Complete Independence?

61 years ago, on the 3rd January 1947 on his way to London General Aung San stopped off in New Delhi to discuss and study. General Aung San spoke at a reception given by the Committee of the Inter-Asian Relations Conference. On the 5th he met the press and replied to questions at the press conference. The following is extracted from his informal speech and replies, as published in “ THE HINDU” of Madras, dated on the 5th and 7th January respectively.


We want complete independence. There is no question of dominion status. The AFPFL has directed those of us who are in the Governor’s Executive Council to leave the Council if, by the 31st of January no satisfactory settlement could be reached with the British Government. So, in London, we must either reach an agreement before the end of the month, or there will be a deadlock.

Burma wants a Constituent Assembly to be elected, and no intermediate stages. We want the present Government in Burma to be invested with the powers of an interim Cabinet Government.
Question: On the Indian model?

Answer: After coming to India, I would hesitate to say on the Indian model (laughter). We are not going to ask for anything on the Indian model or any other model. We are just going to tell them what we want.

Question: Will you be asking in London for the withdrawal of British troops from Burma?

Answer: I don’t think we will. Most of the “British” troops in Burma happen to be Indian anyway (laughter). We have already asked for the withdrawal of all foreign troops. We have raised the question of withdrawal of Indian troops with Pandit Nehry and the Commander-in-Chief here.

Question Before you left Rangoon you indicated that if your demands were not satisfactorily met you would have to launch another struggle for independence. Are you contemplating a violent or a non-violent struggle, or both?

Answer: We have no inhibitions of any kind (laughter).

Replying to another question, U Aung San said that the position of members of the Executive Council was very “funny”. He was Defence Counsellor to the Governor who himself had no control over the armed forces. These forces came under the control of the Commender-in-Chief, Allied Land Forces, Southeast Asia. Similarly, he was in charge of External Affairs, but that was a subject controlled by the Burma Office in London.

Question: That may well be the constitutional position, but has there been any advice tendered by you that has been rejected?

Answer No, but then I haven’t tendered any yet. (laughter).

Our policy towards the frontier areas peoples is to offer them the option of joining us with a great measure of autnomy. I have been to some parts of the frontier areas and I have met some of their leaders and I can say that all this propaganda about the loyalty of the frontier peoples to the Brithis Government is not true. If there is a struggle for the independence of Burma, I shall not be surprised if there is a deep stir among the peoples all over the country.

Question Do you apprehend that your delegation may not meet with the success you seek?

Answer I hope for the best but I am prepared for the worst.

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After I read Bo Gyoke’s (General Aung San) speech and replies extracted above, I am thinking whether the national consolidation built by Bo Gyoke is still exist in today Burma and if Burma really reached the complete independence that Bo Gyoke aimed and struggled. ...

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