Burma

Burma

The ethnic origins of modern Myanmar (known historically as Burma) are a mixture of Indo-Aryans, who began pushing into the area around 700 B.C., and the Mongolian invaders under Kublai Khan who penetrated the region in the 13th century. Anawrahta (1044–77) was the first great unifier of Myanmar. In 1612 the British East India Company sent agents to Burma, but the Burmese doggedly resisted efforts of British, Dutch, and Portuguese traders to establish posts on the Bay of Bengal. Through the Anglo-Burmese War in 1824–26 and two subsequent wars, the British East India Company expanded to the whole of Burma by 1886. Myanmar was annexed to India, then became a separate colony in 1937. During World War II, Burma was a key battleground; the 800-mile Burma Road was the Allies' vital supply line to China. The Japanese invaded the country in Dec. 1941, and by May 1942 had occupied most of it, cutting off the Burma Road. After one of the most difficult campaigns of the war, Allied forces liberated most of Burma prior to the Japanese surrender in Aug. 1945. Burma became independent on Jan. 4, 1948. In 1951 and 1952, the socialists achieved power. In 1968, after the government had made headway against communist and separatist rebels, the military regime adopted a policy of strict nonalignment and set out to follow “the Burmese Way” to socialism. But the insurgents continued to be active. The civilian government was overthrown in Sept. 1988 by a military junta led by Gen. Saw Maung, an associate of U Ne Win. Virtually the entire country protested the takeover, but demonstrations were brutally quashed. The military government officially changed the name of the country to Myanmar in 1989. When the new government held elections in May 1990, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide. But the military, or SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council), refused to recognize the election results. The leader of the opposition, Aung San Suu Kyi, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, which focused world attention on SLORC's repressive policies. Daughter of the assassinated general Aung San, who was revered as the father of Burmese independence, Suu Kyi remained under house arrest from 1989 until July 10, 1995. A new constitution was drafted in 1994 that called for an elected executive branch but appeared designed specifically to forbid Suu Kyi from becoming president. Suu Kyi continued to protest against the government, but almost every move she made was answered with a counterblow from SLORC. Although the ruling junta has maintained a tight grip on Myanmar since 1988, it has not been able to subdue an insurgency in the country's south that has gone on for decades. The ethnic Karen movement has sought an independent homeland along Myanmar's southern border with Thailand. The economy has been in a state of collapse except for the junta-controlled heroin trade, the universities remained closed, and the AIDS epidemic, unrecognized by the junta, has gripped the country.In April 1997 the U.S. government imposed sanctions intended to prevent U.S. private investment in Myanmar. In 1998, Suu Kyi's party set a deadline of Aug. 21 for the convening of the 1990 Parliament, which was never allowed to meet after its election. Suu Kyi also challenged the unofficial ban on her leaving the capital, a move that brought retaliation against many of her supporters. Opposition politicians, headed by Suu Kyi, boldly declared in Sept. 1998 that they would act as the country's Parliament and announced that the ruling junta was illegitimate. Thereafter, the government detained hundreds of opposition members and staged several huge artificial demonstrations in which participants called for the deportation of Suu Kyi.

In Sept. 2000 Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest again, thus prevented from leaving Rangoon to investigate reports that the government was cracking down on her supporters. The ruling military regime and Suu Kyi begun landmark talks in October 2000, though signs of democratic reforms remain elusive. The government has, however, extended an olive branch to Suu Kyi, releasing from prison more than 150 members of the National League for Democracy and allowing the NLD to reopen branch offices around Yangon, the first time since the 1998 government crackdown.

In 1612 the British East India Company sent agents to Burma, but the Burmese doggedly resisted efforts of British, Dutch, and Portuguese traders to establish posts on the Bay of Bengal. Through the Anglo-Burmese War in 1824–26 and two subsequent wars, the British East India Company expanded to the whole of Burma by 1886. Myanmar was annexed to India, then became a separate colony in 1937.

During World War II, Burma was a key battleground; the 800-mile Burma Road was the Allies' vital supply line to China. The Japanese invaded the country in Dec. 1941, and by May 1942 had occupied most of it, cutting off the Burma Road. After one of the most difficult campaigns of the war, Allied forces liberated most of Burma prior to the Japanese surrender in Aug. 1945.

Burma became independent on Jan. 4, 1948. In 1951 and 1952, the socialists achieved power. In 1968, after the government had made headway against communist and separatist rebels, the military regime adopted a policy of strict nonalignment and set out to follow “the Burmese Way” to socialism. But the insurgents continued to be active.

The civilian government was overthrown in Sept. 1988 by a military junta led by Gen. Saw Maung, an associate of U Ne Win. Virtually the entire country protested the takeover, but demonstrations were brutally quashed. The military government officially changed the name of the country to Myanmar in 1989. When the new government held elections in May 1990, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) won in a landslide. But the military, or SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration Council), refused to recognize the election results. The leader of the opposition, Aung San Suu Kyi, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, which focused world attention on SLORC's repressive policies. Daughter of the assassinated general Aung San, who was revered as the father of Burmese independence, Suu Kyi remained under house arrest from 1989 until July 10, 1995. A new constitution was drafted in 1994 that called for an elected executive branch but appeared designed specifically to forbid Suu Kyi from becoming president. Suu Kyi continued to protest against the government, but almost every move she made was answered with a counterblow from SLORC.

Although the ruling junta has maintained a tight grip on Myanmar since 1988, it has not been able to subdue an insurgency in the country's south that has gone on for decades. The ethnic Karen movement has sought an independent homeland along Myanmar's southern border with Thailand. The economy has been in a state of collapse except for the junta-controlled heroin trade, the universities remained closed, and the AIDS epidemic, unrecognized by the junta, has gripped the country.

In April 1997 the U.S. government imposed sanctions intended to prevent U.S. private investment in Myanmar. In 1998, Suu Kyi's party set a deadline of Aug. 21 for the convening of the 1990 Parliament, which was never allowed to meet after its election. Suu Kyi also challenged the unofficial ban on her leaving the capital, a move that brought retaliation against many of her supporters. Opposition politicians, headed by Suu Kyi, boldly declared in Sept. 1998 that they would act as the country's Parliament and announced that the ruling junta was illegitimate. Thereafter, the government detained hundreds of opposition members and staged several huge artificial demonstrations in which participants called for the deportation of Suu Kyi.