U Nu

Born May 25, 1907, in Wakema, near Myaungmya. Burmese statesman and political figure.

Nu graduated from the University of Rangoon in 1929, and in the 1930’s he was president of the university’s student union and treasurer of the Dobama Asi-ayon (Our Burma Association). In 1943–44 he was minister of foreign affairs and in 1944–45, minister of publicity and propaganda in the Ba Maw government, which had been formed by the Japanese occupiers. Nu was speaker of the constituent assembly in 1947. He was vice-president of the Antifascist People’s Freedom League from 1945 to 1947, and he served as president of the league from 1947 to 1958. After the league split in 1958, Nu became leader of the Clean Party (known as the Union Party since 1960).

From August 1947 to January 1948, Nu served as prime minister of the provisional national government of Burma. He was prime minister of the Union of Burma from 1948 to 1956 and again in 1957–58 and from 1960 to 1962. After the Revolutionary Council came to power in 1962, Nu was imprisoned (1962–66). In 1969 he emigrated to Thailand and formed the Parliamentary Democracy Party (PDP). In 1970 he formed an “all nationalities liberation front,” aimed at the forcible overthrow of the government of the Revolutionary Council. In 1973, Nu resigned as leader of the PDP and went to live in India, becoming a Buddhist monk.