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RAKINE PREY IN THE FAMILY OF BURMA.



RAKINE PREY IN THE FAMILY OF BURMA.

	Rakhine prey which to the outside world as Arakan has been incorporated
into Burma since 1784 by forceful occupied of the Burman. Modern politics
in Arakan has been shaped mainly on the 1947 Pinlon treaty in which the
Rakhine decided to stay inside the Union of Burma. However, Union of Burma
has been transformer into Unitary Burma under the military regime of
General Ne Win.
	In order to understand the present politics of Rakhine it is essential to
know her historical background. It is here attempted to present the
politics in the days of Feudal kings, British rule and modern independent
Burma.

Kingdoms and Dynasties of Bhama.

	The history of Burma has been made colorful by her people founding series
of kingdoms and dynasties accompanied with wars and civilizations.
Chronology mentioned here taken as relevant from Phyare's history of Burma.

	(a) Pyu and Bhama kingdoms.
	Tagaung Era and dynasty.

	Very legendary and ancient. Bhama historians claim the origin of Bhama in
this kingdom. A total of fifty kings are listed to have ruled. The capital
Tagaung is situated in the northern Burma. There were two dynasties. The
first one was founded by king Abi Raza and second one by king Daza Reza,
both of them came from India and belonged to Thet-kya-tha-gi or The-ghi-win
Royal Dynasty.

	(b) Tha-re-khit-ta-ra  Era-pyu Dynasty, 483 B.C to 95 AD

	Tha-re-khit-ta-ra was founded by the eldest son of the last king Thado
Dhamma Raza of Tagaung second dynasty. Present city Prome where the
Irrawaddy delta commences is known as the site of the ancient
Tharekheattara and also side to be the sea-port at that time, now about 150
miles inland. The people of the kingdom were Pyu. Total 27 kings are
mentioned to have ruled.

	(c) Vishno of Pyu,  ? to 6th century AD

	Escalated at about 12 miles north of Tharekheattara Prome. Probably,
Vishno was founded after the destruction of Tharekhattara. Or it could just
be a religious city of the people of Tharekhattara Pyu Kingdom.

	(d) Pagan or Pugan Era, Bhama dynasties, 108 AD to 1291 AD.

	Founded by Thy-mug-drit who was a nephew of the last king Thu-pi-nya of
Tharekheattara. Buddhism came into this central Burma Kingdom in the days
King Anaw-ra-hta in 1050 AD. The term, "Mranmar" or " Myanmar" was first
mentioned in Myasedi inscription made in 1084 by Prince Raza Kumar as
Myanma literature along with pali. Mon and Pyu writings. The Era was marked
by the war between Pagan King Anawrhta and Tha-Hton Mon King Ma-nu-ha.
Bhama conquerrent Mon and expanded the empire which is labelled as first
Myanma Empire in the history. A total of 53 kings are mentioned in this Era.

	(e) Myin-Saing, Pin-ya and Sa-gaing Era, Shan Dynasties, A.D 1298 to 1364.

	Three Shan brothers, A-Theng-Kha-Ya, Raza-Theng-Yan and Thi-Ha-Thu,
conquerred Pagan which had been defeated by Kublai Khan in 1279. Three
capitals ware built for each brother and they ruled simultaneously with
equil power in assigned territories. Total 13 kings are mentioned to have
ruled in three capitals.

	(f) Ava Era, Shan-Bhama dynasty, A.D 1364 to 1554.

	Founded by Tha-do-min-phya who was known as a descendent of the ancient
kings of Tagoung from father side and a grand son of A-theng-kha-ya
Saw-yon, the Shan king of Sagaing from mother's side. As a matter of fact
this era was mostly dominated by the kings of the desendents of the Shan
dynasty founded by the three Shan brothers. Total 17 kings ruled this era.

	(g) Taungnu Era, Bhamma dynasty, AD 1500 or 1540 to 1599.

	Founded by Min Gyi Nyo Due to Shan domination since the fall of Pagan in
1291, Bhamma migrated to the south and Min Gyi Nyo was able to start a new
dynasty. His son, Ta-bin-shwe-hti and son-in-law, Brainnaung established
the Second Myanmar Empire. Thailand was invaded and Ayudya was uproot.
Marked by the arrival of the Portuguese into lower Burma. This dynasty in
the days of king Nanda, son of King Brainnaung, was put to an end by
Rakhine (Arakanese) and Thai in 1599 at the capital Pegu. Total six kings
are known in this era.

