Aung San U

Aung San U (b. 13 Feb. 1915, d. 19 July 1947). Burmese nationalist leader Born in Natmauk, he became a student at Rangoon University in 1935, where he became involved in politics as the organizer of the 1936 student strike. Leader of the All Burma Students' Union 1936–8, he joined the nationalist movement Dobama Asiayone, and was its secretary 1938–40. He was also the general secretary of the Communist Party of Burma 1939–40. He went into exile in 1940. After a period of military training under the Japanese, he returned to Burma in 1942 and became leader of the Japanese-sponsored Burma National Army, which actively assisted the Japanese advance through the country. He served as a minister in the Ba Maw puppet government, but became increasingly disillusioned, and defected to the Allies in the closing weeks of World War II. He formed an Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League in 1944 and led a postwar Council of Ministers. The architect of Burmese independence, and of its new constitution, he was denied the honour of leading the country into independence in 1948. He was assassinated together with five other members of his interim government by his political rival, U Saw. In 1988, his struggle for freedom and justice was taken up by his daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Myanmar