NATIONALISTS IN BURMA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24743, 7 December 1945, Page 4

NATIONALISTS IN BURMA

SOUTHERN; PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE

IMPRESSIONS OF N.Z. , !■ CHAPLAIN I " The Press " Special Service 'f, AUCKLAND, December 6. .* >i -: Nationalist ambitions among the &? Southern Burmese, similar to y the pirations of the Indonesians, were »■; discussed by a former Aucklander, {'■ Squadron" Leader A. G.Kay 11, who ifi has -had 12 years* service .with the- %',-. R.A.F. The first New Zealand chap- 3 lain in the 8.A.F., Squadron Leader -""«- Kayll is the son of the late Canon J. L. A. Kayll, end while visiting New J Zealand on furlough from Rangoon he ' f, is staying with his brother in Auck- *' ' land.

"The Burmese of the Shan States— . such peoples as the Nagas, Karens, and> *» Lashais—are all extremely pro- -v . Eritish,'' Squadron Leader Kayll said." *- "The Karens helped the British so ■ much that the Japanese shot them, '' men, women, ? and children, on sight ■ The people of the Shan States abso- .„ lutely refused to co-operate with the r enemy, in spite of all sorts of induce-,:" ments." -■■■;-.-

The Southern Burman was a tricky ~ individual, he continued. He -was ■ lazy, indifferent to the original, rexpulsion of the British from The country, and anxious to foster the natifth^-;. i . ist movement because it might meanta'.'.'.. good job for himself rather than for any patriotic, motive. The Burmese ' t . nationalist movement was quite' '" strong, but he did not think it would' come to much, because it would mean"".': civil war and the Southern Burman. ''■- would not face that development. -'"'.. "Even the' Southern .Burman was I '', glad to see the back of the Japanese,"*;"-* Squadron Leader Kayll said. - "While "• these people did not mind at all when /; the British were ousted, because they-" - thought they would have an easy "'<.'■• jfime, they found life under the Japan-' '; ese far from attractive. Their pay in- r creased from about-2s to about £la,> day, but, even so, they were worse off ' ' under Japanese rule and could Y / scarcely, live on the higher wages. My - ; impression is that the Southern Bur- * , man was glad to see the Japanese go, - - - but would like to see the British go, '-' too, so that he could exploit the :" north."

Squadron Leader Kayll, who, served W with the No. 75 (New Zealand) Bomber* %' Squadron of the Royal Air* Force for two and a half years in England was later in the* Middle East and JWdia before being oosted. to Burma, ; paid a tribute to the magnificent :,oiv fighting qualities of the British troops, "/a •yi Burma and also to the skill ' and -fsi courage of the aircrews. He men-vS* tioned particularly the fighter-bomber. ;#• pilots, who had achieved pin-point ac- : >f; curacy in some of the worst weather. • ;#