	(h) Ava, Second Era, AD 1599 to 1751.

	Founded by Nyaung Ran Min, son of King Brainnaung of Taungnu Dynasty,
following the fall of their southern capital Pegu. Total 11 kings are known
in this era. It was conquered by Mon in 1751.

	(i) Alaung-phara Dynasty, AD 1753 to 1885.

	Founded by Alaung-phara at Shwebo, the capital moved to Sagaing, Ava,
Amarapura and lastly to Mandalay. Alaung-phara was the Headman of Shwebo,
when Mon conquered the Second Ava. He checked and repulsed back Mon and
conquered Hanthawadi Mon capital, unsuccessfully invaded Thailand and died
at the border. His son Bodaw Maung Wyne (1781-1819) the six king of the
dynasty. Conquered Rakhine Dhannyawadi. He established the Third Myanma
Empire. British seized the throne from king Thi-baw in 1885. Total 11 kings
ruled this dynasty.

Mon Kingdoms.

	(a) Thu-wanna Bhumai (Suvarna Bhumi) Tha Hton Pyi B.C 500 ? to AD 1050.

	Founded by King Thi-ha-raza who came from India. He died in the year
Buddha Goddhama entered Parinirvana B.C 543. The relationship of the Mon
Kingdom with their consign Khmers is not clearly. But Khmers say their
origin is in a mythical city known as Suvarna  Bhumi. Perhaps migration of
Thai into the south cut off Khmer and Mon. According to the chronicles of
Mon, Shwedagon Pagoda was built soon after Bhuddha Parininvana using the
Buddha hair relic as foundation. A total of 58 kings ruled this era. The
last king Manuha was conquered by Pagan king Anawrahta who put him as a
slave in his own pagoda in Pagan.

	(b) Hanthawadi Pegu Era.  AD 573 to 781.

	Founded by King Mahimu Thamala Kumara who came from Tha Hton. Probably
this was a rival  or rebel kingdom of Thuwanna Bhumi which later
subordinated it. Total 17 kings are mentioned to have ruled in this kingdom.

	(c) Hanthawadi Pagu Second Era. AD 1287 to 1540.

	When Tha Hton was conquerred by Bhama king Anawrahta, Mon were dispersed
forming city states here and there. Wa-re-ru emerged as an able leader and
founded the new Mon dynasty in Pegu. It had series of wars with Ava but was
finally conquered by King Tapinshwehti of Taungnu in 1540. A total of 16
monarchs including Shin Saw Bu, the only Queen in the entire history of
Burma, are recorded in the chronicles.

	(d) Hanthawadi Pegu, Third Era. AD 1740 to 1757.

	Pegu was in the hand of Bhama Taungnu dynasty up to 1599 until Rakhine
(Arakanese) and Thai together up-rooted Taungnu dynasty. At the fall of
Taungnu, Ava continued to dominate Mon. After long year of struggle Mon
under the leadership of king Buddha. Ke Thit Gwe Meng who founded a new
dynasty and re-established Hanthawadi Pegu. In the days of second king,
Binya Dala. Mon conquered Ava in AD 1751. But Bhama built up the strength
quickly, pushed back mon and finally crushed Pegu in 1757. thus only two
kings ruled this era. After the second Anglo-Burma war the entire lower
Burma which was the place of Mon fell into the hand of British in 1852.

	Arakan  (Rakhine) Kingdoms and dynasties.

	(a) Dhannyawadi, First Era.  B.C 2666 to 800.

	A total of 54 kings, starting with founder King Mar-Ra-Yu and ending with
young King Phaw-Hla-Si, are mentioned in the chronicles. King Phaw-Hla-Si
was dethroned by his nobles. This was the most ancient kingdom and dynasty
claimed in the chronicles of Burma.

	(b) Dhannyawadi, Second Era.  B.C 825 to AD 788.

