Myanmar Spring Chronicle – March 27 View
Moemaka, March 28, 2025
The 80th Anniversary of Resistance Day and Its Historical Lesson
On March 27, 1945, during World War II, Japanese forces had occupied Burma as part of their expansionist strategy in East Asia. After about three years under fascist rule, the Burmese Defense Army (BDA), which had initially aligned with the Japanese, switched sides and joined forces with the British to launch an offensive against the Japanese. This pivotal date came to be known as Resistance Day.
On that day, the anti-fascist uprising began with a coordinated effort from the Burmese Defense Army, which split its divisions and simultaneously launched attacks against Japanese forces they had previously been allied with. For the BDA, trained by the Japanese, turning arms against their former instructors must have been a jarring reversal.
Even before World War II began in 1939, Burma’s political youth under the Do-Bama Asiayone had been agitating for independence. With the war engulfing Europe, they saw an opportunity to challenge British colonial rule. Many young activists, including General Aung San, sought military training to support their independence goals.
Initially, Aung San tried to connect with the Chinese Communist Party to establish an armed movement but failed. Instead, through the help of Dr. Ba Maw, he and Thakin Hla Myaing established contact with Japanese intelligence and traveled to Japan. Later, students and youth from Burma also received military training there, supporting Japan’s broader Southeast Asian expansion.
However, the Japanese fascist regime’s occupation brought three years of harsh oppression—arguably worse than British colonialism. The Japanese exploited Burma’s natural resources, paid for them with near-worthless currency, and shipped them to Japan.
When the reality of Japanese oppression became clear, Burmese leaders reached out again to the British. With the tide of war turning—Germany retreating in Europe and Allied forces re-entering Southeast Asia—Burma’s anti-fascist forces began a rebellion.
Importantly, Resistance Day was not solely a BDA-led uprising. Allied forces, particularly air and ground troops from the British and Americans, were already launching attacks against Japanese positions. As Allied forces pushed into Burma from India and China, Burmese resistance gained momentum.
The anti-fascist movement was led jointly by the BDA and the Communist Party of Burma, which had organized underground resistance activities. This collaboration marked a rare period of political unity in Burma’s history. Unfortunately, after the war and during the lead-up to independence, internal divisions and armed conflict began to emerge.
Following the 1962 military coup, the narrative of Resistance Day was co-opted by the military and rebranded as Armed Forces Day. Despite political opposition to this change, for over 60 years—from the Ne Win regime to the State Peace and Development Council—the date was officially celebrated as a military event.
In truth, March 27 marks not just a military rebellion against Japanese fascism, but a moment of national unity and political leadership. It carries a vital historical lesson about combining armed resistance with visionary political goals.
Today, during another struggle against dictatorship, slogans like “Cut Fascism at the Root” echo that history. However, it is crucial to remember that although the Burmese army successfully fought fascists once, it eventually morphed into a military dictatorship itself, ruling the country for decades.
While armed resistance may be necessary in times of crisis, it must be guided by clear political values—unity, justice, fairness—to avoid repeating cycles of authoritarianism. That’s the deeper lesson of March 27.