LEFT AND RIGHT ISSUES

1
What I had proposed for the country to be carried out is still being neglected by all who
do not really understand “ the world-wide outlook over the political issue of leftism
versus rightism conflict. “ For those who are liberal-minded, they shall say leftism means
socialism or communism and rightism means capitalism in general.

Why I do discuss about such a matter is because it was and will ever be very important
for our country and people. It is even felt that in the field of religion, too, to promote and
safeguard the Buddha Sasana, for the sake of its perpetuity, that this political issue comes
out onto the front line. Even though Buddhism is in reality never a religion but an “ ism”
the majority has accepted it as one of the religions, we must, therefore forever promote
and safeguard or protect our Buddhism.

In this case, communist ideology apparently seems to be the great theoretical enemy of
Buddhism. The other remaining religious such as Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and
Hebrew will think of communist ideology as their great enemy, too. So is communist as
well as socialist ideology our common ideology enemy.

Some people, however, who think or have thought themselves socialists will deny my
review. They may say they are religious; religion and politics must be considered apart.
So will they say, but it is wrong, completely wrong. Why?

As I am a Buddhist, I would like to discuss about my own view of Buddhism versus that
sort of view of the socialists. And my discussion’s geo-theoretical area will be my own
country, Myanmar (Burma ).

2
In my country, every socialist say they are also Buddhists and are religious. They want to
say that they are Marxist-Buddhists. It is very amusing to hear their deliberate lie. One
thing they want to say is that they are not communists. To show this, they promoted
Buddhism on the other hand, and they suppressed the political participating of Sanga by
pointing out to them the Viniyas of Sanga or the principles of Sanga, on the other hand.

In the time of a very critical political condition when our people were used to facing with
unusual and impossible national political problems or difficulties, in that case, our Sanga
must try to save the situation. It must be called “ national politics “. Anti-imperialist
struggle and anti-fascists struggle were examples. Those struggles had paved the way
toward our independence.

Whenever people suffer more or are being suppressed more, our Sanga will never stay
away from politics ; “ that is a genuine national politics “. In the past when during the
period of our Royal Kingdom, the Sangas were more important than the prophets in the
court for counseling about how to rule the country.
Without Sangas, people could never understand what Buddha had preached : that is
Dhama, the theoretical explanations of our teacher Lord Buddha. Then Buddhism will be
gone ! Our Sanga has been safeguarding and promoting the teachings or scriptures of our
Lord Buddha, together with the well-being of their people and their ruler, monarch or one
with the highest status.

And also without the people there can be no Sangas for the country which mostly or
mainly practice Buddhism as their philosophical goal in life. The ruler maybe the King in
the ancient times or the President in the modern times, has had to help or support the
Sanga and its organization in promoting and safeguarding of the Buddhism in his or her
country.

Because there can be no ruler without the people, and vice versa the people and the
country without ruler is like a young beautiful woman with an elegant house without a
husband. My example maybe crude but it is a truth. For all rulers ever be born out of his
or her own people and from his or her own soil. It is a natural law.

When the rulers suppress the people much more than it is needed, Sangas think his sons
and daughters need his help and protection. Because they have been taking care of him
forever ; that is offering daily food and drink, robes, shelter or monastery, and all other
necessary materials. People always do this but the ruler rarely sometimes in great or
outstanding honorable occasions.

So I want to say ‘states with a long civilization in history are set up by generations of
people with the help of the Sangas’. Isn’t it true? Social culture, education, language,
literature and etc., all civilized conditions and their development in one country are
certainly the invaluable gratitude we owe to Buddhism and Buddhist monks.

In essence, our civilization is Buddhist civilization so that our culture is nothing but a
Buddhist culture. Therefore, Our Myanmar History is just a “History of Buddha Sasana
Myanmar pyee “.

So if you love your country you must try to be a good Buddhist first! Then, to be
patriotic, you must give up your life for your country i.e., for your own people when in
time of need.

Thus, we can see that “Nationalism” is only a basic cause to be kept in the mind of each
citizen and there is nothing greater than to be a good Patriotic Buddhist for all the people
living in the country as Myanmars.

Now it will be clear enough to understand about Buddha Sasana and its theoretical
enemy, Leftism. Thus, anti-leftism is one of the theoretical goals in defense of Buddhism
for Buddha Sasana to be perpetual, because socialist ideology is always in contradiction
with our Buddhism where philosophy is concerned.
In this way, left and right issue became firmly involved in the field of religion ( general
term ) or for Buddhists – the Buddha Sasana- as a phenomenon of ideological conflict.

