TRANSMITTALOF AN ARTICLE ON ON BURMESE COMMUMIST ACTIVITLES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-00915R000900300001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 6, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 11, 1958
• Content Type: REPORT

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THE TACT WS OF TER SURM,A COMMI aT PARTY AND THEIR
RZLATtoN TO THE DOCTR7biz& or WORLD COMMUNISM
In Sa4savouring to understan4 the behavior of Communists
and Cora tst Parties there Is one factor that must be constantly
berms In mind. Conu=uists bellow that In the writings and sayings
of than great Communist leaders they have the explanation, for all
ev*ats In human history and the answers to all problems. Whem-
eusr they are faced with a zww situation or a difficult decision they
turn to the Canumm st Scriptures for guidance as to their course
of action. They may sometimes stretch these doctrines pretty
such aid of shape to justify a decision which they believe deair-
able, but the doctrinal basis must be there, no uaatter how distorted.
While dw overall alms of Communism, whether worldwide or
in a elms counttry, remain unchanged--that ta, revolution, seizure
of power. the dictatorship of the proletariat, and to on--the tactics
to be followed at any particular hisftrical moment must vary widely.
C t writers again and again have strand the necessity of
Alextbilityi to advance and retreat, to take Beres steps forward and
two steps back, to shift from one form of struggle to another as the
situation changes. but never to lose sight of the fundamental objec-
tives. As Lenin once said.
"Tt is our duty as Communists to master all forms,
to learn how to supplement with the rnazitnurm rapidity
a form for another and to adapt our tactics to every
cisaege that Is called forth by sasna#LI~og other than our
class or our efforts. " V. L Lenin, "Left Wing Cohn-
a-"tam, " 4~rks, Vol X, p. 147.
Lrasin's Successor as the fountainhead of Communist wisdom,
wrote similarly:
". . . In a given phase of the revolution. tactics can
cM ge repeatedly, according as the revoiutioaary tide,
Is r btag or hewing, according as the revolutionary
ampWaft" Is advancing or receding. " J. V. Stalin.
temr of
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 A more recent statement from an authoritative Communist
writer Indicates that Communist doctrine an this point has not
sty stgntfica-nt changes.
ioaary struggle tactics can change many times. The
vatnterruptedly rising wave; it develops in flows and
Ubbs, attacks and retreats. These changes must also
be considered by the tactics of the revolutionary prole-
tauriatt Its most important task to the definition of ways
await means, forms and methods of struggle which most
of all correspond to the given aituation and most truly
pe+epare strategic suecase. " N. V. Tropktn. " 0n The
t tons of We Strategy and Tactics of Leninism."
Moscow$ 1955
neglected this aspect of their doctrine. As anyone who has followed
the twists and turns of Burrs Communist Party tactics since 1947
can testify, in this respect Thskiii Than Tun has learned his Marxisan-
l antiaism well.
Cionsmunist classics, how each and envy important decision and
change of tactics by the Burma Communist Party can be explained
an the basis of the meter doctrine laid down by the theoreticians
of international Communism.
gm AtWorld War II
of the war and the expulsion of the Japanese from
, Communists, Independents such as Rung
Satiation and agreement. all except the Communists felt that it
would be a good thing to try it. Certainly If Independence could be
achieved without adding the effects of another resistance struggle
to the devastation of the war, this would be all to the good. If the Bri-
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 I Couosmmunists refused to accept any such policy. They
and began the insurrection.
icy becomes easy to understand when
y believes that the revolution against capitalism
as V Nu has said, the "cult of the gun. " Communists may sometimes
esiavour to persuade the would that they have changed and are pre-,
paned to seek their goals through peaceful moans, but this is simply
en ownple of the flexibility of their tactics--they do not really mean
It. mexe to that some of the Communist masters have had to say
ab revolutions.
i advanced countries
at Socialism can be attained. Such
of the Communists." Bukbarin. Piro
. i!, ..~ d h !g ? 1920. P. 95.
"Mw substitution of the proletarian state for the bourgeois
two is twimastble without a violent revolution. " V. L
Liewlew The W2 =A * olution, Selected Works, Vol.
Vt p. 21.
"Lein to perfectly right when he says 'the Proletarian.
revolution cannot take place without the forcible destruc-
cam of &* bourgeois State machtee! " J. V. Stall a, Pr
admen i
Dictionary, 1947.
ass is a general law
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e. V
"Rwvolution Is the solving of problems by w .t". Ma
T"-tWM& fghgg.4 ~Lqt Vol. IL P. 505.
