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T H I S DOCUMENT IS T H E PROPERTY OF H I S BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S
Printed
for
the War
Cabinet.
May
GOVERNMENT
1945.
SECRET.
Copy N o .
W . P . (45) 2 9 0 .
8th May, 1945.
WAR
WHITE
PAPER
CABINET.
ON
BURMA
POLICY.
M E M O R A N D U M BY T H E S E C R E T A R Y OF S T A T E F O R B U R M A .
I N a c c o r d a n c e w i t h W a r C a b i n e t Conclusions 58 (45), M i n u t e 5, I c i r c u l a t e
in proof t h e W h i t e P a p e r c o n t a i n i n g t h e S t a t e m e n t on B u r m a P o l i c y w h i c h
propose to issue.
T h e o p e n i n g note is p u r e l y f a c t u a l .
L . S. A .
Burma
Office,
9th May,
[298571 1945. I
Presented by the Secretary of State for Burma to
by Command of His Majesty
Parliament
May 1945
LONDON
HIS
M A J E S T Y S
STATIONERY
NET
OFFICE
CONTENTS
6
Paragraphs
1-31
PART I—Descriptive and Historical Note on
1-4
General description
...
Economic life
...
...
... 3-8
...
...
...
3
3,4
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
6
...
...
...
...
...
6,7
25-26
Burma under Japanese rule ...
...
...
...
...
7
27-31
The Government of Burma in India ...
...
...
...
7,8
5-n
...
...
Burma
12-20
System of Government
21-23
Working of the Constitution of 1937
24
Burma and the War
PART
...
II—Statement of Policy
9­
n
PART I
DESCRIPTIVE
A N D HISTORICAL
GENERAL
NOTE ON
BURMA
DESCRIPTION
i. Burma with nearly 17,000,000 i n h a b i t a n t s a n d a n a r e a of 262,000
square miles s t a n d s fourth in point of population a m o n g the territories of t h e
Crown a n d eighth in point of size.
2. The indigenous inhabitants, who entered B u r m a from the North in
successive waves, are all of the same racial t y p e a n d all speak Mongolian
languages. I n the plains the earlier inhabitants, the Talaings, h a d , shortly
before the first British-Burmese W a r , been finally o v e r t h r o w n b y t h e B u r m e s e
who had settled in Central B u r m a in the Ninth C e n t u r y a n d d u r i n g the last
century the B u r m e s e have spread over Southern B u r m a where t h e y h a v e
largely absorbed the existing population. T h e Burmese form m u c h t h e
largest clement (about 66 per cent.) in the p o p u l a t i o n of t h e c o u n t r y . T h e y
are Buddhists a n d B u d d h i s m is the strongest influence on the life a n d culture
of the average Burmese. Consequently the power which t h e B u d d h i s t m o n k s
can exercise is v e r y considerable. Owing to a system of m o n a s t i c schools t h e
literacy rate is high compared with other Asiatic countries.
T h e r e is n o
caste system a n d w o m e n occupy a good position, engaging freely in social
intercourse a n d playing an important p a r t in the e c o n o m y of t h e c o u n t r y .
3. In the Shan States a n d tribal tracts in the hills s u r r o u n d i n g t h e central
plain on the E a s t , N o r t h a n d West, the i n h a b i t a n t s are not B u r m e s e b u t
belong to a large n u m b e r of different tribes a n d peoples most of w h o m a r e
backward economically c o m p a r e d with the B u r m e s e a n d w h o a m o n g t h e m ­
selves cover a v e r y wide range in social d e v e l o p m e n t . T h e m a i n g r o u p s
are the Shans, K a r e n s , Kachins, Chins a n d N a g a s . T h e S h a n s , like t h e
Burmese, are B u d d h i s t , but most of the hill peoples are animists a n d live
their own lives in closely integrated' communities on w h i c h t h e m o n e t a r y
economy of t h e outer workl has so far impinged b u t little.
