Patriot's Party
The Patriot's Party (Burmese: မျိုးချစ်ပါတီ; also known as the Myochit) was a nationalist political party in Burma led by U Saw.
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History
The party was formed in 1938 by U Saw after he left the United GCBA, and initially consisted of a group of around ten MPs fropm wealthy backgrounds.[1] The party gained support from businessmen and landlords, and in April 1938 the Galon Tat, the party's paramilitary volunteer corps, was created.[1] The Galon Tat was modelled on fascist organisations in Europe and possibly funded by the Japanese, and by 1941 was the largest volunteer organisation in the country.[1]
When the government led by Ba Maw fell in 1939, Governor Archibald Cochrane included the Patriot's Party in the government, and in 1940 Saw was appointed Premier.[1] However, he was arrested in January 1942 for having contact with the Japanese, who had started an invasion of the country.
Following the war, the party was re-established by some of its members whilst U Saw was imprisoned in Uganda. It joined the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League, but was ejected after it accepted three seats in the Executive Council, a move that was contrary to the alliance's policy. However, U Saw demanded the party's members leave the Council. The party subsequently boycotted the 1947 elections.[2] When he was hanged in 1948 for his role in the assassination of Aung San, the party ceased to exist.[1]
Policies
The party sought to limit Indian immigration to Burma and redistribute foreign-owned land. Other objectives included increasing the proportion of Burmese in the civil service and foreign trade and mining companies.[1]
References
- Haruhiro Fukui (1985) Political parties of Asia and the Pacific, Greenwood Press, p139
- The Ghost of Elections Past The Irrawaddy, 3 June 2010
