Anti-Fascist Organisation
Encyclopedia
The Anti-Fascist Organisation (AFO) was a Burmese resistance movement
against the Japan
ese Occupation during the Second World War. It was the forerunner of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League
so renamed at the end of the war on 19 August 1945 after the defeat of Japan and the return of the British
colonial administration. The AFO was formed at a meeting in Pegu in August 1944 held by the leaders of the Communist Party of Burma
(CPB), the Burma National Army
(BNA) led by General Aung San
, and the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) later renamed the Socialist Party.
Leaders of the CPB Thakin Than Tun
and Thakin Soe, while in Insein prison in July 1941, had co-authored the Insein Manifesto which, against the prevailing opinion in the nationalist movement led by the Dobama Asiayone (We Burmans Association), identified world fascism
as the main enemy in the coming war and called for temporary cooperation with the British in a broad allied coalition which should include the Soviet Union
. Soe had already gone underground to organise resistance against the Japanese Occupation, and Than Tun as Minister of Land and Agriculture was able to pass on Japanese intelligence to Soe, while other Communist leaders Thakin Thein Pe and Thakin Tin Shwe made contact with the exiled colonial government in Simla
, India
. Aung San was War Minister in the puppet administration set up on 1 August 1943 which also included the Socialist leaders Thakin Nu and Thakin Mya
.
On 27 March 1945 Aung San successfully led the BNA in a national uprising against the Japanese in collaboration with the Allied Forces. It was the last of Thakin Soe's four wartime directives titled Independence Statement No.4:The Time To Revolt Has Come, issued on 27 February on the eve of the AFPFL's crucial meeting in Rangoon, that outlined the main tactical and organisational principles of the resistance movement. Bohmu Ba Htoo, the communist commander of the BNA's northwest military command based in Mandalay
, started the rebellion three weeks earlier on 8 March in order to divert attention from Aung San.
March 27 had been commemorated as 'Resistance Day' until the military junta renamed it Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) Day.
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
against the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese Occupation during the Second World War. It was the forerunner of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League
Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League
The Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League , or hpa hsa pa la by its Burmese acronym, was the main political party in Burma from 1945 until 1962...
so renamed at the end of the war on 19 August 1945 after the defeat of Japan and the return of the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
colonial administration. The AFO was formed at a meeting in Pegu in August 1944 held by the leaders of the Communist Party of Burma
Communist Party of Burma
The Communist Party of Burma is the oldest existing political party in Burma. The party is unrecognised by the Burmese authorities, rendering it illegal; so it operates in a clandestine manner, often associating with insurgent armies along the border of People's Republic of China...
(CPB), the Burma National Army
Burma National Army
The Burma National Army served as the armed forces of the Burmese government created by the Japanese during World War II and fought in the Burma Campaign...
(BNA) led by General Aung San
Aung San
Bogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....
, and the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP) later renamed the Socialist Party.
Leaders of the CPB Thakin Than Tun
Thakin Than Tun
Thakin Than Tun born in Kanyutkwin, Myanmar, was a Burmese politician and leader of the Communist Party of Burma from 1945 until his death at age 57.-Struggle for freedom:...
and Thakin Soe, while in Insein prison in July 1941, had co-authored the Insein Manifesto which, against the prevailing opinion in the nationalist movement led by the Dobama Asiayone (We Burmans Association), identified world fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
as the main enemy in the coming war and called for temporary cooperation with the British in a broad allied coalition which should include the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Soe had already gone underground to organise resistance against the Japanese Occupation, and Than Tun as Minister of Land and Agriculture was able to pass on Japanese intelligence to Soe, while other Communist leaders Thakin Thein Pe and Thakin Tin Shwe made contact with the exiled colonial government in Simla
Shimla
Shimla , formerly known as Simla, is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. In 1864, Shimla was declared the summer capital of the British Raj in India. A popular tourist destination, Shimla is often referred to as the "Queen of Hills," a term coined by the British...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Aung San was War Minister in the puppet administration set up on 1 August 1943 which also included the Socialist leaders Thakin Nu and Thakin Mya
Thakin Mya
Thakin Mya was a Burmese lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Home Affairs in Myanmar's pre-independence government. Mya and six other cabinet ministers were assassinated on 19 July 1947 in Yangon. July 19 is commemorated each year as the Martyrs' Day in Myanmar.The Thakin Mya Park...
.
On 27 March 1945 Aung San successfully led the BNA in a national uprising against the Japanese in collaboration with the Allied Forces. It was the last of Thakin Soe's four wartime directives titled Independence Statement No.4:The Time To Revolt Has Come, issued on 27 February on the eve of the AFPFL's crucial meeting in Rangoon, that outlined the main tactical and organisational principles of the resistance movement. Bohmu Ba Htoo, the communist commander of the BNA's northwest military command based in Mandalay
Mandalay
Mandalay is the second-largest city and the last royal capital of Burma. Located north of Yangon on the east bank of the Irrawaddy River, the city has a population of one million, and is the capital of Mandalay Region ....
, started the rebellion three weeks earlier on 8 March in order to divert attention from Aung San.
March 27 had been commemorated as 'Resistance Day' until the military junta renamed it Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) Day.
External links
- Heroes and Villains The Irrawaddy, March 2007
- The Bloodstrewn Path:Burma's Early Journey to Independence BBC Burmese, September 30 2005