This compelling history examines Myanmar's complex political landscape through the life of Chao Tzang Yawnghwe (1939-2004), son of Sao Shwe Thaike, the first president of independent Burma and last Saohpa (prince) of Yawnghwe. Chao Tzang's remarkable journey from privileged youth to rebel fighter, academic, and political theorist provides unique insight into the Shan struggle for autonomy and Myanmar's troubled postcolonial development.
The narrative tracks Myanmar's transformation from a promising federal union to a military-dominated state, pivoting on the 1962 coup when General Ne Win seized power. This turning point had profound personal consequences for Chao Tzang, whose younger brother was killed and whose father disappeared during the takeover, mirroring the national catastrophe as Ne Win's "Burmese Way to Socialism" devastated the country's economy and exacerbated ethnic tensions.
The work skillfully analyzes the web of Shan resistance movements, their shifting alliances with other ethnic armed groups, and the role of opium production in sustaining insurgencies. It examines the military's attempt to transform a multiethnic federation into a unitary "Myanmar" nation-state, contradicting the 1947 Panglong Agreement that formed the foundation for the original union.
Central to the narrative is Chao Tzang's vision of a federal system as an alternative to military rule and ethnic separatism. His academic writings in exile offer prescient analysis of Myanmar's political trajectory and the structural obstacles to democratization.
This essential work provides crucial historical context for understanding contemporary Myanmar, where many unresolved tensions fuel ongoing civil conflict. By weaving together personal narrative, political analysis, and historical documentation, it offers an intimate portrait of a remarkable political figure and a comprehensive examination of the challenges facing Myanmar's diverse society.