4. In addition to the indigenous peoples there are three i m p o r t a n t n o n ­
mdigenous elements in the population; t h e I n d i a n s , w h o in peace-time
numbered a b o u t 1,000,000, the Chinese of w h o m there were a b o u t 150,000
in 1931, a n d a smaller n u m b e r of E u r o p e a n s , A n g l o - I n d i a n s a n d AngloBurmans. All these groups played a very i m p o r t a n t p a r t in t h e economic
life of the c o u n t r y .
ECONOMIC L I F E
5. Rice cultivation forms the backbone of B u r m a ' s e c o n o m y , accounting
for 12,000,000 acres, or 70 p e r cent of t h e c o u n t r y ' s total c r o p p e d area.
Burma was before t h e w a r the w o r l d ' s largest exporter of rice, h e r total
production being some 6,000,000 tons a year, of which half w a s exported
(principally to I n d i a ) . O u t of B u r m a ' s total e x p o r t s in 1939-40 v a l u e d a t
£40^- million, rice accounted for £18 million.
6. The timber, n o t a b l y teak, of B u r m a , is also of great v a l u e ; some 200,000
tons of teak were normally exported yearly, a n d t h e v a l u e of all t i m b e r
exported was a b o u t £2% millions a year.
7. Of minerals, petroleum was the most i m p o r t a n t ; the oil-fields p r o d u c e d
in the decade ending 1939 over 250,000,000 gallons a y e a r a n d although this
production w a s less than J of one p e r cent, of total world p r o d u c t i o n , t h e
export of petroleum a n d petroleum p r o d u c t s was valued on a n a v e r a g e a t
tio million a y e a r . This supply went almost exclusively to I n d i a .
2
4 43
2
A2
8. Apart from petroleum, mining a n d timber a n d rice milling B u r m a had
no large-scale industry.
The country is p r e d o m i n a n t l y agricultural, two­
thirds of the population being d e p e n d e n t on agriculture for their livelihood.
9. B u r m a ' s main lines of communication r u n north a n d south. She had
little overland trade a n d the great bulk of h e r exports a n d imports passed
t h r o u g h the port of R a n g o o n (though this situation m a y b e changed owing
to t h e opening up of overland routes as a result of the w a r ) . T h e principal
imports were consumer goods such as cotton piece goods from I n d i a and
latterly, from J a p a n , a n d production materials such as milling machinery
a n d railway stores. India, B u r m a ' s chief customer, was also h e r chief
supplier followed b y Britain a n d J a p a n . T h e value of t h e total imports
was in 1939-40 £18,800,000, of which India supplied 56 p e r cent., the U.K
16 p e r cent, a n d J a p a n 7 per cent.
10. A striking feature of B u r m a ' s economic life was the small p a r t taken
by the Burmese themselves in industries other t h a n agriculture.
Indians
h a d a great financial stake in t h e country, followed b y t h e British; and
I n d i a n s provided t h e bulk of the m a n u a l l a b o u r in i n d u s t r y . T h e financing
of agriculture a n d the agriculturist w a s largely in I n d i a n h a n d s a n d as a
result of this a n d t h e effect of t h e s l u m p in 1930 a considerable proportion
a m o u n t i n g to at least one sixth, of land used for agriculture h a d passed into
I n d i a n ownership. In industry a n d the extraction of timber British capital
a n d British firms p r e d o m i n a t e d ; in 1929 British interests were estimated to
represent a capital of £42 millions. T h e Chinese were mainly small traders.
11. T h e fact t h a t they participated only to a / e r y limited extent in industry
was a source of dissatisfaction to politically-minded B u r m a n s a n d t h e problems
of I n d i a n immigration, a n d , to a lesser extent, of Chinese immigration, were
attracting m u c h p o p u l a r attention immediately before the o u t b r e a k of hostilities
in B u r m a . T h e economic position of the I n d i a n s in p a r t i c u l a r resulted in a
certain a m o u n t of hostility to I n d i a n s "which flared u p in serious rioting in
1938.
SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
12. Before 1937 B u r m a w a s a province of the Indian E m p i r e . A small
Legislative Council was set up in 1897 a n d enlarged in 1909 a n d 1920 when
it consisted of 30 m e m b e r s (of w h o m 28 were n o m i n a t e d a n d 2 were elected).
In 1923 the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 were extended to Burma.
