NEW LEADER IN BURMA

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27988, 7 June 1956, Page 13

NEW LEADER IN BURMA

U Nu Resigns

(Rec. 11 p.m.) RANGOON. June 5. Burma’s reluctant Prime Minister, U Nu. who has several times been dissuaded with difficulty from leaving office, finally announced his resignation todav and named a new Cabinet of 24 under the former Minister of Defence (U Ba Swe). U Nu. a devout Buddist a lover of contemplation, and a man of wide culture, led his country through its first eight years of independence. He became Prime Minister in 1948 after the murder. in 1947 of General Aung San and his Cabinet colleagues. It is reported that U Nu intends to devote himself to the reorganising of his pqrty—the Anti-Fascist People’s Freedorrl League—which lost ground to pro-Communist opponents in the April General Election. U Ba Swe. aged 41 and nicknamed “The Tiger,” who was closely associated with U Nu in the pre-war independence movement, becomes both Prime Minister and Defence Minister. His new Cabinet includes for the first time three Deputy-Prime Ministers. Five portfolios have yet to be filled—the Ministries for Shan, Karen. Kachin. Kyan. and Chi affairs. When complete, the new Cabinet will total 29 members, as against 22 in the previous one. U Nu said that though he had asked several times to be relieved of his responsibilities as Prime Minister, his colleagues had never accepted his point of view. “Therefore in the present case I had to resort to an extreme course and give them no alternatives but to let me resign from the Premiership or else resign from both the Premiership and from the Anti-Fascist Peopled. Freedom League.” he said. U Ba Swe. asked whether there would be any change in Burma’s foreign policy, replied: "No—our Government will continue to abide by the decisions of the party. We have only a change of personalities.”