BURMA REVOLT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 66, 19 March 1931, Page 10

BURMA REVOLT.

STORY OF REBELLION. IGNORANT NATIVES. • NEW ZEALANDER'S LETTER. A letter received in Christchurcli from Mr. F. W. W. Rhodes, a graduate of Canterbury College and an old boy of the Auckland Grammar School, at present lecturer in English at Rangoon University, Burma, gives an account of the recent Tliarrawaddy revolt and its causes.

The origin was not so much economic troubles, low rice prices and high taxes as the cables have suggested," the letter says. "The plot was hatching eight months ago, long before the price °of rice fell. A political quack, a species of prophet and witch doctor, gave it forth that he could make infallible charms against bullets, sword cuts and blows from clubs. He promised that he would overthrow the English Government, and that there would be no more taxes imposed afterwards. Some thousands of ignorant cultivators were formed into regiments, and a favourable moment found for starting off. At the time the regular Governor of Burma was absent, and the acting-Governor, a Burmese, was engaged in a tour of the country districts in an attempt to soothe the nerves of restive patriots, and to show them that the English had no real objection to capable Burmese in positions of authority. Panic in Rangoon. "The acting-Governor reached Tharrawaddv and was approached by a deputation asking him to have the taxes reduced, or their collection postponed. He replied that he could not do either on his own initiative, and he eaw little prospect of the Government's doing them. He then passed on into the Delta. That night the rebellion broke out with attacks on village headmen wealthy people and Government supporters and officials.

"At first there was complete confusion everywhere and the utmost panic at Rangoon. For example, on several occasions there were mad stampedes of coolies, rickshaw men and pedestrians in the most crowded parts of the town. They were quite unmanageable and raced down the streets shouting, "They're coming! They're coming!

They're shooting!' They're killing!' However, the dispatch of two troop train* and Lewis guns soon stopped immediate danger, though a second rebellion sud denly broke out in the Delta proper. A vast amount of damage was done on all sides, houses burnt, many people murdered, some hundreds of rebels killed (despite their potent charms), and ricegranaries looted and burnt. Felt Severely. "And now- for politics proper. Thing? go continuously from bad to worse. The world depression lias hit Burma a>badly as any country, but here tl' e ignorance is so great, and the prejudice also, that the Government is held entirely responsible. To read the i Burmese papers one would imagine the rest of the world wallowed in riches Things are even worse in India, where of course, actual lawbreaking only m creases the now almost insuperable culties. The most virulent pamphlet are circulated. One, the other day went through the whole of Rangoon There were copies in the college buse ? - in many Europeans' houses and even on the notice board at the Supreme Court. It advocated a brief but bloody massaenof the English. | "Burma produces per acre only 150031 of rice. Hence there is plenty of root: for improvement in agricultural methodand in the use for fertilisers. But a Burmese paper, most inappropriate!named 'The New Light of Burma,' anion.' the first of the remedies proposed tbetter Burma financially was the nboli tion of the Agricultural Department (as also the Roads and Communication Department). In another paper I read a long letter from a more or less r? sponsiblo person advising cultivators no to use manures because that made ••

first-class crop coine on third-class i;" ! and consequently the taxes would ' higher."