Under these a Legisative Council w a s set u p consisting of 103 members, of
w h o m 79 were elected (for t h e most p a r t b y p o p u l a r constituencies); and
executive charge of certain subjects, n o t a b l y education, public health, forests,
agriculture a n d local self-government, w a s transferred to t w o political ministers
responsible to the Legislature, the remaining subjects being either reserved
for the Governor, aided b y his t w o official M e m b e r s of Council, or remaining
with t h e central G o v e r n m e n t of I n d i a .
Separation
13. T h e growth of political awareness in B u r m a was accompanied by a
d e m a n d for t h e separation of the c o u n t r y from I n d i a . T h e Burmese differ
from I n d i a n s in race, religion a n d culture a n d economically t h e interests
of the two countries were not the same, B u r m a deriving no benefit from
t h e I n d i a n protective tariffs on cloth, iron a n d steel, etc. Separation was
recommended b y the Indian S t a t u t o r y Commission; a n d eventually, as part
of the Constitutional reforms of 1935, B u r m a b e c a m e a distinct political unit
with a constitution embodied in the G o v e r n m e n t of B u r m a Act, 1935, which
came into force in April, 1937.
THE ACT of 1935
,4 The Act provided for the a p p o i n t m e n t of a Council of Ministers to aid
and advise the Governor in all matters other t h a n those which have to be
jecided " in his discretion " . T h e chief of these reserved m a t t e r s are Defence,
Foreign Affairs, the control of m o n e t a r y policy, relations with the small
protected K a r e n n i States a n d the administration of certain a r e a s (the
'' Scheduled Areas " e n u m e r a t e d in p a r t 1 of t h e Second Schedule to the
\ t) in the m o u n t a i n o u s tracts on the East, North and West of B u r m a p r o p e r
which are inhabited by n o n - B u r m e s e peoples. T o assist him in the exercise
f his discretionary functions the G o v e r n o r m a y a p p o i n t not more t h a n three
counsellors.
c
0
15. The Governor has also " special responsibilities " for certain p u r p o s e s
and is required to act " in his individual j u d g m e n t " when these are involved.
These special responsibilities are principally for t h e prevention of any grave
menace to peace or tranquillity, the safeguarding of financial stability a n d
credit of the G o v e r n m e n t of B u r m a , the legitimate interests of the minorities,
the rights a n d legitimate interests of m e m b e r s of the Services, the prevention
of discrimination against i m p o r t s from the U . K . a n d I n d i a a n d against British
subjects belonging to the U . K . a n d I n d i a n s in certain m a t t e r s laid d o w n in
Part V of the Act.
16. The Governor is required b y his I n s t r u m e n t of Instructions to be
"aided by the advice of his Ministers in m a t t e r s which are outside his dis­
cretionary functions and w h i c h do not involve a n y special responsibilities.
17. The G o v e r n o r s Ministers are responsible to a Legislature which consists
of a Senate of 36, half n o m i n a t e d b y the Governor a n d half elected b y the
Lower House, and a House of Representatives of 132 m e m b e r s , elected o n a
fairly wide franchise, the electorate including a p p r o x i m a t e l y every t a x p a y e r ,
male and female; so that roughly 20 per cent, of t h e p o p u l a t i o n is enfranchised,
(ji of the seats are general seats, the remaining 41 being reserved for minorities
and special interests such as the C h a m b e r s of C o m m e r c e , L a b o u r a n d the
University.
18. Section 139 of the Act enables the G o v e r n o r to assume full executive
and legislative powers if a situation should arise in which government cannot
be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Act.
19. Under this Constitution, which w a s in o p e r a t i o n from 1937 till the
Japanese invasion, B u r m a a l r e a d y enjoyed a large m e a s u r e of self-government
and Burman Ministers carried responsibilities equivalent not only to those
of the Ministries in the a u t o n o m o u s P r o v i n c e s in I n d i a b u t also, b r o a d l y
speaking, equivalent to those wider functions w h i c h the Ministers in a F e d e r a l
Government of I n d i a would h a v e discharged u n d e r P a r t I I of the G o v e r n m e n t
of India Act, 1935, if it h a d been possible t o bring the I n d i a n F e d e r a t i o n into
being.
