Communist Party

The Communist Party (Burma), sometimes referred to as the Red Flag Communist Party (; 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 1970s, the party lost influence and was militarily defeated by 1978. Split 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. Red Flag vs. White Flag The party was labelled the 'Red Flag Communist Party' (as opposed to the 'White Flag Communist Party', i.e. the main Communist Party of Burma) due to the colour of their armbands. Whilst the White Flag Communist Party employed a popular front line of working within the framework of the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League, the Red Flag Communist Party denounced co-operation with non-communist forces. Instead the party called for direct armed confrontation with the British as a means to achieve independence. The Red Flag Communist Party was significantly smaller than the White Flag Communist Party. Thakin Than Tun described the positions of the Red Flag Communist Party as 'left adventurism'.