Burma: A Political and Economic Background

Abstract

Nineteen seventy-four was a significant year for Burma as the government, after more than a decade of political reconstruction, adopted a new constitution purportedly made by the people and for their interests. Paradoxically, the year witnessed the most serious expression of popular discontent against the government in the form of serious riots by workers and students in June and December. Since it came to power in a military coup in 1962, the Ne Win Government has been preoccupied with developing political accoutrements to legitimize its rule and to create a political system to justify its socialist ideology. In July 1962, the government formed the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) as a cadre party, after having abolished all other political parties in the state. Later, in an attempt to mobilize peasants and workers, the People's Workers' Councils and People's Peasants' Councils were formed as sub-organizations of the BSPP. The BSPP enlarged its membership in 1970 and soon transformed itself from a cadre to a people's party. In 1972, the administrative and judicial systems were reorganized. The colonial secretariat was abolished, regional administration was simplified, and the old criminal courts in the townships and village-tracts gave way to People's Courts. In the same year, Ne Win and twenty of his senior commanders retired from the army to become civilian members of government. The military Revolutionary Council was reorganized as a cabinet with Ne Win as Prime Minister and fourteen others as members (eleven civilians and three military personnel). Though it was merely a change of garb, the transition from military to civilian government sym bolized another stage in the process of transferring power to the people. The climax in this process was reached in January 1974, when a new constitution was adopted and Burma became a socialist republic. Work on the new constitution had begun more than two years earlier in September 1971, when a ninety-seven member commission (thirty-four military personnel and sixty-three civilians) was organized to formulate a draft constitution. Fifteen field teams were formed to enlist suggestions and opinions from the people on the new constitution. These teams toured the country and were reported to have met over 105,000 people and heard suggestions from 3,458 representatives before the first draft of the constitution was completed. The ritual of tours throughout the country and meetings with peasants, workers, and members of the armed forces continued throughout the second and third drafts of the constitution. In April 1973, a nation-wide census, the first since 1931, was begun in preparation for a referendum on the constitution and subsequent elections. The referendum which was held between 15 and 31 December 1973 was a marked success. More than 12-5 million people out of an electorate of about 14-5 million