The Gisborne Herald IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1950 NEW PUPPET FOR MOSCOW?

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23218, 1 April 1950, Page 4

The Gisborne Herald IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE TIMES." GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 1950 NEW PUPPET FOR MOSCOW?

TI-IH proclamation this week of the creation of a Burmese Communist Government centred on Prome is a potentially dangerous development for the West in the South-East Asian cold war. This event in the second country riven by the two most destructive civil wars in the region, is following the same pattern and hears a 'strange parallel to the .Reds’ procedure in Indo-China. ’there the regime set up by the rebel leader, 11 o Chi-minlt, gained almost immediate recognition from the Soviet Union. The West hastily countered by approving of the Bao Dai Government. In the light of the experience in Indo-China and the disrupted state of Burma, with the Chinese Red armies on the borders of both countries, little surprise will he felt if Moscow reacts swiftly by approving of Burma’s new Communist regime.

The mere fact that a Communist Government could be set up wit bin 100 miles of the national capital is not surprising in a country torn asunder by civil war, guerrilla activities and banditry which have cost Burma over £750.000,000 since Britain granted her independence just, two years ago. Britain has given the new Republic generous assistance, all of which lias been in vain. Two years ago Britain gave Burma about £100,000,000 and followed it with numerous contributions since. Picture of Destruction The deterioration of conditions in Burma has been very marked in the past six months. Today the country presents a picture of vast destruction, deserted villages, wrecked rail and road bridges, looted rice stocks, broken lines of communication, stagnation of trade, and thousands world css. The chaotic state of the country is apparent in the fact that Arnkan. adjacent to India, has broken from the Republic and so far as the Burmese Government is concerned it is a no-man’s land. North Burma is being fought for by the Karens and by the Red and White Flag Communists as well as a rebel section of the assassinated Aung San’s private army. The Burmese Government controls only a perimeter round Rangoon, and though the latest reports indicate that the road to Mandalay lias been reopened, it lias no administrative control with the interior or the Irrawaddy rice delta. The Yunnan border with China, never satisfactorily demarcated, is aflame with banditry on both sides of the line. As a result of the chaos, Burma found difficulty in attracting foreign capital and technical aid, as most sources were scared off by planned expropriation of more than £100,000,000 of British investments. Another factor in foreign investors’ aloofness was the treatment of companies which were socialised and paid a minimum of compensation. Karens Key to Trouble The key to Burma’s troubles are the Karens, the best fighters in the country, who are usually a peaceful people, and whom the Government needs to put backbone into the administration. But the Karens have been offended by the Government, and are demanding autonomy within the Union of Burma. The National Organisation of the Karens, who have no common ground with the Burmese in language, origin or culture, is opposing the Burmese Government of Thakin Nu. It is anti-Communist, though occasionally it has joined both the Red and White ilag Communists to fight the Government. The leader of the new Communist regime, Thakin Than Tun, heads the orthodox Communists and pro-Soviet White Flag Communists. Itis Communist rival is Thakin Sol, leader of the Red Flag Communists, who are Trotskyites who sometimes operate with the White Flags. A third group is the White Band People’s Volunteer Organisation, comprising the backbone of the former Premier Aung San’s movement which resisted the Japanese. So deeply divided internally, Burma is one of the major problems not only of the British Commonwealth hut also the United States in its efforts to check the spread of communism in South-East Asia.