COMMUNISM IN BURMA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R005200100003-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 27, 1999
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: July 14, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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RE-PORT'
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310,113JELT Communism in Burma
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ACQUIRED
DATE OF SUPPLEMENT TO
General
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Little progress has been made by government forces against the Karen in-
surgents and it appears that the: are fox the present content with having
cleared the insurgents from the amain road. Small scale operations are being
actively pursued to clear up mincr Communist concentrations on either side
of the road, in partiouletr betwuen Pegu and Toungoo9 and these appear to
have met with some succevao Further north however Communist attempts to
sabotage bridges etc., continue sad road traffic, which must travel in con-
voys, is. liable to ambush.
The Government announcement of an amnesty for all insurgents (it had pre-
viously been confined to Karen anc Mon insurgents only) with the exception
of those guilty of murder, dacoitS and rape, and of leaders responsible
for the insurrection who were liabXe to be tried under the High Treason
Act,, is expected by the authorities to meet with considerable success
According to the police, surrenders throughout Burma over the last few days
have numbered between 100 and 150 Fer day. Those. have mostly been in groups
of two to ten persons, the largest group so far being one of 71 White Band
PV0?sn But the future of the larger groups of White Band PV0's on the river
axis is still undecided, though it appears that active negotiations with
the Government are in progress; to a- certain extent they are cooperating
with the forces now advancing up tae road towards Prome, in denying ad-
joining areas to the Communists amid thus securing freedom of advance for
the government troops o
Government forces have now retake. Paungde, about 30 miles south of Proms,
and are advancing northwards a T are are indio,ations that the forces of
the People?s Democratic Front (PIF) are preparing to Withdraw to the north
and east where the jungle and hiU.ly terrain will be in their favor. No
major engagement has yet taken puce.
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CENTRAL I NT.ELLI GENCE AGENCY
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The Burma Communist Party (BCP)
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4. Having publicly declared in 1-larch that the insurrection in Burma was part
of the 'p-orld Revolutionary Movement, it was a logical sequel that they
should interpret the party's position in Burme in a strictly orthodox
mannor. This was effected in a broadcast on 19 April of a statement pur-
porting to be made by Bo LA YAUNG of the VVhite Band PVO (which is dealt
with in more detail below) which emphasized the principle of BCP leadership
in the Democratic Front. The illusion of a coalition with joint leader-
ship was finally thrown overboard.
5o The party is now very much on the defensive. On 6 April, according to press
reports, a conference of its principal leaders and representatives from
Arakan considered the possibility of withdrawing to -rakan via the Taungup
Pass when the Government attack materialized. It seems now, however, that
this plan has been abandoned, probe.oly because of the concentrations of
hostile M's to the west of the.Irrawaddy, and it is probable that they
will withdraw their forces into the hilly jungle to the north and east of
Prome.
In Rangoon the party has had little success in the attempts at reorganiza-
tion which have been going on for sev3ral months and there are reports of
disagreement between sub-hevdnuarters of the hanroon District FCP, which
the police consider ma.y viell result in a split in the party.
The A11=Burma Peasants' Union (ABPU)
7~ From a broadcast given over the People's broadcasting uervice on 28 April
it seems probable that Thakin PE TINT has now taken over the post of General-
Secretriry of the ABPU; he has held it in an acting capacity for some time.
This post had previously been held by Thakin TITAN PE who is believed to
have been in China for some months.
8. The People's Democracy Journal, issued by the Lo:,rer Burma HQ of the BCP9
for January 1950 gave membership figures for the ABPU branches in 15 dis-
tricts. On the basis of these figures the BCP claims a total ABPU member-
ship of some 750,000 as compared with some 285,000 claimed in June 1947,
There is no independent inVorrntion against which the reliability of these
figures can be absessed but it must be assumed, if only because the PCP
has controlled large areas of ogricultural country for some two years, that
the nominal membership of the ABPU will have considerably increased. It
r::mains to be seen, however, to what extent the RCP will be able to rely
on the continued loyalty of the peasants now that the Government is begin-
ning to reassert its influence in the districts. There is an indication
that the taxes which Communist-control led People's Administrative Committees
have recently stcrted to impose are proving unpopular.
All-Burma Women's Congress (AB'::C )
he,sorts indicrte that the BCP women's orgoniz