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1 The Union of Burma 1 (1955)

handle is hein.cow/uniobrma0001 and id is 1 raw text is: a*00 0a04O p9, fICES DIVISION 0 DEPARTMENT OF STATE 0 P 2T1 SEPTEMBER 1955 THE UNION OF BURMA In Southeast Asia near the head of the Bay of Bengal, between the upper reaches of the Indian and Indochinese Peninsulas, is the Union of Burma, an independent country since January 4, 1948. About the size of Texas and hemmed in by a horseshoe of towering mountains, Burma shares land borders with six other Asian countries: Thailand and Laos to the east; Yunnan Province of China on the northeast; and Tibet, India, and East Pakistan on the northwest. Burma's long western coastline extends along the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. With a latitude similar to southern Mexico and Central America, the climate is generally tropical. This new nation, primarily agricultural and considerably underdeveloped by Western stand- ards, has recently embarked on a bold program to build a more prosperous country. After the first 7 years of independence, Burma is today con- fronted by the many hard and diverse problems common to all newly created states. Although the Burmese did not have to fight for their independence, they did have to cope with the aftermath of World War II, which had left their country in shambles. Recovery is. still far from complete. In addition, the prewar economy of Burma was a colonial one. The Burmese are now trying to develop an economic life balanced between industry and agriculture that will best serve the needs of their country. Then there is the difficulty of blending a number of diverse elements and geographical divisions into a single nation. The Union of Burma, like the United States of America, is a federal union. In drawing up their constitution, the leaders of Burma had to consider the functions to be handled by the central government. and those that were to be left to the separate states. The problems of ethnic minorities-their rights and their cultural survival-already have caused serious civil strife. The people of Burma are of Sino-Tibetan strains whose ancestors first began moving down the Irrawaddy Valley at least 1,000 years ago. The country by its very location has long been the meeting place of much older Chinese and Indian civilizations. The chief unifying force was the religion of Buddha brought by the early immi- grants and missionary priests. Through periods of feudalism, invasion, and amalgamation, the influence of Buddhism has persisted. Teaching deep respect for moral law and order, it continues today to be a living force throughout the land. In addition to its religious philosophy, the fabric of modern Burma has two other important strands. First, along with evils inherent in any colonial system, the British brought to Burma modern social institutions, economic development, and the concept of civil liberties. Then, the nationalist leaders, who rebelled from foreign rule but at the same time admired and borrowed much from the West, added idealism and courage to the nation's inheritance. 4/11-1

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