	Total 53 kings ruled this era, starting with Kan Raza Gri, who was the
elder of the two sons of King Abi Raza of Tagaung. Kan Raza Nge, the
younger son succeeded the throne in Tagaung. The last king to rule in this
dynasty was Thu-Ri-K-Tu. Buddhism came into Arakan during this dynasty. The
chronicles claim that Buddha. image known as Maha Mrat Muni was made in the
presence of Buddha himself. Maurice Collis given an excellent account of
Dhannyawadi and Maha Mrat Muni in his book "The Land of  the Great Image" (
Alfred A. Knopf, New York 1943). this Buddha image was carried away to
Mandalay by the Bhama conquered in 1784.

	(c) We-Tha-Li  Era. AD 788 to 1018.

	Total 12 kings ruled in this era. The first king Maha-Taing San-Dra, son
of Thuriya K Tu, founded Wethali as capital became Dhannyadi area was
deteriorated and not suitable for the royal seat. The last king was
Nga-Mun-Nga-Tung.

	(d) Pin- Sa-Era. AD 1018 to 1103.

	Total 15  kings ruled in this era, starting with king Khetta Theng, a
prince of Wethali and ending with a rebel king Pa-di.

	(e) Pu-Rin Era. A.D 1103 to 1167.

	Total eight kings reigned this era, starting with Let-ya-mun-nan, a prince
of Pin-Sa dynasty and ending with Anan-Thi-ri.

	(f) Khrit Era. A.D 1167 to 1180

	Total four kings ruled in this era, starting with king Phun-Sa, a brother
of king Anon Thiri ending with an usurper king Sa-Leng-Ka-Bo.

	(g) Pin-Sa Second Era. A.D 1180 to 1237.

	Total sixteen kings ruled there, starting with King Zu Theng, a prince of
Khrit dynasty and ending with King Nga-na-lum.

	(h) Laung-Kret Era. A.D 1237 to 1404.

	Total seventeen kings ruled this era, starting with Hlama-Phru and ending
with Thin-Kha-Thu.

	(i) Dhannyawadi (Mrouk-U) Third Era. A.D 1404 to 1784.

	Total forty eight kings ruled this era. Perhaps this was the most glorious
era of Arakan history, with their empire expanding up to Dhaka in the west
and Thayet, west of Irrawady river in the east. The founder king was Mun
Sew Mon and the last king was Maha Thamada. (meaning people elected king)
who was conquered by king Bodaw Maung Wyne of Alaung Phra dynasty in 1784.
Mrouk-U and entire Arakan fell into British rule in 1825 at the end of
first Anglo-Burma war.

Bhama occupation of Arakan.

	Dhannyawadi had been facing the stronger Mongol Empire for about two
centuries. They had gradually lost entire east Bengal to the hands of the
rising Mongols. The fall of the Chittagong in 1666 left them powerless and
unstable, with internal power struggle. After the death in 1684 of king
Sanda Thudhamma, who was the great Grand Father of Alaung Phra according to
the claim of the Arakanese, the Crown changed very frequently. Notably,
from the beginning of the third Dhannyawadi dynasty in 1404 to 1684, total
23 kings ruled in 280 years averaging about 12 years for each king in
contrast to a total of 25 kings in next one hundred years averaging only
four year for each king from 1684 to 1784, when they met the defeat to Bhama.
	According to the Arakanese chronicles, in the absence of a proper
leadership to the people, i.e. the nobles and the generals elected a
commoner to the throne and crowned him under the name of Maha Thamada King,
which means people-elected king. However, some nobles with royal blood were
dissatisfied with the election. So they requested help from Bodaw Maung
Wyne, who as a son of Alung Phra was Arakanese royal blood, to enable to
reinstate a royal blood again. With the internal help Bhama seized
Dhannyawadi and brought to total destruction to the kingdom, instead of
handing it over to the royalists. This was the stragedic end of Dhannyawadi.
	To the great grief of the Arakanese, Bhama carried away to Mandalay their
precious and sentimental Maha Mrat Muni Buddha image which they claim to
have made in the presence to Goddhama Buddha himself with his consent.
Along with the Maha Mrat Muni, Bhama drove away about one lakh people
including intellectuals, artisans and labour. This was the loss of great
national assets of Arakan. Arakanese claim that all pagodas and image made
in Mandalay Era were constructed by Arakaneses architect and labour in the
way Pagan pagodas were built by Mon. They also claim that Een-Thar, a group
of people living in the Een-Lay lake in Shan Plateau are the descendants of
Arakanese capital whom Badaw Maung Wyne rehabilitated there. Al Mrouk-U the
capital of Dhannyawadi, left a ruin and a mountain of bones, the location
of which is still recognised by some local historian. They said Bhama
soldiers did not even spare babies, children and women. The aim of Bhama,
they believe was a ruthless genocide so that Rakhine Arakans would be
incapable of rising again.
	Thus in the similar way Bhama did with mon, they left an unconciliable
hatred and anger in the hearts of Rakhine. It was in 1784.