Political history of Myanmar (Burma ) since after independence obviously revealed that
sort of theoretical conflict in our Buddhist majority country. In fact, left and right issue
originally started when Dobamar Asi-ayone had split into two factions known as Ba Sein-
Htun Oak and Mhine-Lay Maung groups.

The two factions openly disputed against each other on political ideology especially when
the Burma Communist Party was formed not very soon after Na-Ga-Ni Book Club
appeared to publish Marxist-Leninist political literatures.

Thakin Ba Sein who led the one faction was pious and strong Buddhist so that his faction
stood firmly for anti-socialism as well as anti-communism. He believed that capitalism
must be improved by means of national character for future independent Burma
(Myanmar ).

In Hmein faction, Hmein was just a patron and there was Thakin Nu, Thakin
Soe,Thakin Aung San,Thakin Than Tun, Thakin Hla Pe ( later known as Bo Letya ),
Thakin Thein Pe ( Myint ), Thakin Ba Hein, Thakin Ba Swe 9 later known as U Ba Swe
of AFPFL ), and so many young radical Thakins who later became BCP(s),
AFPFLs,PVOs and Pa-Ma-Nya-Ta(s) really and actively led the group. They believed
socialism must be established and capitalism must be absolutely eliminated together with
a colonial imperialism for future Independent Burma ( Myanmar ).

Even in the time of the Japanese occupation the right –wing leaders of our
country, Thakin BaSein and Thakin Htun Oak were deposed from their status as
Ministers of the Cabinet led by Dr.Ba Maw who also slightly leant to the very soft leftist
political ideology.

That was just ten days after declaration of Independence given by War-time
Japanese Military Government led by General TOJO. Since then, Ba Sein and Htun Oak
were first exiled to Singapore and later removed to Indonesia by the Japanese
Government. (It was because left-wing leaders in the cabinet did not want them to
participate and Japanese rulers did not like criticism within the cabinet.

At that time, Thakin BaSein was accomapied by Thakin Hl atun ( younger brother
of Thakin Shu Maung who was formerly from Thakin BaSein's faction but later led the
military coup in 1962 and organized the( Burma Socialist Programme Party ) who was
also a nephew of Thankin Nyi, President of Do-Bamar-Asiayone.
 At the same time, there was another right wing leader, Galon U Saw, was in
Uganda being under house-arrest by the British Government, because he had also
attempted to contact with Japanese when he came back from London where he had a
dialogue with Sir Winston Churchill in demanding Independence.

In the Dr.Ba Maw's cabinet, almost all the members except Thakin Ba Sein and
Thakin Htun Oak were leftists who disliked those two brilliant and keen leaders to be
included in the puppet government of Dr.Ba Maw.

When Independence was gained, the AFPFL came into power and within three
months it had split into two parts, socialists and communists.After that the civil war had
started.

The socialist remained in the cabinet as AFPFL led by U Nu ( Thakin Nu ), U

Kyaw Nyein ( People's Revolutionary Party - Socialist Party of Burma led by Thakin
Mya ). The communists fled into the jungle as BurmaCommunist Party led by Thakin
Than Tun, Goshe, ye Baw Htay and Thakin Ba Thein Tin.

The exceptional case was that of CPB ( Red Flag ) communists led by Thakin Soe
who took armed struggle against the British for Independence so early since 1946.

P4

Not very soon, after the KNDO led by Saw Ba Oo Gyi demanded for
Karen State and made armed struggle against AFPFL – the new and young government
of Independent Burma ( Myanmar ).Thereafter PVO, SSA, Rakhine, Mon Pyi Thit Party,
Wa, Palaung, KarenNi ( Kayar ), Mee-Zo (Chin ), KIA (KIO ),Pa-O and etc., went
underground for armed insurrection against AFPFL.
The one and only party which was left in the legal fold was Pa-Ma-Nya-
Ta, the front, formed with so many splintered Marxist-Leninist parties and groups led by
Thakin Thein Pe Myint who was once a BCP leader - ( Former Secretary-General )
disagreed with Thankin Than Tun to take armed insurrection for political power. Though
Pa-Ma-Nya-Ta accepted the policy to stay under legal forum to have a struggle for
power, according to their political ideology they were nothing but communists. Very
often their partisans went to underground to join with BCP or they took part in co-
operation with BCP.

N.B. In Myanmar, Communists never speak of themselves as Communists ! They

used to say that they are Socialists ! Nowadays they changed their Colour to Pro-
Democracy activists ( but not real Democrats ) or Social Democrats ( imitated from
Europe, but their inner mind never actually had been changed.

