Historical Background

The first known people who live in Myanmar (formerly called Burma) were the Mon. They shared a culture with the Khmer, a people who lived in the Kindom of Khamer (now Cambodia). The Mon moved into the Myanmar region as early as 3000 B.C. and settled near the mouths of the Thanlwin and Sittaung rivers. The peoples who came later migrated from an area in central Asia that is now southwestern China. The Pyu arrived in the A.D. 600's. The Bamars, Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Shan came during the 800's. Most of these peoples lived apart from one another and kept their own cultures.

In 1044, King Anawrahta, a Myanmar ruler, united the region and founded the First Myanmar Empire, that lasted nearly 250 years. The kingdom's capital, Bagan, lay on the Ayeyarwaddy (Irrawaddy) River in the central part of the country. The Myanmars adopted features of the Mon and Pyu cultures, including Theravada Buddhism. Mongol invaders led by Kublai Khan captured Bagan in 1287, shattering the kingdom.

A new Myanmar kingdom arose as the Second Myanmar Empire founded by King Bayintnaung at Taungoo during the 1500's. It was brought down by a Mon rebellion in 1752. The Third and last Myanmar Empire was founded by king Alaungpaya after the Mon rebellion. Three Wars with the British-triggered by Myanmar's resistance to Britain's commercial and territorial ambitions-led to the kingdom's collapse. The first war was fought from 1824 to 1826, the second in 1852, and the third in 1885. With these wars, the British gradually annexed the whole country to its empire and named the country Burma.

In 1942, Japan occupied Myanmar. Young Myanmar nationals formed Burma Independence Army with the help of the Japanese and drove the British out of Burma. Through the dislike of the Japanese rule, a group of Myanmar university students, led by General Aung San, formed a league called Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) to fight the Japanese and they helped Britain and Allied powers regain Burma in 1945 and return to power. Because of the overwhelming role of the AFPFL, which had become a strong political party, and the struggle in various forms by the whole Burmese population against the administration, the British had to give Burma full independence on January 4, 1948.

The new Myanmar (Burmese) government, which was fought by some Communists and various ethnic groups, faced many problems, but the ruling party, AFPFL, won the elections landslide in 1951 and 1956. In 1958, however, there developed a split between the then Prime Minister U Nu's followers and another faction in AFPFL, which pushed the country to the brink of civil war. Upon the request of U Nu, General Ne Win set up an interim military government and restored order. He ruled until elections were held in 1960, in which U Nu's faction won a landslide victory and he regained his premiership. As he could no longer control the political and ethnic disputes, Ne Win seized the government in a bloodless take-over in March 1962 to hold Burma together. General Ne Win and his Revolutionary Council of military leaders, who wanted to transform Burma into a socialist nation, founded the Burma Socialist Programme Party and ruled the country until 1988, when large numbers of Burmese demonstrated against the government and called for an end to one-party rule.

The military had to take over the power since the whole country was in turmoil, and established the State Law and Order Restoration Council and allowed multiparty elections to take place in May 1990. The Council also changed the official name of the country from the Union of Burma to the Union of Myanmar. The Council opened the doors to the world and followed market-oriented economic policy. The military government was reorganized in 1997 and changed its name to the State Peace and Development Council.