British Occupation of Arakan.

	The conquest of the Dhannyawadi Kingdom by Bhama, brought its frontier in
direct contact with British India. Although Mrouk-U, the capital of
Dhannayawadi was fallen, Arakanese did not stop their war against Bhama.
Many Arakanese took refuge in east Bengal and Arakanese Army led by King
Bering ( Bo Chun Pyan) launched their attack across the border Bhama Army
penetrated into British East Bangal to uproot King Bering's bases. This
ignited the first Anglo-Burma war in 1824, which came to an end in 1826
with victory to British. According to the peace treaty signed in Randapo,
Rakhine Dhannyawadi and Mon Tanessarim went under British rule. The second
Anglo-Burma war broke out in 1852 and ended in 1853 to the advantage of
British to occupy entire lower Burma. Thus Karen and Mon fall into British
hand. The third war took place in 1885 and Mandalay along with its throne
and King Thibaw was seized in the same year. The entire Burma fell into the
hand of British.
	The last King Thibaw and his family were taken away to Calcutta where the
King and Queen died in captivity with much grief after seeing their two
daughters, princesses of Burma, got married with Indian Guards terminating
a pure Burma Royal Blood line.

Arakan in Independent Burma.

	In the final days of struggle for the independence Burma had formed Burma
Independent Army led by General Aung San and Three Comrades trained by the
Japanese. During the Japanese occupation (1942-44) as the rising sun failed
to give independence, Burma formed the Anti-Fascist and People Freedom
League (AFPFL) a political front of the nationalists and communist General
Aung San was the President. Thakin Nu ( U Nu) was the Vice-president and
Thakin Than Tun, president of Burmese Communist Party, was the Secretary
General. The position of Thakin Than Tun in AFPFL gave good evidence for
the strength and importance of the communists in Burma.
	At the end of the Second World War, in accordance with the Atlantic
Charter, British Labour government was ready to free Burma in 1947, when
Gen. Aung San was negotiating with Mr. Attlee, the Prime Minister of
British Lobour government, the question was raised as to the opinion of
non-Burma peoples-whether or not they wanted independence along with
majority Bhama. The British government asked for sound proof of their
willingness to join Bhama to from an independent state together.
	In urgently in the February 1947 all nation conference was held at Pinlong
in Shan State, to agree to take independence from British together and to
form a Union of Burma consisting of individual national states with the
right to secede after ten years if any body wished. The Pinlong treaty, the
foundation of the Union of Burma, was signed by the representatives of all
nations in Burma on the 12 th of February, 1947. This agreement was adopted
in the constitution of Burma which was approved by the Constituent Assembly
of Union of Burma on 14th September, 1947. It was included in the Chapter X
under the heading "Right of Secession". The twelveth February is celebrated
as Union Day since then.
	Gen. Aung San, after his triumphant return from London, formed the
provisional government in his preparation for the independence.
Interestingly, he avoided inclusion of the communists in his cabinet. This
created a drift and suspicion between AFPFL proper and the BCP which had
been expelled from AFPFL some time earlier. In other words, the seed of a
ideological war was sown. On the 19th July 1947, General Aung San and his
entire cabinet members, saved two, were assassinated. The assassination was
a personal revenge of Kaloon U Saw, a former Prime Minister during British
Burma. The death of the leaders left a vacuum in leadership amidst the
confusion and disorientation of the people.
	In the absence of Gen. Aung San, U Nu formed the new government. In the
same way as Gen. Aung San did he avoided the coalition with the communist.
This created unconciliable misunderstanding between the two giant political
parties. In other words, this pushed the Communist-partner-architect of the
independence struggle into the path of armed insurrection.
	Under the Nu-Attlee Treaty, Burma declared independence at the fourth hour
on the fourth day of January, 1948 as advised by the wise astrologers in
view of the good astrological signs for the birth and prosperity of the
nation. However, there seemed to be some cloud hiding certain important
stars which the learned astrologers failed to see and take in to account.
The war broke out at a national scale soon after the independence.

