of the Union
of Burma, to benefit by these great
lessons of history which should
serve as beacon lights in our en-
deavour, in all possible ways to
establish national unity. To revert
to our Burmese history, it will be
observed that national unity had
been achieved only thrice so far:
in the reigns of Anawrahta, Bayin-
naung and Alaungpaya. But the
unity thus achieved had not been
built up on firm foundations, but
on personal considerations. On the
demise of that particular personage,
on whom the whole fabric was
built, the tansitory unity crumbled
like a house of cards.
"In our task of building up this
national solidarity which is the life
blood of the Union of Burma, this
great lesson of Burmese history
should serve as a constant reminder.
" What then is the firm foun-
dation on which the national unity
should be built? To put it in a nut-
fit for independence or merely fit publicly in Rangoon that there would
for servitude. We all will have to he free and fair elections and that
show to the world whether we are they would all be held simultaneously
capable of uniting all the indige- at the end of April 1956. 1 still cannot
nous peoples of the Union and say whether U Nu shouted this aloud
giving them full human rights anu from the housetops with his tongue
enabling them to live a full life in his cheek. Or was he so ignorant
or we merely the disruptors of the of all the preparations that were being
Union who plunge the country made by the AFPFL to win in
back into servitude. every constituency? In spite of
"This enable us to show
test will the AFPFL being so hated
whether we are capable of making all over Burma the final pre-
^ the whole country flow with milk dictions were that the AFPFL would
and honey or with blood. My only win all except about 15. In Arakan, the
wish it that our leaders will stand non-Arakanese Government Servants
the test well and show to the got into their stride to win the elec-
tions for the AFPFL.
'world that we are fit for indepen-
dence. It is my fervent hope that were
First of all, the Electoral rolls
tampered with of voters
in that lots
our leaders will be capable of
achieving national unity as a result whom the AFPFL knew would de-
of which seventeen million people
finitely vote for the ANUO
were left
out. In my own constituency about
comprising Shans, Chins, Kachins,
5,000 Buddhist voters in one area
Karens, Karennis, Mons and Bur-
were left out.
mese will live a full life. Let me con-
Secondly were the use of the armed
clude by expressing my fond hope
that our leaders may be capable
forces, the UMP
and the Pyusawhtis
to intimidate voters to vote for the
of raining our country with milk
AFPFL and to prevent voters from
and honey instead of with blood." voting for the ANUO.
In regard to Arakan, the Sir Ba U Thirdly, wherever it was quite sure
Commission came to Akyab once in that the AFPFL would lose, the
 elections were postponed.
In two of the constituencies, one
in Kyaukpyu and
one in Sandoway
District, there was the action
un-
paralleled in the world of voting in
half the constituency, saying that the
other half was under the insurgents.
Then in Sandoway, no sooner had
U Lwin, then MP, filed his. nomi-
nation papers than he was falsely
arrested as implicated in a murder
case. After the voting was over, he
was released from jail.
After repeated postponements,
some for 5 or 6 occasions for no
rhyme or reason except that the
AFPFL would surely lose, some of the
elections were finally held between
January and June 1957.
would seem that in view of the
It
illegal and corrupt actions of the
AFPFL, they would have won all the
elections. No, the Arakanese people
overcame all the illegal tactics and
came in their thousands in face of all
danger to vote for an Arakan State, to
vote for the ANUO.
There are now
three Election Peti-
tions pending for the Taungup,
trial,
Kyauktaw and Ramree constituencies.
In Taungup, some of the allegations
are that there was treating of voters,
the complete prevention of voters of a
whole area from coming to Taungup
to vote by the seizure of all transport
by the UMP, and the intimidation in
other localities against voting for the
ANUO.
In Kyauktaw, some of the alle-
gations are that there was treating of
voters and the use to the fullest extent
of the Security Forces to intimidate
the voters to vote for the AFPFL or
to prevent the voters from coming to
vote for the ANUO.
In Ramree, some of the allegations
are that all the Polling Booths were
kept in the town and the UMP
kept
firing from 4 a.m. to 5 p.m. in order to
prevent the voters from voting for
U Ba Myaing.
