Thakin Chit Maung
Encyclopedia
Thakhin Chit Maung also known as Widuya Thakhin Chit Maung, was a veteran Burmese politician.
(father of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
) and fought against the Japan
ese during World War II
.
In 1950, Chit Maung helped established the Burma Workers and Peasants Party, nicknamed the "Red Socialists",.
As there is another Burmese politician Thakin Chit Maung of the same name and as both of them took the appellation 'Thakin', 'Master' - this Thakin Chit Maung is known by the additional acronym mentioned usually before his name: 'Widura'. Hence 'Widura Thakin Chit Maung'.
Widura Thakin Chit Maung earned this additional name around February 1959 after he gave a speech in the then Burmese Parliament. In his speech Thakin Chit Maung compared the travails of the Burmese people during the caretaker administration of General Ne Win with the travails that the embryo ('would-be') Buddha had gone through in the Buddha's previous existence as the Minister Widura which were depicted in The Jataka Tales.
Thakin Chit Maung's speech in Parliament was broadcast live on radio at that time and soon thereafter he gained the appellation or honorific of 'Widura Thakin Chit Maung'. Thakin Chit Maung who was then a member of Parliament representing the leftist National United Front (not to be confused with National Unity Party of the renamed Burma Socialist Programme Party formed in late September 1988) opposed the then proposed amendment to Section 116 of the 1947 Burmese Constitution which would allow General Ne Win to continue to serve as 'care taker Prime Minister' (Section 116 of the 1947 Burmese Constitution stated in effect that no person who is not a member of Parliament shall serve as a Minister or Prime Minister for more than six months. General Ne Win was not a member of Parliament and since by February 1959 he had served as Prime Minister for nearly six months there were moves to amend the Constitution in order for General Ne Win to continue to serve as caretaker Prime Minister. The Constitution was amended and General Ne Win's caretaker government held multiparty elections in February 1960
. The 'Clean' Faction of the Anti Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) led by U Nu won the 1960 elections by a landslide and General Ne Win handed back power to U Nu.)
The other Burmese politician Thakin Chit Maung is known by the name of his home town Myanaung and hence Thakin Chit Maung (Myanaung). Both Thakin Chit Maung (Widura) and Thakin Chit Maung (Myanaung) were members of the Internal Unity Advisory Board (IUAB) informally known as the 'Thirty-three' since there were 33 members in the Board. The late General Ne Win, then Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (RC) that has taken over power through a military coup on 2 March 1962 formed the IUAB on 2 December 1968 and the Board was to report its suggestions to the RC by 31 May 1969 to enhance 'national unity'.
Thakin Chit Maung also formed the Democratic Front for National Reconstruction in the 1980s and joined the Veteran Politicians Group in the late 1980s. The Veteran Politicians Group later sent open letters to Burma's present military ruler, Senior General Than Shwe
, urging the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and for national reconciliation talks to take place between the State Peace and Developmment Council(SPDC), the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the various ethnic groups throughout the country.
Thakhin Chit Maung died at the age of 90 in Rangoon on 3 March 2005.
Political career
His political career in Burma (also called Myanmar) began as a teenager in the early 1930s when he joined the nationalist organisation "Dobama Asiayone"('Our Burmese Association'). He participated in the anti-British campaign led by General Aung SanAung San
Bogyoke Aung San ; 13 February 1915 – 19 July 1947) was a Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw....
(father of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained...
) and fought 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 during 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...
.
In 1950, Chit Maung helped established the Burma Workers and Peasants Party, nicknamed the "Red Socialists",.
As there is another Burmese politician Thakin Chit Maung of the same name and as both of them took the appellation 'Thakin', 'Master' - this Thakin Chit Maung is known by the additional acronym mentioned usually before his name: 'Widura'. Hence 'Widura Thakin Chit Maung'.
Widura Thakin Chit Maung earned this additional name around February 1959 after he gave a speech in the then Burmese Parliament. In his speech Thakin Chit Maung compared the travails of the Burmese people during the caretaker administration of General Ne Win with the travails that the embryo ('would-be') Buddha had gone through in the Buddha's previous existence as the Minister Widura which were depicted in The Jataka Tales.
Thakin Chit Maung's speech in Parliament was broadcast live on radio at that time and soon thereafter he gained the appellation or honorific of 'Widura Thakin Chit Maung'. Thakin Chit Maung who was then a member of Parliament representing the leftist National United Front (not to be confused with National Unity Party of the renamed Burma Socialist Programme Party formed in late September 1988) opposed the then proposed amendment to Section 116 of the 1947 Burmese Constitution which would allow General Ne Win to continue to serve as 'care taker Prime Minister' (Section 116 of the 1947 Burmese Constitution stated in effect that no person who is not a member of Parliament shall serve as a Minister or Prime Minister for more than six months. General Ne Win was not a member of Parliament and since by February 1959 he had served as Prime Minister for nearly six months there were moves to amend the Constitution in order for General Ne Win to continue to serve as caretaker Prime Minister. The Constitution was amended and General Ne Win's caretaker government held multiparty elections in February 1960
Burmese general election, 1960
Burma held its third general election on 6 February 1960 to decide which faction of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League should take over from General Ne Win's interim administration, established in October 1958...
. The 'Clean' Faction of the Anti Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) led by U Nu won the 1960 elections by a landslide and General Ne Win handed back power to U Nu.)
The other Burmese politician Thakin Chit Maung is known by the name of his home town Myanaung and hence Thakin Chit Maung (Myanaung). Both Thakin Chit Maung (Widura) and Thakin Chit Maung (Myanaung) were members of the Internal Unity Advisory Board (IUAB) informally known as the 'Thirty-three' since there were 33 members in the Board. The late General Ne Win, then Chairman of the Revolutionary Council (RC) that has taken over power through a military coup on 2 March 1962 formed the IUAB on 2 December 1968 and the Board was to report its suggestions to the RC by 31 May 1969 to enhance 'national unity'.
Thakin Chit Maung also formed the Democratic Front for National Reconstruction in the 1980s and joined the Veteran Politicians Group in the late 1980s. The Veteran Politicians Group later sent open letters to Burma's present military ruler, Senior General Than Shwe
Than Shwe
Senior General Than Shwe is a Burmese military leader and politician who was chairman of the State Peace and Development Council from 1992 to 2011. During the period, he held key positions of power including commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces and head of Union Solidarity and...
, urging the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and for national reconciliation talks to take place between the State Peace and Developmment Council(SPDC), the National League for Democracy (NLD) and the various ethnic groups throughout the country.
Thakhin Chit Maung died at the age of 90 in Rangoon on 3 March 2005.
External links
- Democratic Voice of Burma:http://english.dvb.no/news.php?id=4164
- National Coalition Government of the Union of Burma: http://www.ncgub.net/News/Thakhin%20ChitMgdies%203Mar2005.htm