Following the new constitution of 1937 a parliamentary form of government was established. The first prime minister of the new government was Ba Maw. Although Ba Maw had control over most domestic policies, British officials still employed a significant degree of control over Myanmar's international and economic affairs.
During Ba Maw's term of office many people in Myanmar came to realize that the British still managed a large portion of Myanmar's external political and economic activities. The British, for example, still regulated and organized the exportation of commodities such as cotton, wood, rubber, and tea. These goods often reached Britain with few or no tariffs or export taxes. The British also placed tariffs on some imported commodities— goods coming into Myanmar from other parts of the world— making them unaffordable to the common people.
The frustration that accompanied the realization that true independence had not yet been achieved caused some indigenous factions in Myanmar to seek unusual allies. In the late 1930's a small group of Marxist (leftist) revolutionaries called the Thakins, who had grown discontented with this new subtle form of British control, obtained military training from the Japanese, a right-wing military regime. This small group of revolutionaries supported the Japanese cause in Southeast Asia until 1942. At that time it became apparent that the Japanese were interested in the political and economic domination of Southeast Asia (including Myanmar).
Ironically, after 1942 these same leftist revolutionaries sided with the British and United States in an effort to expel the Japanese from Southeast Asia. Several important Burmese leaders
Emerged from the struggles associated with World War II. Among them was Aung San, one of the counterrevolutionaries who had been trained earlier by the Japanese.
During World War II other developments occurred in Myanmar. Theravada Buddhist monks began to adopt socialistic political theories. Socialist theories assume that governments should control national economies. This mix of political ideology with eastern religious ideas was based on certain moral and ethical principles believed by the monks to be shared by both philosophies. The link between religion and politics, as expressed in this union, essentially produced Buddhist monks who saw their roles change from passive mystics to political activists. These political monks eventually came into direct conflict with an emerging Burmese military government.
World History