In reality, their ideology and thoughts were Marxist-Leninists or in later

period BCP or BCP related political activists accepted Maoism as their latest and noblest
Political Thought so that they are nothing but Communists. ( Maoists are now
demolishing Nepal ).
In Myanmar all political parties at that time were Leftists and the party
hand in power was also in essence Marxist-Leninists but they said themselves Socialists.
So, the Rightists, the real Democrats, were totally suppressed since the Independence in
our country.
They, Socialists or Communists, in Myanmar wanted to abolish Private
Property Ownership and to eliminate the Private Property. They wanted to nationalize
Land, Banks, and Schools, and all of the productive means and modes of the country’
economy, even a small manufacturing factory. They wanted (dreamt) to equalize the
Classes of Mankind in this natural world. They dreamt in hallucination and hysteria about
the Classless Society ( i.e., according to the political theory of V.I.Lenin of Soviet Russia
– “ the withering away of the state and his by-pass theory of non-capitalist way to
socialism ) “ . It is for the out coming of the Socialist State.

Dreams dies fast and lost !

History never lies but tells the truth in the end !

Thereafter, the world has been entering the era of theoretical crisis in
politics, economics, and social culture ; historically, ideologically, and internationally.
At present, Globalization is the ideologue among intellectuals in modern society.
Thus, “Left and Right Issue “ became the coming 21 st century’s fundamental ideological
war as the continuation of 20th century’s theoretical competition. Why?

It is because theoretical struggle and political efforts between the Communists

Ideology and Anti-Communist Ideology are still existing and developing unrestingly.
And it is because there shall be human beings on this earth basically ever differing as the
Rich and the Poor.

P5

During the time when AFPFL stayed in power, it was dispersed into two factions :
they were Nu-Tin and Swe-Nyein factions. The former was led by U Nu and Thakin Tin
of TUCB, and the latter was led by U Ba Swa and U Kyaw Nyein who were in the past
from the Socialist Party. In the mean time, “Red Socialists “ ( Social-Ni ) faction led by
Thankin Hla Kywe had also come out from that political factional infighting among
socialists groups.

It was not only found in the civilian political groups but also in the military
forces. Brigadier Aung Gyi, Brigadier Aung Shwe, Brigadier Maung Maung, Colonel
Kyi Maung, Colonel Kyi Win, Colonel Ba Than, Colonel Chit Khaing, Major Ba Ni and
many other army officers and leaders were the outstanding examples of the Socialist
group directly or indirectly descended from Swe-Nyein faction.They once attempted to
seize power by means of military coup de’ tat, but failed.
 Another outstanding example can be given Communist army officers in high
ranking positions ; they are Bo Zeya, Bo Yan Aung, Bo Ye Htut, Bo Kyaw Zaw, and so
many many army leaders cropping out of the War-Time Japanese Trained soldiers who
turned to be communists Cadres in terms of being recruited by the BCP after it was
formed in 1939. The Founders were Thakin Soe, Thakin ( BO ) Aung San, Thakin Hla Pe
( Bo Let Yar ), Thakin Ba Hein, and Goshe ( Thakin Ba Tin ).

The fact that cannot be denied and which came out as a truth for history is when,
above all Leftists, namely socialists and communists, ideologically Marxist-Leninist
indirectly or undercurtainedly controlling the Burma Socialist Programme Party ( BSPP)
appeared as one party socialist democracy to establish our country like Soviet Russia
both in politics as well as in economics.

For that Socialist Cause, to form Burma as Socialist state, ( whosoever said to
deny it and whatsoever was said to say as if their cause was just a Burmese way ), the
military was a major force : the study of political economy and the study of political
science make us enlightened that totalitarianism in politics with centralization in
economy means nothing but a Socialist State in Leninist Type. ( according to Leninism
though CCCP denied that BSPP was their type.)

Moreover , BSPP said that their cause was exceptional as their foreign policy was
rare and different from those of Soviet Union or Communist China, the two great
Marxist-Leninist States or in other words, Socialist Countries in the world at that times.

The Foreign Policy of Neutrality that they always said, but it was not a new one,
even up to now. It was just an old one formulated by U Nu and U Kyaw Nyein after the
mysterious assassination of late ICS U Tin Htut who was the first Foreign Minister and
the former political aide to Galon U Saw.And,that case was never tried for a trial by
AFPFL.

Ye Kyaw Swa
Yangon,Myanmar
1-9-2001