Scheduled
Areas
20. The Administration of the Scheduled Areas (reserved to the G o v e r n o r s
"discretion " ) has b e e n c o n d u c t e d on t h e principle of indirect rule, in the
Shan States through their Chiefs, a n d in the tribal a r e a s t h r o u g h indigenous
forms of government which v a r y locally and h a v e been maintained in a
vigorous form. Most of the S h a n States were joined together for certain
common purposes in a " F e d e r a t i o n " which h a d its o w n revenues a n d was
self-supporting financially; the b t h e r scheduled areas were financed from the
revenues of B u r m a as a whole.
WORKING OF THE CONSTITUTION OF 1937
21. The first a n d only elections held under the Act of 1935 took place i
November, 1936.
There were no well-organized parties based on distinctive
political principles a n d the Burmese majority in the new legislature tended to
fall into a n u m b e r of smaller groupings.
This lack of cohesion militated
against t h e strength a n d stability of the executive g o v e r n m e n t . B u t on the
whole B u r m a n Ministers, despite somewhat frequent c h a n g e s of Cabinets and
of individual Ministers, discharged their responsibilities with considerable
success a n d without a n y such b r e a k d o w n or interruption of constitutional
continuity as has occurred in I n d i a .
n
22. T h e r e was evidence of a genuine and earnest desire to work the con­
stitution and to use it to improve the condition of the people. D u r i n g the
five years 1937-1942 a n u m b e r of measures were passed, particularly a series
of A g r a r i a n Acts, and successive Ministries showed a keen interest in educa­
tion, hospitals a n d other " nation building " services, while at the same time
recognizing the necessity of building u p a financial reserve and the limita­
tions which this imposed on the rate of progress. The c o u n t r y ' s finances
were conducted on s o u n d lines and at the end of the five y e a r s of separation
from I n d i a the general financial situation showed a m a r k e d improvement.
23. T h e constitution did not of course satisfy political opinion in Burma,
all political parties being united in desiring further constitutional advance
But the d e m a n d tor full self-government w a s , except in the case of the
numerically small but politically i m p o r t a n t T h a k i n P a r t y , usually pressed
in a legitimate and constitutional m a n n e r . On several occasions during this
period it was stated t h a t full self-government and the a t t a i n m e n t of Dominion
status was the objective of B u r m a ' s constitutional progress. On 18th April,
1943, the Secretary of State stated t h a t it was the aim of H i s Majesty's
G o v e r n m e n t to assist Burma to attain complete self-government within the
British C o m m o n w e a l t h as soon as circumstances permit.
BURMA AND THE WAR
24. On separation from India a few units were transferred to the Bunro
Establishment for internal security p u r p o s e s . It was recognised that defend
against major aggression must be the responsibility of H . M . G . , but on the
o u t b r e a k of w a r in 1939 steps were t a k e n to effect a considerable expansion
o[ the local B u r m a Defence Force a n d to enlist B u r m e s e . A Defence Council
was also formed to deal with m a t t e r s which affected both the reserved depart­
m e n t of Defence and subjects for which Ministers were responsible. In 1941,
in view of the threat of war with J a p a n , the Defence Council was reconstituted
with extended responsibilities and on a wider basis, so as to include the
Governor, three Ministers, the three Counsellors, the G overnor s Financial
Adviser a n d the three Service heads. T h e w a r in E u r o p e was too remote to
evoke m u c h interest among t h e masses of the people, but, with the growing
menace from J a p a n , the Governor, Sir R. D o r m a n - S m i t h , and his Ministers
succeeded in arousing a greater consciousness of the g r a v i t y of the situation,
a n d when the J a p a n e s e war broke out, the great majority of the leaders of
public opinion were united behind the G o v e r n m e n t .
T h e r e was, however,
one small element which looked forward to the a p p r o a c h of the Japanese
a s the signal for the overthrow of the British and the liberation ct Burma from
foreign rule. A small n u m b e r of y o u t h s belonging to the extremist element
of the T h a k i n P a r t y h a d gone to J a p a n a n d received military training there,
a n d these entered B u r m a with the J a p a n e s e t r o o p s , calling themselves the
" Burma I n d e p e n d e n c e A r m y " . Inside B u r m a they were joined b y others.
