BURMA TODAY
SIR,—Please permit me to reply briefly to Mr. Arthur Manton, the author of an article Fascism in Burma which has appeared in your periodical recently. I am sure Mr. Manton has the full knowledge of the Burmese political scene to undertake the responsibility of writing such an article containing serious accusations which, at this critical moment in world history when Britain and Burma need each other's friendship, can create misunderstandings. If the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (which, by the way, is not a party as Mr. Manton says, but a league of representative political groups and national minorities of Burma) were really an organisation of the type the author has described, no Burman, in spite of " his good-humoured, tolerant attitude towards life," would tolerate it. Nor would His Majesty's Labour Govern- ment, which has easy access to official reports and information, and which is no lover of Fascism and Fascists, claim it as a most important political body " with strong support and possibilities," and express regret that the present Government of Burma does not contain A.F.P.F.L.'s repre- sentatives (Hansard: Col. 2344, June 7th).
I can assure Mr. Manton that the A.F.P.F.L. would welcome the absorption of the People's Volunteer Organisation either into auxiliary or regular forces, because the P.V.O. is formed for no other object than to defend villages against armed robbers, aid peasants in their agricultural work and help the unemployed demobilised members of the Patriotic Burmese Forces. The A.F.P.F.L. does not need to resort to robbery to obtain funds. The people of Burma have always contributed gener- ously towards its chest, for they know and appreciate the sincerity and integrity of the leaders of the League such as U Aung San, and the work it has done on the battlefield and out of it. For instance, at the end of last year, when the A.F.P.F.L. asked for RS.260,000 to send a deputation to England to make known Burmese national aspirations to the British public and to contact leaders of Labour 'and other pro- gressive parties and organisations, the country over-subscribed with about double that sum. Lastly, in the interest of friendship and understanding between Britain and Burma, I hope that it is not too much to request H.M.G. to send without delay either an all-party Parliamentary delegation or a Cabinet mission to investigate on the spot the real situation in
Hampstead, N.W.3. Representative in Britain of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League and the All-Burma
Youth League.
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