Arakanese Vs Bhama.

	Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kaya, Mon and Arakanese (Rakhine) caught unexpectedly
in the great turmoil. However, Rakhine communists had started their
proletariat revolution along with their mother communist parties which had
granted them a separate Arakan Republic in the line of the established
communist countries. But the war in Arakan became furious only when Bo Gri
Kra Hla Aung and his army turned against Rangoon government. During the
Japanese occupation when Burma Independent Army was formed Arakanese
Battalion remained detached from Gen. Aung San's command. In practice it
was under the command of Bo Gri Kra Hla Aung who took the political
direction from U Nyo Tun, an Arakanese patriot and close associate of Bhama
politicians including Gen. Aung San. The Arakanese Battalion was the first
to be recognised and armed by the Allied forces in their offensive war to
drive out Japanese off Burma. As a matter of fact Arakanese had the
understanding that they would become independent separately according to
the Atlantic Charter which promised the independence of the colony who
helped the Allied forces to win the war. At least this idea was put into
the mind of the Arakanese soldiers who fought the Japanese out off  their
land, Arakan. However, the political leaders who made contact with the
Allied forces in India did not clarify the condition of the independence as
to whether it world be Arakan separately or Arakan inside Burma. Arakanese
civilian and soldiers alike left this matter in the hand of few Arakanese
political leaders. By the end of 1944, Japanese had been driven out off
Arakan and the Allied forces occupied Arakan again. In the presence of the
Allied forces inside Burma, Gen. Aung San sent out his Army to find and
fight the enemy. This was a good trick to the Japanese rulers in Rangoon.
The Burma Independent Army marched out of the Revolution Park in Rangoon
under the applause and cheers of the Japanese rulers on the 27th March 1945
into underground to revolt against the Japanese. The 27th March is since
then observed and celebrated as Revolution Day ( now Army Day ) which the
Arakanese bark at as irrelevant to them. This show that Arakanese battalion
was detached from the main stream of the military activities of Burma as a
whole. But politically they were with the AFPFL Arakanese representative U
Aung Zan Wai was supposed to raise the question of Autonomous Arakan at the
Pinlong Conference in 1947. He, however, kept it aside for a later time in
the view of the urgently for the need of evidence of unity to convince the
British Parliament. He was again supposed to raise this question at the
cabinet. Unfortunately before he was bold enough to rise the question the
entire cabinet including Gen. Aung San except for two ministers one of the
them was U Aung Zan Wai himself were killed in a grand assassination
masterminded by Kaloon U Saw on 19th July 1947. then again U Aung Zan Wai
set the question aside in view of the national emergency and turmoil.
Perhaps he was simply unlucky. He tried from politics without getting the
chance to rise the question of Autonomous Arakan. Arakanese gossip about
their leader, "What had he been doing? We did not get Autonomous nor a
martyr! Under these conditions U Nyo Tun, the politico-military leader of
the Arakanese planned a military stance to make Arakan independence. He
directed Bogri Kra Hla Aung to execute his grand idea. Accordingly Bogri
Kra Hla Aung ordered his commanders to seize the Arakan which was guarded
by the regular Burma Defense Army. Bogri Kra Hla Aung and his commanders
were successful in seizing Kyauk Pyu and Sandaway head quarters but failed
to capture Sit Tway (Akyab), the Divisional Headquarter. Thus instead of
becoming the Commander in-Chief of Independent Arakan, Bogri Kra Hla Aung
became a veteran guerrilla. He retreated from Akyab and went underground to
lead the guerrilla welfare. The mastermind U Nyo Tun stayed back in the
confronts of Rangoon thus Bogri Kra Hla Aung found himself with an army but
without a political guide. He, however wanted to remain independent as
Rakhine Army. But his commanders wanted to be in the main stream of Burma
politics and decided to join the Pythu Yebaw under Bo Po Kun. This made all
Arakanese armed insurrection against Rangoon to fall under the command of
communist parties or Pythu Yebaw.

