Union Revolutionary Council
| ပြည်ထောင်စု တော်လှန်ရေး ကောင်စီ အဖွဲ့ | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2 March 1962 |
| Dissolved | 3 March 1974 |
| Type | Council |
| Jurisdiction | Burma |
| Headquarters | Rangoon |
| Agency executive |
|
The Union Revolutionary Council (Template:Lang-my, abbreviated URC; also known as the Revolutionary Council of Burma, abbreviated RC) was the supreme governing body of Burma (now Myanmar) from 2 March 1962, following the overthrow of U Nu's civilian government, to 3 March 1974, with the promulgation of the 1974 Constitution of Burma and transfer of power to the People's Assembly (Pyithu Hluttaw), the country's new unicameral legislature.[1][2]
The Revolutionary Council's philosophical framework was laid in the Burmese Way to Socialism, which aspired to convert Burma into a self-sustaining socialist democratic state, on 30 April 1962.[2] On 4 July 1962, the URC established the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP), the country's only legal political party which Donald M. Seekins claims was modelled along the lines of a Marxist-Leninist revolutionary party.[3] From 1962 to 1971, BSPP transitioned from a cadre party (consisting of elite RC affiliated member) into a mass party.[3] In the First Congress, the party had 344,226 members.[3] By 1981, BSPP had 1.5 million members.[3]
Leadership
The Union Revolutionary Council was led by Ne Win, its chairman and 16 senior officers.[4]
The founding members of the First Revolutionary Council, all of whom were military officers, are:[1][5][6][7]
- General Ne Win BC-3502 (Chief of General Staff)
- Brigadier General Aung Gyi BC-5458 (Vice-Chief of General Staff) (Army)
- Commodore Than Pe (died 1962) (Vice-Chief of General Staff) (Navy)
- Brigadier General Thomas 'Tommy' Cliff (Vice-Chief of General Staff) (Air Force) (resigned 1964)
- Brigadier General Tin Pe (resigned 1970) BC-3508 (Quartermaster General)
- Colonel Than Sein BC-3574 (Colonel-General Staff)
- Colonel Kyaw Soe (retired 1974) BC-3526 (Military Appointment General)
- Colonel Chit Myaing (dismissed 1964) BC-3520 (Vice-Quartermaster General)
- Colonel Khin Nyo (dismissed 1965) BC-3537 (Director General of Directorate of Military Training)
- Colonel Hla Han (Director General of Directorate of Medical Services)
- Brigadier General San Yu BC-3569 (Commander of Northern Military Command)
- Brigadier General Sein Win BC-3525 (Commander of Central Military Command)
- Colonel Thaung Kyi BC-3523 (Commander of Southeast Military Command)
- Colonel Kyi Maung (sacked 1963) BC-3516 (Commander of Southwest Military Command)
- Colonel Maung Shwe (resigned 1972) BC-3575 (Commander of Eastern Military Command)
- Colonel Saw Myint (sacked 1964) BC-3518 (Administrator of Border Regions)
- Colonel Tan Yu Sai (resigned 1968) BC-5090 (Vice-Commissioner of General of People's Police)
References
- ^ a b Heinz, L.C. (6 March 1962). "An Analysis of the Current Situation in Burma". US Department of State. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ a b Moscotti, Albert D. (1977). Burma's Constitution and Elections of 1974. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 171–172.
- ^ a b c d Seekins, Donald M. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Burma. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 9780810854765.
- ^ "Historical Background". Burma Yearbook 2000. 2000. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ ""A Voluntarily abdicated Majesty" or "A Usurper": A Brief Political History of Ne Win" (PDF). Retrieved 11 October 2012.
- ^ Mya Maung (1991). The Burma Road to Poverty. Praeger. p. 119. ISBN 9780275936136.
- ^ Nakanishi, Yoshihiro (2013). Strong Soldiers, Failed Revolution : The State and Military in Burma. NUS Press. p. 102. ISBN 9789971697020.
Table 4.1
