Burma's Leaders Press On With Socialism

Chronicle (Levin), 7 February 1948, Page 4

Burma's Leaders Press On With Socialism

After nearly a century of association With Bi'itain, Burma has left the British Commonwealth of Nations and become an independent republic, known as the Union of Burma, writfes George Caiger in the Sydney Morning Herald. The new Republic is called the Union of Burma because it consists of four territorial divisions. These are Burma proper, predominantly Bufmese in race, and three "Constituent Uriits," inhabited by minority racial groups of Kachins, -Shans, and Karens. ■ T ; • The most salient characteri^tic of the new Constitution is itb' prbnounced trend to the Left. it embo'dies several of;the latest political itheories. /. ^ / EaOh of these gCqnstitnexii Units is given semi-autbimnotli ' status in the Union. This is similar to the political form envisaged in the Lingadjati Agreement between the Diitch and the Republicans inlndonesia. Preserving diversity and attaining a greater measure of upity, it is the pattefn of the fufcure development of the ex-col-onial countries of South-East Asia. Members of the Ilidi&n ebmmunity, practically another rdcial minority, will enjoy citizenship rights if they ha'v'e resided for not iess thafi rei'ght out of the past io years within the territoi'ies bf the Union. But no pfoVisiofi fbf Indian representation lia§ been ma^e in either of the Houses of Parliament. Since indians play ah important role in the ec'onomic life bf fiiirma, this is a potential soprce of trbiible. The Cbhstittition gives the vote to "every citizen, iftaife bf female. over the age of 1B. As a fufthet exampie of up-to-d'ate politioal theOries? it is pfoVided that final ownership bf lahd iS vested in the Bflion. . Largfe laiid holdihgs a're pfohibited, and the maxirnum Si'ze of pf ivate holdihgs is limited by law. The Uhion is to a's'sist the Orgah-. isatioh of Labouf, and to legislate fof makiihurn wOfkiflg hotirS, aiinuai holidays, and othef amenitles not usually . associated "With the East. Primafy edhcatibn is tb' beOo'me free and compiilSofy. only the Union, Bufmese citizens Of companies pfedom'iiiantly Bufmese can develop natural resbufces. This hits Indian as Well as British interests. This is typical of the East today. The leadefs afe pfessittg bn tb ffeedoffi ahd a pOliticaily mature type of sbciaiism, with a largely illiterate populace, dazzled by "independence."