In theMyebon Constituency, the
election was held in two halves, one
in April 1956 and the other' in April
1957. The ANUO candidate, the
reigning MP, U Ba Pru, was leading
in the April 1956 voting. When it
came to April 1957, when voting was
to be in the An Township, the AFPFL
put in the Pyusawhtis who prevented
gusted that he was withdrawing from
the election.
In respect of Sandoway South
Election, U
Lwin had been released a
year eariier after the voting in the
first half had finished. But when
voting in ihe Gwa Township in the
second half was eventually to be held
m April 1957 after repeated adjourn-
ments, what the authorities did was
to place all the
Polling Booths in
Sandoway Town at a distance of
about 60 to 80 miles from where the
voters resided. U
Lwin protested but
in vain, and he
also finally withdrew
from the contest after writing to the
newspapers in protest.
Fed Up
The Arakanese are absolutely fed
up with the way the AFPFL Govern-
ment has conducted the Elections.
There was a terrible hue and cry in
Burma Proper about the way the
Elections had been rigged at the
General Election of 1951, but the
Government did not have the
Security Forces and other means to
rig them in Arakan in 1951, and thus
were returned to Parliament a large
number of Arakanese MPs who de-
feated the AFPFL candidates. The
Arakanese MPs who were returned
in opposition to the AFPFL formed
the Independent Arakanese
mentary Group. It was later that the
Arakan National United Organisation
was born.
It is however very significant that
the same dirty tactics as were used in
Burma Proper to win the elections in
1951 were used in Arakan in 1956 and
1957. It is the same old shameless
technique of using intimidation and
duress on the poor ignorant Arakanese
of the rural areas. If the AFPFL
cannot be checked in the use of these
techniques, it is quite clear that they
willbe in power in Burma and Arakan
for the next 100 years.
It is quite clear therefore that in the
demand for an Arakan State and the
possible consequent Plebiscite in Ara-
kan, the Arakanese people can never
agree to having voting with the
Security Forces rampant in Arakan.
In fact, nothing can now satisfy them
except voting under the auspices of an
Independent Agency.
the AFPFL, the past masters of every
trick to win an election, will surely
win.
Lastly, let us consider some politi-
cal trends in Arakan. I have mentioned
the political ferment caused by the
actions of the AFPFL Government.
But the people of Arakan are
very frustrated, and frustration is
always a bad thing. The ANUO
stands solidly for an Arakan State
within the Union of Burma, but there
are already certain elements, both un-
derground and above ground, who are
thinking in terms of, and openly ad-
vocating, a Sovereign Independent
State. In assessing tliis, please always
try and remember the historical
background of Arakan.
This reminds me of the previous
attitude of the British Government
in regard to Burma. Sir Winston
Churchill was earnestly urged on
many occasions during the War to
declare to the people of Burma that
after a definite period of years, say
7 or 5 or 3 years, after the termination
of the War, Burma would be given
Home Rule within the British Com-
monwealth and that in the meantime
Britain would rehabilitate Burma to
the best of her ability. As in the case
of the Philippines where America
made such a declaration, Burma might
Parlia- have been satisfied, to get Home Rule,
say 3 years after the War. But what,
happened? Sir Winston Churchill
refused to make the declaration. And
the final result? Burma left the Com-
monwealth within 2 1/2 years of
cessation of hostilities.
Let met therefore appeal to the
AFPFL Government to exercise
statesmanship and grant a state to
Arakan immediately.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
'

The AFPFL aver that the Arakan-

U Ba Pru and every one of his workers
from entering the area. UBaPrupro-
lested in every direction but in vain.
It was in this connection that Hla U
Tun Phyu and myself went to inter-
view Deputy Prime Minister U Kyaw
Nyein. But everything was fruitless,
and U Ba Pru was so disgusted that he
issued a manifesto saying he was dis-
ese do not want an Arakan State. ^^^^^^^^^^S^VM^V
The ANUO avers that the Arakanese
do. This can only be decided by a
free andfair Plebiscite. Is the AFPFL
afraid to have voting under the
auspices of an Independent Agency,
say, the United Nations? Nothing
short of an Independent Agency will
satisfy the Arakanese leaders. Or else
THE PYE DAW THA PRESS.

No. 31, Dogonthiri Street,

KYAUKMYAUNG.
 The End.

World Public Library Association