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The Role of Minorities in the Transitional Process

Seng Raw

Appears in
Reconciling Burma/Myanmar: Essays on U.S. Relations with Burma
Apr 2004

Political violence erupted shortly after Burma's independence in 1948, when the Communist Party of Burma (BPB) began an insurrection against the central government. While initially a Burman-led uprising, ethnic minority groups were soon caught up in the political chaos engulfing the country. Some minority citizens chose to fight alongside the CPB, but for most this decision was simply a question of survival, not of ideology. This event provided an early illustration of an ongoing legacy in national politics-that if there were conflict in Myanmar, even if just among the majority Burmans, the ethnic minorities would also suffer from the consequences. When considering Myanmar's constitutional process and its sustained development, it is therefore essential to understand the interests and sentiments of the minority nationalities.

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