Towards the West

When a quiet man speaks forcefully, his words carry twice the weight. Fortnight ago a quiet man, Burma's ex-Premier U Nu, spoke with decided feeling: "Our main problem arises from the existence of those inside the country who have no compunction about playing the part of stooges, spies, fifth columnists and veritable sons of bitches for distant aunts."

His Rangoon audience on Burma's Martyrs' Day did not need to ask U Nu who the distant aunts were--the Communists. And though U Nu no longer leads his country's government (he resigned two months ago), he is still first in the hearts of his countrymen. The words of this leading apostle of Southeast Asia neutralism reflected his country's growing disillusionment with Communism.

The turning point was last spring's elections, in which Communist China spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Burmese Communists win 40 seats from U Nu's ruling Socialists. "Interference of the most brazen kind," a top Burmese neutralist called it. The Burmese have also had their business disenchantments with their cynical Communist trading partners. Despite fine promises of the latest machinery and steel, all the Russians ever sent them in barter for their rice was cement--so much cement that all Rangoon could not hold it. and vast quantities of it were ruined on the docks by monsoon rains (TIME, May 21). Most insulting of all, the Russians and Chinese began selling off their Burmese rice in Burma's own best markets. Said U Nu bitterly last month: "Anybody who goes into a barter deal when he could have a cash deal is crazy." The experience has not diminished Bur ma's determination -- as a small country with a thousand-mile Chinese border -- to stick to official neutralism, but Burma is now becoming neutral against the Com munists. Already Premier Ba Swe's gov ernment has reversed Burma's decision of three years ago to refuse all economic and technical aid from the U.S. The gov ernment has hired a Chicago manage ment firm to help reorganize its bureauc racy. The U.S. has recently agreed to send technicians to Burma to advise on indus trial development in return for $1,000,000 worth of Burmese rice to ease Pakistan's current food shortage. Last week the two governments were discussing a $25 million longterm, low-interest U.S. development loan. A new current is running in Burma, this time towards the West.

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