;onu' of t h e m genuine nationalists misled by J a p a n e s e promises, but mostly
criminally-minded elements attracted b y o p p o r t u n i t i e s for loot.
The part
played by this fifth column element w a s very m u c h smaller than is sometimes
supposed; in p o i n t of fact t h e n u m b e r of B u r m e s e actively co-operating with
the enemy at the height of t h e B u r m e s e c a m p a i g n w a s a b o u t 4,000 out of a
total population of seventeen millions.
T h e great m a s s of the p o p u l a t i o n
displayed no hostility to the Allied cause, but on the contrary there are
numerous instances of loyal a n d resolute service to the e n d .
N a t u r a l l y in
the towns a n d villages of the plains the people could offer little active resist­
ance to the invader. I n the densely wooded hills, however, it was different;
and throughout t h e whole of t h e two B u r m a c a m p a i g n s , a n d the intervening
period, those of the hill peoples with w h o m we were able to m a i n t a i n contact
have shown o u t s t a n d i n g a n d s p o n t a n e o u s . loyalty and h a v e fought h a r d
against the J a p a n e s e both as guerillas a n d as levies a n d m e m b e r s of t h e
regular a r m e d forces.
BURMA UNDER JAPANESE RULE
25. As the J a p a n e s e moved forward in B u r m a the " B u r m a I n d e p e n d e n c e
Army " following in their w a k e sot u p " F r e e B u r m a Administrations " .
These, however, acted in such a violent a n d h i g h - h a n d e d w a y t h a t the
Japanese soon suppressed t h e m , and governed the c o u n t r y u n d e r a military
rule. As from the 1st August, 1942, there also existed under the latter a.
Burma E x e c u t i v e h e a d e d by D r . Ba Maw (a former P r e m i e r who at the time
of the J a p a n e s e invasion was interned after serving a sentence for sedition)
to deal with such subjects a s the J a p a n e s e Commander-in-Chicf allowed.
On the 1st August, 1943, the J a p a n e s e p u r p o r t e d to grant the c o u n t r y in­
dependence. T h e m a i n features of the constitution of this " I n d e p e n d e n t
State were the office of " A d i p a d i " or " H e a d of the State " (occupied b y
Ba Maw), a Cabinet a n d a P r i v y Council. T h e Adipadi a p p o i n t e d Ministers
and Privy Councillors, the Chief Justice a n d other high officers, a n d was also
the legislative a u t h o r i t y .
26. Reports indicate that the J a p a n e s e conducted their p r o p a g a n d a with
considerable skill and t h a t in the early stages of their regime a n u m b e r of the
more politically-minded B u r m e s e in the towns were deluded into thinking
that they h a d indeed c o m e a s liberators. As time went on, however, it b e c a m e
increasingly clear t h a t the g r a n t of independence w a s illusory a n d t h a t the
Japanese remained the real m a s t e r s , a n d even those who h a d at first welco-ncd
them became t h o r o u g h l y disillusioned. A m o n g the mass of the people, a n d
particularly the p o o r e r classes, the lack of c o n s u m e r goods, inflation, forced
labour, corruption a n d lack of protection against b a n d i t s which characterised
Ba Maw's regime h a s for long rendered it t h o r o u g h l y u n p o p u l a r .
THE GOVERNMENT OF BURMA IN INDIA
27. On the e v a c u a t i o n of B u r m a b y the British forces in May, 1942, the
Governor of B u r m a w a s directed to proceed to I n d i a . T w o of his Ministers,
the Premier a n d F i n a n c e Minister, a n d his senior officials also went to India
and a large n u m b e r of g o v e r n m e n t s e r v a n t s m a d e their w a y t h e r e .
Since
it had been possible to e v a c u a t e some of its m a i n elements, it w a s decided to
keep the G o v e r n m e n t of B u r m a in being. B y courtesy of the Viceroy t h e y
set up offices at Simla to deal with a n u m b e r of administrative questions
which required attention, such as the care of refugees, service questions, the
administration for the time being of those frontier areas of B u r m a which
remained under British control, a n d m a k i n g p l a n s a n d p r e p a r a t i o n s for
ichabilitation a n d reconstruction in B u r m a after its recovery.
