Communist Party (Burma)
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Chairman | Thakin Soe |
Founded | 1946 |
Dissolved | 1978 |
Ideology | Communism |
Political position | Far-left |
Party flag | |
The Communist Party (Burma), sometimes referred to as the Red Flag Communist Party (Burmese: အလံနီကွန်မြူနစ်ပါတီ; RFCP), was a communist party in Burma. The party was formed after a more radical faction broke away from the Communist Party of Burma in 1946. In the same year, it began a protracted armed insurgency; first against British rule, then against the Burmese government. The party was led by Thakin Soe, a firebrand communist leader. In the mid to late 1970s, the party lost influence and was militarily defeated after the capture of Thakin Soe in 1978.
The party emerged from a split in the Communist Party of Burma in February 1946. Thakin Soe, a former guerrilla leader, had staked claims for the leadership of the party. He denounced Thakin Than Tun and Thakin Thein Pe as 'Browderists', charging that the two had taken a compromising stand towards imperialism and opportunistic elements.
The inner-party conflict had erupted after a speech by the AFPFL leader Ba Pe in January 1946. Ba Pe had denounced the political system in the Soviet Union. In response, Thakin Soe labelled Ba Pe 'a tool of the imperialists'. Wary of the risk of the unity of AFPFL, the party leadership initiated a disciplinary process against Thakin Soe. Thakin Soe demanded that control over the Central Committee be handed over to him and his associates. Thakin Than Tun and Thein Pe did commit self-criticism (and temporarily resigned from their posts), but did not agree to Soe's demand to make him the party leader. Soe himself was removed from the Central Committee. In response Soe broke with the Communist Party of Burma and formed the Communist Party (Burma).Thakin Tin Mya and six members of the Communist Party of Burma sided with Thakin Soe's new party.