War in Ne Win Era.

	The war in Burma escalated soon after General Newin seized the power from
the constitutionally elected U Nu's government in 1962.
	The philosophy and reasons behind the Arakanese armed struggle could be
found in the following hand out of Arakan Independent Organization.

Sham-Union of Burma.

	The Union of Burma as emerged on January 4, 1948, known as "Socialist
Republic of Union of Burma" is a multi-national state composed of five
major nationalities Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen and Kaya ___and three nations
Mon, Burmese (Bhama) and Arakanese (Rakhine)....... A peculiarity of that
multi-national state was that non-Burmese (non-Bhama) people comprising 60%
of the population....."
	"...... Mon, the Burma (Bhama) and Arakan were the only three main rivals
and internationally recognised independent kingdoms in the history. The
Burmese belligerents always tried to smash the integrity and soldiery of
those rival states...... The independent Mon was colonised by Alaungphaya
in 1755 and the independent Arakan was conquered by Maung Wyne in 1784."
	"...... The first two war (Anglo-Burma) dissolved the separate entity of
Mon and Arakan and enclosed within the lower Burma and the third war
pacified the tribal territories of present nationalities into Upper
Burma........"
	"...... The February 12, 1947 became Union Day on which the Union Treaty
(Pinlong Treaty) was passed over between the leaders of Hilly Peoples Shan,
Kachin, Chin and AFPFL leader Aung San. But Mon and Arakan lost their
separate identity and were melted by the Burmese (Bhama) imperialism and
their pro-Bhama betrayers and thus tugged in the Treaty as part of
Burma......."
	"...... But the Union Treaty...... was approved in the Constitution
Assembly of Union of Burma on September 14, 1947. in Chapter X, the "Right
of Secession" included the followings:-
	Section I: Save as otherwise expressly provided in this constitution or in
any act of Parliament made under Section 199, every State shall have the
right to secede from the Union in accordance with the condition herein
after prescribed.
	Section II: The right of secession shall not be exercised within ten years
from the date on which this Constitution come into operation.
	"...... The Burmese Parliamentary imperialists installed the Burmanised
democracy in the Union....... When the Burmese betrayed the Union Treaty,
the Hilly Peoples distrusted the Union Constitution and challenged to
reform it by drafting "Genuine Federal Constitution" in 1958. Meanwhile
Arakan and Mon were frenziedly making preparation for Regional
Autonomy.......... ruling. AFPFL spliced ........ this condition forced Ne
Win seize the Union power and form Care-taker government from September 26,
1958 to February 6, 1960............"
	"...... Ne Win himself betrayed his own Defense Service ideology,
inherited the modernised monarchy and despotism and strangely set up one
party dictatorship in 1962. He also inherited the old Burmese (Bhama)
imperialism revived..........."
	"...... By vociferating and by misreferring the word "Union" the Burman
tried to cover the reality of the colonies--Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen,
Kaya, Mon and Arakan and also tried to camouflage its Fascist imperialism.
Those colonies are hidden and thus known as "Hidden Colonies" and the
Burman turns " Hiding Colonialists........."
	"...... the collectivism is more beneficial than individualism. The
leaders of non-Bhama peoples therefore agreed with the Bhama leaders to
settle genuine Union. But the aggressive minded Bhama whether left or right
winners deadly phased out the Union stability and monopolised the Union
power in its own hand......."
	"...... No one except Bhama proper themselves is, therefore, the only
betrayer to the Union and Union Constitution and the only Union destroyer.
We deeply appeal to the world to see this point clearly."

Arakan in future.

	Obviously the future of Arakan could not be speculated in isolation from
the other ethnic groups in Burma. At present the evolution of a Federation
of Burma as is envisaged by the ethnic rebels under the banner of the
National Democratic Front seems to be a promising trend towards the
establishment to peace and prosperity. This, however depends upon the
attitude of the ruling Burma military regime and the major opposition
group. Unless the major Bhama develop faith in the Federation of Burma, the
war will go on endlessly.   

*** Published by the Overseas Arakan Youth Association