28. Owing to the impossibility of s u m m o n i n g the Legislature the govern­
ment could not be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Act and
accordingly on the i o t h December, 1942, the Governor issued a Proclarna­
tion under Section 139 of the Act taking over full executive a n d legislative
powers. The t w o Ministers ceased to hold office with effect from t h a t date
but in the capacity of Burmese Advisers to the Governor continued to
assist him as before.
Reconstruction p l a n n i n g
29. T h e Government of B u r m a while in I n d i a h a v e u n d e r t a k e n a thorough
examination of the p a s t working of the administration of B u r m a a n d the
formulation of plans for the future. These p l a n s cover two p u r p o s e s : first
the immediate task of restoration after the i m m e n s e material d a m a g e suffered
during the long period for which B u r m a h a s been a scene of active operations
b y land a n d air; and secondly, t a k i n g a longer view, the i m p r o v e m e n t of all
aspects of B u r m a ' s administration a n d economic, social a n d cultural develop­
m e n t . A great deal of work has been devoted to both these aspects of re­
construction, b u t as regards the long-term p l a n n i n g , it has been fully
recognised that the adoption of the proposals m a d e is contingent on two
factors, namely, the a p p r o v a l of the B u r m e s e people a n d the rehabilitation
of B u r m a ' s finances. It is hoped that the very thorough plans which have
been worked out will c o m m e n d themselves to the people for whose benefit
they are intended, a n d t h a t before long the m e a n s of implementing them
will be available.
ITie Services
30.' B y the time the Civil G o v e r n m e n t is restored in B u r m a the existing
establishment of the g o v e r n m e n t services will be m u c h depleted owing to re­
tirements, casualties a m o n g officers serving in the Forces a n d the suspension
of ordinary recruitment. Consequently the G o v e r n m e n t of B u r m a h a s had
to m a k e arrangements to fill these g a p s . Since 1924 B u r m a n i z a t i o n of Class 1
of the Civil Services h a s m a d e rapid progress. T h e Class I I a n d subordinate
Civil Services are entirely n o n - E u r o p e a n in composition. Recruitment is
being reopened for the three principal a d m i n i s t r a t i v e services, the Burma
Civil Service Class I, the B u r m a Police Class I a n d t h e B u r m a Frontier
Service, and also for various professional a n d technical posts. I n the case
of t h e latter posts it will b e necessary to recruit a certain n u m b e r of Euro­
peans on short engagements while B u r m a n s are being trained t o t a k e their
places.
Period of military administration
31. On 1st J a n u a r y , 1944, the S u p r e m e Allied C o m m a n d e r , South East
Asia, issued a proclamation assuming responsibility for all areas of Burma
which were, or might be, occupied b y his troops. U n d e r his authority thus
established the administration of the liberated areas of B u r m a is carried on
by a Civil Affairs Service belonging to the S E A C o m m a n d and recruited from
officers of the B u r m a Services a n d others w h o know the c o u n t r y and the
people. The period of military administration will come to an end when
operational requirements m a k e it possible for civil g o v e r n m e n t to function.
In view of the progress m a d e with the c a m p a i g n in South E a s t Asia and
the liberation of B u r m a from the e n e m y , H . M . G . have had u n d e r considera­
tion the policy to be a d o p t e d when civil g o v e r n m e n t is restored a n d have
reached the following decisions.
PART
STATEMENT
II
OF
POLICY
The considered policy of His Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t of p r o m o t i n g full self­
government in B u r m a has frequently b e e n declared. It is a n d has consist­
? tly b e e n o u r aim to assist her political development till she can sustain
[he responsibilities of complete self-government within the British C o m m o n ­
wealth and consequently a t t a i n a s t a t u s equal to that of the Dominions a n d of
this country.
n
2. I n e v i t a b l y B u r m a ' s progress t o w a r d s full self-government h a s b e e n
interrupted a n d set back b y the J a p a n e s e invasion a n d the long interval of
enemy occupation a n d active warfare in h e r territories, during which she h a s
suffered g r a v e d a m a g e not only in the form of material destruction b u t in a
shattering of the f o u n d a t i o n s of her economic a n d social life. I t is, of course,
upon these foundations t h a t a political s t r u c t u r e rests, a n d until the foundations
are once again firm the political institutions which were in operation before
the Japanese invasion c a n n o t be restored.
