BURMESE PATRIOTS
Sns,—It is idle for Maung Ohn to represent that U Aung San and the A.F.P.F.L. have been handled too severely by Mr. Manton and that the Government of Burma should encourage this organisation and its offspring, the P.V.O. Unlike the Karens, Kachins and Chins who stood by us staunchly, U Aung San and the Patriotic Burmese Forces which he corn- - minded did nothing appreciable to help us in the war. The organisations which he now controls are purely political and obstructionist. It would seem that U Aung San, having boasted that he (and not the British and Indian Forces) defeated the Japanese, now wishes to be given the credit of making the British " quirt Burma." An organisation which staged a demonstration in Rangoon of 50,000 Burmans on June 7,'shouting slogans such as " We don't want a Governor" and," Withdraw the occupation forces," and whose leader threatened to resort to "frill-scale battle" if his demands were not satisfied, cannot be tolerated by any Government.
I do not say that the best procedure for settling the country has been adopted ; far from it. It was surely an extremely short-sighted policy to allow the military forces in the main to be withdrawn before all arms (British and Japanese) which fell into the hands of Burmans were collected. Our experience during the years 1885 to°1889 should have taught us that lesson. Burma has been promised independence. She will get it as surely as India will get hers, but not by the methods U Aung San and his followers are. employing. It is to be -hoped that when the British do
" quit Burma " the independence- promised will become a reality, and that the new State will not develop into a dictatorship or the country into a playground for rival dictators and their private armies. But inde- pendence will not fill the stomachs of the people, and it is food and not independence that the Burmans want most now.—Yours faithfully,
T. DALBY HACKETF.
Previous page
