Translator’s Note
The following is a translation of a letter published by the armed wing of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), commemorating the 4th anniversary of its re-establishment. The CPB was supposedly dissolved in 1989, following a series of setbacks, including the mass suppression of the 8888 Uprising and ensuing takeover of the country by the so-called State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC), establishing a new period of military dictatorship. Until recently, the general perception of the CPB in the west was that it had been completely dissolved, and that its leaders and members had all either quit the Party completely, been killed, or fled (or were exiled) to neighboring China.
Rather, this letter, while celebrating the re-emergence of the PLA in 2021, in the wake of yet another military coup in the country, also clarifies that this perception of the Party’s history was incomplete. According to its authors, and relevant sources engaged in the struggle directly, the CPB never in fact disappeared; rather, the Party merely went underground, and remained active through clandestine activities. This further clarifies and supports statements made by student leaders who joined the PLA in 2021, who have mentioned in interviews that they joined the CPB/PLA due to previous interaction with Party organizers undertaking mass- and clandestine organizing activities.
Furthermore, this letter asserts in no uncertain terms the current situation in the ongoing Burmese Civil War, or, as the Party calls it, the People’s Armed Revolution. That is, further elaborating and clarifying reports that anti-junta forces, including the PLA, have now advanced into the Irrawaddy River Basin; a strategically vital region that is home to the key cities of Mandalay and Naypyidaw. With preliminary reports indicating that fighting is now ongoing around the city of Mandalay itself, the Burmese section of Asian Highway 1 (AH1), connecting Mandalay to Naypyidaw, and Naypyidaw to Yangon, may soon be the focal point of renewed offensives by both sides.
The PLA Will March Forward to Victory, Crossing Mountains of Swords and Seas of Fire
Letter by ဥဩချို on the 4th anniversary of the PLA
Source: PLA/CPB
Translation by the Socialist Information Network
“We have overcome great struggles in the past four years… Many Comrades have upheld the spirit of revolutionary heroism and sacrificed their lives for the people; we should pay tribute to these Comrades, and all of the martyrs of the People’s Army since the beginning of the people’s armed revolution in 1948… Our Party lived on, underground, after 1989. While we continued our revolutionary work underground, we also left armed resistance as an option. We secretly prepared for the re-emergence of the People’s Army for over a decade, foreseeing that a new high tide of the people would emerge. When the military coup of 2021 took place, that new high tide emerged as the popular uprising, as we expected. Moreover, according to the revolutionary ideology of the Party, which we have maintained for all these years, if the enemy oppresses with weapons, then the oppressed people of all ethnicities and classes will also defend themselves with weapons of their own: the outbreak of the 2021 revolution, when the people took up arms and began to fight back against the dictatorship all over the country. At the beginning of the 2021 revolution, on 15 March, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was born.
This is a success of the Party, the PLA, the Party’s underground Comrades, oppressed workers, farmers, students, urban poor, and revolutionary activists from the emerging bourgeoisie. This was our first achievement.
The second achievement is that we built ourselves up from nothing. The PLA relied on the oppressed people of Burma, and on the ethnic minorities who have rich experience in armed resistance; we began with no weapons, no experience, and no soldiers. Therefore, the emergence of the PLA as a revolutionary force with strength to fight against the dictatorship is a great achievement that has been made possible because we can rely on the people. As the saying goes, the PLA stands on the path of justice and truth.
Third, the PLA participated in the first wave of Operation 1027. Some Comrades made the ultimate sacrifice, and the PLA engaged the enemy in many battles across various military regions. The PLA was able to destroy enemy positions and seize much of their equipment. Enemy offensives became sources of greater support among the people, taking up weapons and ammunition seized from the enemy, relying only on the support donated by the people; we do not depend on anyone else. When we fight against the enemy, the resources we take from the enemy during each battle becomes our own, so that we can fight even harder against the enemy. Being able to fight against the enemy in this way is a service to the people and an achievement of the PLA.
Fourth, the Party taught us that fighting in the forest means relying on the people and relying on the land. The PLA has lived in the mountains and in the forests, but, most importantly, the PLA has the advantage of living in the hearts of the people. The PLA has developed the situation so that the People’s Army and the people themselves are united like fish in water; becoming an army that can feel the very heartbeat of the people. This is also a great achievement.
Fifth, during the past four years, the PLA has not had any major cases of malpractice or injustice against the people, and the PLA has not had any major cases of warlordism. This is a proud achievement. Despite decades of anti-Communist rhetoric from the capitalists and imperialists, the PLA has been met with warmth and affection by the people wherever it has gone. The PLA has thrived among the people in northern Shan State; the people of Sagaing Region have welcomed our Comrades returning from the front lines as warmly as their own children returning home to their villages; the people of Myingyan & Magway Regions have invited our Comrades to settle in their villages; people across the country have come to trust the PLA, to trust their children to join the PLA. When the PLA comes to them, they welcome us with flowers, and fill the streets with joy. When we journey out to return to the front, the people give us bags of rice without us asking for it; they throw the bags of rice into our vehicles so that we cannot deny them. It is heartening to know this from Comrades’ statements. This is another great achievement. It can be said that the PLA has strictly adhered to the Three Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention; the people see this reality. The people see who really fights for their interests, who really serves them, and who upholds their interests.
Sixth, the Comrades who join the PLA are from the oppressed classes… More people come from working class backgrounds than before; there are more children of the peasant class and revolutionary youth. They have realized that now, more than ever, that the PLA is the army of their own class. This success in building unity among the oppressed classes to fight against the dictatorship is also a great achievement of the PLA.
Seventh, the Party Central Committee and PLA Military Department have implemented clear actions. Now, most PLA troops have been deployed to the Great River Basin, as the Party has been planning for many years; our guns ring out from all sides, and our Comrades are standing strong. They have stood on their own feet, and upheld the military principles of the Party and the People’s Army. This is a great achievement in the pursuit of freedom and independence. Comrades! Struggle & success are twins. Success is only achieved through struggle. We have been through hard times, and made many achievements; but we are still in the middle of the revolution, and the revolution must continue to the very end. We will fight until the end. On the journey ahead, we will need weapons, ammunition, food, and medicine. There are many struggles ahead for us to face, but we will see how tough they really are.
As stated in the message from the Party Central Committee for the fourth birthday of the PLA, we must not be arrogant about our victories. We cannot be arrogant until we have won. Rather, we must continue forward step by step, with a humble heart and a hard working spirit. As instructed by the Central Committee, we should plan according to the real situation and implement the Party’s plans.
Comrades! Keep smashing the enemy. Let’s march onwards to victory, with the spirit of crossing mountains of swords and seas of fire.”