For e x a m p l e , the r e m o v a l s a n d dispersal of the p o p u l a t i o n a n d general
upheaval of life d u r i n g e n e m y occupation will necessitate a complete revision
of the electoral rolls a n d possibly the d e t e r m i n a t i o n of a new franchise before
steps can be t a k e n for a General Election; n o r could a n election b e held
throughout B u r m a until a d e q u a t e restoration oif c o m m u n i c a t i o n s h a s been
achieved. T h e r e is a most formidable t a s k to be faced in the re-establishment
of stable conditions, the restoration of buildings, c o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n d public
utilities a n d in the rehabilitation of agriculture a n d the other essential indus­
tries which are the life-blood of the c o u n t r y . Till this is done, conditions are
lacking in which the r e q u i r e m e n t s of a democratic system of g o v e r n m e n t c a n
be met; a n d these essential tasks will fall to the civil G o v e r n m e n t a s soon
as operational r e q u i r e m e n t s p e r m i t the transfer of the administration to it
from the military authorities; t h e y will b e b e y o n d the financial resources of
Burma in her present r a v a g e d condition, a n d His Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t will
have to come to h e r aid, b u t t h e y will require the energetic co-operation of all
sections of the B u r m e s e people, a n d the more completely this c a n b e given
the sooner will it be possible for B u r m a to resume her i n t e r r u p t e d p r o g r e s s in
constitutional d e v e l o p m e n t .
3. Until these f o u n d a t i o n s a r e restored sufficiently to e n a b l e t h e first
essential political process to be u n d e r t a k e n , that is for a Generel Election to
I be held, it is not possible to re-establish a B u r m e s e G o v e r n m e n t as it existed
H in 1941. It is accordingly necessary, so long as the g o v e r n m e n t of the
f country c a n n o t b e carried on in a c c o r d a n c e with t h e provisions of the 1935 Act,
that recourse should continue t o be h a d to the provisions of Section 139,
under which the a d m i n i s t r a t i o n is carried on b y the Governor in direct
responsibility to H i s M a j e s t y ' s G o v e r n m e n t . As the p r o c l a m a t i o n , issued in
1942, exhausts its validity in D e c e m b e r n e x t , it is p r o p o s e d to m a k e it per­
missible to p r o l o n g its validity for three y e a r s m o r e , t h a t is till 9th D e c e m b e r ,
1948. P a r l i a m e n t is asked to a p p r o v e this extension for a period of three
years only, in the hope t h a t it will be possible b y t h e n , if not before, to
establish conditions in which a General Election c a n b e held a n d a G o v e r n m e n t
established u n d e r the n o r m a l constitutional m e t h o d s . If in the event this hope
was not fulfilled, it m i g h t be necessary to ask P a r l i a m e n t to a p p r o v e a further
extension. So far, however, as c a n be j u d g e d n o w , three y e a r s should suffice.
But though this initial period of controlled g o v e r n m e n t is necessary, His
Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t are a n x i o n s that all the functions of g o v e r n m e n t should
not in fact be concentrated in the Governor, b u t that h e should be p r o v i d e d
with definite m e a n s of obtaining B u r m e s e assistance a n d advice in the dis­
charge of t h e m a n d h a v e power to associate with himself representatives of
Burmese opinion in executive capacities. It is proposed, therefore, to take
power to introduce b y Orders in Council modifications to enable, the autocratic
system of administration authorised b y Section 139 as it now s t a n d s to be
liberalised. I t is c o n t e m p l a t e d t h a t early opportunity will be taken under
these proposed p o w e r s to establish a n E x e c u t i v e Council which, though it
might at the outset be a small a n d m a i n l y official body, could be expanded
as o p p o r t u n i t y offers by the inclusion in it of non-official B u r m e s e . Such a
Council would, p e n d i n g the revival of n o r m a l constitutional methods, g i
B u r m a n s a share in the administrative task of restoring the e c o n o m y of their
country, subject to the retention of the G o v e r n o r s powers of supervision and
control. S u c h p o w e r to act b y O r d e r in Council might also b e used at art
appropriate stage, if r e c o m m e n d e d b y the Governor and his E x e c u t i v e Council,
to establish a s an interim b o d y a small Legislative Council. T h e composition
a n d powers of these bodies and the relations between t h e m would be pr .
