The History of Myanmar by William J. Topich

Author:William J. Topich
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC-CLIO

THE CARETAKER PERIOD: 1958–1960

The primary task of the caretaker government was to restore law and order to Myanmar, no matter what the consequences were to the freedoms and liberties of the population. Hundreds of arrests were made and numerous rebel groups were beaten into submission. Ne Win also oversaw a bureaucratic reorganization in towns and villages. Civilian politicians and party politicians were removed from positions of power and replaced by civil servants and individuals with connections to the armed forces. Interestingly enough, the army was not directly involved in politics, but their role was to be administrative in nature. The reality was that the military entered government buildings and police stations, set up roadblocks throughout the cities, and checked for hidden weapons caches.

Many Burmese citizens believed that a coup had taken place. A number of weeks passed before the situation was clear to most people. U Nu claimed that power was transferred to avoid bloodshed and possible foreign intervention. Student groups and other organizations fearful of military suppression staged protests against the change.

The new Burmese administration pushed for a dramatic overhaul of the administration. Bureaucracy mismanagement and endemic corruption plagued Burmese politics. The essential key to changing the system was to get input from the population; clear communication challenges were vital. The National Solidarity Associations (NSA) were formed throughout the country, with the goal of creating democracy on a grassroots level. This in turn would build confidence in the system, leading to economic growth. The work of the NSA was in several ways to be above the political fray. Party politics was seriously frowned upon. The military also took it upon itself to reform organized labor in Burma, making unions more grassroots and less top down. This infusion of new leadership would also lead to more confidence in the political system.

The most successful policy of the caretaker government was the “sweat” campaign. Started in late 1958, the campaign's goal was to instill civic pride and public responsibility in the citizens of Burma. Tun Sein led this massive clean-up effort, which would take place every Sunday. Members of the government, armed forces, and the public were involved in what became known as “Operation Clean-Up.” The Burmese government received assistance from the U.S. International Cooperation Administration in order to help with sewage and water supply problems. Infrastructural problems such as street repair and widening were addressed. Citizens were discouraged from chewing betel, which is spit out, leaving a messy residue on the walkways and streets.

The caretaker administration also encouraged the Burmese citizens to adopt good manners and teachers were to tighten discipline in the schools. A national registration system was also implemented in order to facilitate more law and order in society. Hundreds of rebels were killed or captured; many surrendered during this period. Ethnic minority and tribal leaders were either bought off or forced to surrender. Many administrative positions were now in the hands of the military rather than civilians. Crime did indeed drop during the 1959–1960 period.

Economic decision making by the military was increased during the caretaker period.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.