President Sao Shwe Theik

The 1948 Government of Burma was genuinely multi-ethnic

This photograph, taken in August 1948, shows the first President of independent Burma, Sao Shwe Thaik and Army Chief General Smith Dun inspecting troops in front of the Rangoon Corporation building after the declaration of martial law. The communist ("White Flag" and "Red Flag") People's Volunteer Organization and Mujahideen insurrections were in full swing. Karen, Kachin, and Chin battalions were fighting Burmese communist and PVO militias up and down the Irrawaddy valley. It was also a time (the only time)...

Lunch hosted by President Sao Shwe Thaik in 1949

This photograph, taken on 9 April 1949, shows President Sao Shwe Thaik hosting a lunch at Government House in Rangoon. The civil war was then at its height, with the Burma Army battling to regain control of Insein, Twante, Bassein, Henzada, Toungoo, Prome, Mandalay and Maymyo and many other towns from the Karen National Defence Organization (KNDO), People's Volunteer Organizatioins, Communists, Mujahideen, and others. Peace talks with the Karen National Union had just broken down the day before. In a...

The Day Democracy Died in Burma

On 2 March 1962 beginning at 2 am units of the Burma Army seized control of the Secretariat, the Windermere Estate, the guest house at Halpin Road, and other important government sites. President Mahn Win Maung, Prime Minister U Nu, all members of the cabinet and many other senior political figures including leading Shan saophas were arrested over the course of the day. Sao Myee Myee, the 17-year-old son of the first President Sao Shwe Thaik was killed before dawn...