STATUS OF BURMA

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 132, 2 December 1930, Page 11

STATUS OF BURMA

LIKELY TO DISAPPEAR

WHAT THE PEOPLE FEAR

(British Official Wlroless.) (Received 2nd December, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Ist 'December. The Government of Burma supports separation, and tho Government of India in a recent dispatcli accepts the principle on' the assumption that thcro would be an equitable financial "settlement with the safeguarding of tho respective economic interests of the two countries; and provided that. thoro should be amplo opportunity for Indian opinion to declare itself. Tho dispatch asks that the whole question should first be discussed t at the Round Table Conference. . The Round Table Conference to-day decided that a special committee bo set up "to consider the nature of the conditions which would enable Burma to bo separated from India on equitableterms and to recommend the best way for securing this end. ~ This important decision was reached after tho Burman viewpoint had been placed before the Conference by U Ba Pe. He said that the wishes of the people of Burma were that their country should be separated from India. They felt that as a part of India, their national status^ was liable to disappear. They desired the fullest measure ' of self-government on an equal footing with tho other self-governing Doinin : ions, and, of course, under the- same Crown. On the whole, the people of •Burma were satisfied that Burma should bo separated from India without any further delay,, providing for minorities by safeguards either in the Constitution itself, or in instructions to tho Gov: crnor, whichever may be found best tq meet the case, and also making reasonable financial adjustments as between India and Burma, and having a trade convention between the. two countries. He considered that Burma should have a Constitution, if possible at tho same time as India, and thought it would be best to have another conference in London to which would "be invited representatives of \ the various parties and interests in Burma, some 15 to 20 in all, who would sit there, as the present Conference sat, with .reprcsenl tatives of the British Government. That would economise time, avoid trouble, and bo more conducive to the successful working out of a Constitution for Burma. NO UNANIMOUS DESIKE? During the discussion, Dr. Chintamani, British' Indian delegate, expressed tho, view that the will of the people, of Burma should be the determining factor, but he did not think there was a unanimous desire for separation from India. The position of Indians iv Burma would require careful consideration. Lord Reading said there seemed to be a concensus of opinion favouring tho separation of Burma from India. There, were many questions, such as finance, defence, and minorities, which could not be settled by a. Committee of the Conference, but only by a special body set up for-the purpose. The Committee should consider only main principles. The Maharajah of Alwar expressed full sympathy .with Burma's request for separation, and Lord Peel said that when recently in Burma ho found a strong and widespread desire for separation from tho Indian Empire. Ho also thought that, after they ( had dealt with the subject as far as was possible, a conference might assemble in London to work out a general line of the future Burmese constitution. CONDITIONS TO BE NOTED. The Prime Minister, as chairman, interpreted the desire of the Conference as being for a Committee, which should not attempt to draft a constitution for the new Burma-, but should take a note of certain conditions which had to be met in the process of separation. It should further recommend how the process could be best carried out, whether by a Committee, a Commission, or anything else. He then proposed the terms of reference, to which there was general assent.