Smith Dun
Encyclopedia
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
and earned the first Sword of Honour which is given to the best cadet of each year’s class. In a move to build confidence in the Burmese Union that would include all ethnic groups, Dun, a Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Burmese army and of the police forces when Burma gained its independence from Britain following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. However, in 1949 when the Karen began their war for independence from Burma, Dun was removed from his position. Dun was a loyal leader of the Burmese Army while maintaining a strong sense of his Karen ethnicity. Known as the “four-foot colonel” for his small stature, he kept his Karen soldiers disciplined although suspicion of his ethnic roots lingered even after his dismissal.
See also
- Indian ArmyIndian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
- Military of MyanmarMilitary of MyanmarThe Myanmar Armed Forces, officially known as Tatmadaw is the military organization of Burma, also known as Myanmar. The armed forces are administered by the Ministry of Defence and are composed of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force...