It s ld be plain from the above statements what a Cos xsssaunist
wally mo*" when he Wks about revolution, however much he may
pretend he I. talking about a "peaceful" revolution. it
yt tld 41 60 be plain why Thaakin Than Tun and his foliowess, as
00,041 Guts, could not possibly accept revolution which ended
Srttish imperialist rule without bloodshed. This would have been a
violation of one of their most fundamental doctrines.
Wilke It is trees as we have sees above that the Ccroswtntst believes
riaoortad to only when what Ca stets can the "revolutionary sit-
s eaa" has developed-? t to, when t ho time is ripe for the violent.
aa+ex xsraw of th a ucisttnd wetnmet:t. Lotus see how Stalin defined
this cituaatton.
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iU at psrtkulnr hlatorlcal t had been a mistah
rowobsOm was not a success. Lenin had before provided gut.
taus for hauled Camsaacsnists who found themselves to such a att?
iatia.
 Tun did not desire to commit such a "crime"
ebvtcusly going badly it was necessary to put an end to it and seek
to any an the revolution by other means. Now was the tuns to
display some of the "flex thiltty" of tactics which the founders of
can had rated so highly. So it was that from the latter
part of 1955 down to the present the Burma Communist Party has
oam& to liquidate the insurrection which was going so badly and
cwt itself as a legal, respectable political party and party-
e In the democratic processes and institutions of the country.
The BCC" utilised: Its front organizations such as the Peace wove-
nati it cursed mass** of misguided young students; it used the
IsAbsexce of the aboveground Communists in the SWP and made per-
swAl appeals to Government leaders; all to persuade the Govern-
se st to let the Communist insurgents comae out of the Jungle (leav-
ing their arms safely hidden for future use. you. may be sure) and
esar the political life of the country.
CuummaAa doctrine states clearly that at certain times and
ust as clearly what must be the purposes
ho take part in democratic political pro-
"rtunises are necessary oven with the direct enemy
if they are concluded In order to escape destruction and
to preserve one's forces for attacking the enemy in the
h" To- U N. V. Tropkin. eg the Foua sttons of the Strategy
1756
sad 1"a41cs of latnlaaaa< M*scows
time you must work inside them." V.1. Lenin, Left W
Clearly Than Tim and the BC? were acting strictly in accordance
doctrine when they sought to escape destruction by ending their
l *l petty to Its participation is demo-
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Lei
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"therefore: there can be a gseation only of uttiining
bsaaspots state Institutions with the object of destroying
*Am The Ce untst Party enters such institutions
not in order to do constructive work, but in order to dir-
ect the masses to destroy from within the whole bourgeois
teats amachins and Parliament itself. " "The Cananhunist
Party and Parltsmentartaniam. " Theses Adopted at the
Gaga se of the C anise ernasi a. 1920.
In no way serve as the arena of a
.. Therefore It to the immediate
tus out of the hands of the ruling
classes, to break and destroy it. and to create In its place
a new proletarian apparatus. At the same time, however,
the revelatieaary general staff. .. is vitally concerned in
having its scouting parties In the parliamentary institutions. . .
to arder to facilitate this task of destruction." Those! and
aggift of the ThIr4 n atst rangy 1.
it is only possible to speak of utilising the
bezineots State organizations with the object of destroying
them. The question can be discussed only and exclusively
on each a plans." W 2j sea and Statutes of the Third Com-
amoist Itstprtaaticsaal
atton." Roger Garaaudy, 2whiers
purposes and goals of Than Tun
or eves as Cabinet Ministers? Can there be any doubt as to the pur-
pesss and goals of the BWP members who already occupy such post-
tions, for remember that they too know their Communist scriptures.
To reaasove any lingering doubt that Than Tun himself understands
these basic doctrines of the Communist movement, here are his own
words in a question and answer session during a conference of the
Burma Communist Party. These statements were contained in a
document prepared for the Central Committee of the SCP which the
Army captured in Pakokku District.
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a* tem of a coalition with the Na government. The
let SW of seising power must be t m%h violent
mos. 'her's is thus a change in strategy. It to not
to !corm a coielltlon with the Nu government. but to sradi-
.truggts will have to be hold in abeyance, but
in all its baffling twists and
its decisions determined by the body of Communist doctrine
these are only the expression of the tacti-
but the fumla:mental marines written in
of the public.
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