BURMA TRANSFER OF POWER

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25244, 24 July 1947, Page 7

BURMA TRANSFER OF POWER

Announcement To-day Forecast

LEGISLATION BY BRITAIN

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, July 22. The British and Burmese Governments will, on Thursday morning, make a simultaneous announcement about the transfer of power to Burma, says Reuters political correspondent. The statement will probat y indicate a tentative time-table which, given rapid progress through the Burma Constituent Assembly, which is at present creating the new Constitution, would result in the introduction of legislation in the British Parliament between October and December.

Burma’s Communist leader, Thakin Tan Tun, told a gathering of 20,000 workers that “British imperialist hirelings” had' plotted the assassinations of the seven Burmese Ministers. He asked the Burmese peasants and workers to “crush the British imperialists and their toadies, and to achieve Burma’s goal of complete independence.” The meeting resolved to avenge the blood of Major-General Aung San, and accused the “Independence First Alliance” (the leaders of the parties opposed to Aung San’s anti-Fascist People's Freedom League) of “political gangsterism and cold-blooded murder.”

MORE ARRESTS IN BURMA

GRENADE THROWING INCIDENT

(Rec. 7 p.m.) RANGOON, July 22. The police have arrested a number of followers of the former Burmese Prime Minister, U Saw, at Prome, in Central Burma. The police also spent two hours and a half searching the residence of a former Minister of Commerce. U Ba Fe, and removed letters and papers.

The Government has sanctioned rewards of £759 for information leading to the conviction of any person involved in the shooting of the Burmese leaders. Three men in a jeep to-day opened fire on armed sentries at the gate of the Jubilee Hall, where the remains of the murdered Burmese leaders are lying in state. The sentries returned the fire and the gunmen drove off. Grenades thrown early this morning injured members of the Mahabama (Great Burma Party). Thakin Nu, leader of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League, has revealed that Major-General Aung San and other leaders of the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedom League, received warnings some time ago of the probability of assassination attempts. Thakin Nu added that the league’s general secretary, U Ba Swe. was among those who gave the information. U Ba Swe even named those who would make the attempt. Thakin Nu said he was confident that the murderers would be found soon.

, A senior British Army spokesman said to-day that British troops were ready to give what helo might be required in Burma should any “unstable elements” try - to take advantage of the situation caused by the assassination of the seven Ministers. Measures had been taken “to assist the Burma Army in case rhe Government requested the help of Burma Command troops in. the maintenace of law and order.”

SOVIET EMISSARY IN U.S.

CRITICISM BY MR VICTOR KRAVCHENKO

(Rec. 7.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 22. Mr Victor Kravchenko, a former member of the Soviet Purchasing Commission in New York, who broke with the Russians during the war, told the House of Representatives’ Committee on Un-American Activities to-day that “a very responsible representative of the Soviet Government in the United States may be regarded as an economic or political spy.” Mr Gromyko, the Soviet representative on the United Nations Security Council, made the following comment on Mr Kravchenko’s statement: “When a dog has nothing to do, it licks its underbelly. Sometimes this attracts spectators.” Mr Gromyko pencilled this remark on a copy of Mr Kravchenko’s testimony which was handed to him by a reporter. Asked whether he preferred to alter this remark for publication, Mr Gromyko said that the comment would lose its flavour if it were altered. He had nothing further to say on the subject.