scribed by O r d e r s in Council after submission to P a r l i a m e n t .
ve
e
4. The i m m e d i a t e purpose of such n e w a n d e x p e r i m e n t a l institutions,
brought in b y Order in Council, would b e to relax the more autocratic regime
which Section 139 prescribes, b u t they would themselves necessarily lapse
when the t i m e comes for the operation of t h a t Section to be terminated. It
is the intention of His Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t that when conditions arc­
sufficiently restored to m a k e it possible to hold an election a n d terminate the
operation of Section 139, the n o r m a l provisions of the Act (unless amended
by the incorporation of t e m p o r a r y provisions which h a d been found to corn­
m e n d themselves to B u r m a n s ) will re-enter into force. A General Election
could then be held, and a Legislature formed with the same degree of
authority over the same range of m a t t e r s as it enjoyed before the Japanese
invasion.
5. G o v e r n m e n t in accordance with the provisions of the Act of 1935 having
thus been restored, a s soon as the conditions in the c o u n t r y permit, a second
phase in constitutional d e v e l o p m e n t will begin, during which the ground will
be p r e p a r e d for the a t t a i n m e n t of full self-government. At the same time the
necessary m e a s u r e s for t h e restoration of B u r m a ' s economy b e y o n d the point
which must b e a t t a i n e d before even the first General Election can be held,
would continue a n d her financial position would progressively develop towards
a s t a n d a r d of self-sufficiency. O u r ultimate objective d u r i n g this p h a s e will be
that representatives of the B u r m e s e people, after reaching a sufficient measure
of agreement between the v a r i o u s p a r t i e s a n d sections, should d r a w up a
Constitution of a t y p e which they themselves consider m o s t suitable for Burma,
t a k i n g into account not only the British b u t the other v a r i o u s types of consti­
tution in democratically governed countries. W h a t the m a c h i n e r y for this
should be will be a m a t t e r for discussion a n d agreement with representative
B u r m a n s . A simultaneous process would be discussion of the content of the
agreements to be m a d e with His Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t on m a t t e r s on which
the latter would h a v e c o n t i n u i n g obligations after the establishment of full
self-government in B u r m a .
6. When once the d u l y a p p o i n t e d representatives of the B u r m e s e people
have agreed, in the light of p r e p a r a t o r y "study of the subject, on the type of
constitution most suitable for B u r m a , a n d it is clear t h a t the proposed
constitution h a s a sufficient m e a s u r e of support in B u r m a to justify endorse­
ment by P a r l i a m e n t , His Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t will enter into discussions with
representatives of B u r m a with a view to satisfactory a g r e e m e n t s being made to
enable t h e m to fulfil their continuing obligations a n d to safeguard any out­
standing financial a d v a n c e s m a d e b y H i s Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t , so t h a t , w h e n
the necessary administrative organisation is in existence, a n d the other a r r a n g e ­
rnents have been completed, full self-government within the British C o m m o n ­
wealth can thereupon be established in B u r m a p r o p e r . T h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n
of the Scheduled Areas, that is t h e S h a n States a n d the tribal a r e a s in the
niountainous fringes of the c o u n t r y , inhabited b y peoples differing in
language, social c u s t o m s and degree of political d e v e l o p m e n t from the B u r m a n s
inhabitating the central areas, would remain for the t i m e being a responsi­
bilitv of H i s Majesty's G o v e r n m e n t until such time a s their i n h a b i t a n t s
signify their desire for some suitable form of a m a l g a m a t i o n of their territories
with B u r m a proper.­
(42432)
229-1754
21,110
5/45
D.L.
G. 34-1
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