For the impassioned young men who led Burma's struggle for independence in the 1930s, "capitalism" was an ugly word, almost as bad as "colonialism," with which it was inextricably associated. In 1950, after the erstwhile rebels had become the rulers of an independent Burma, Premier U Nu bluntly defined their goal: "the constitution of a socialist state."
With the same enthusiasm that they had once devoted to demonstrating against the British, Burma's new bosses set about achieving U Nu's dream. They adopted a $1.6 billion economic development scheme, drew up ambitious plans for a steel mill, textile industry, housing developments...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
