BURMA ARMY SOCIALISM EVER SINCE GENERAL NE WIN TOSSED BUMBLING PREMIER U 
NU OUT OF OFFICE LAST MARCH, THE ONLY THING THAT HAS 
KEPT HIM FROM RUSHING HEADLONG INTO A PROGRAM OF INDUSTRIAL NATIONALIZATION 
AND FARM COLLECTIVIZATION HAS BEEN THE INFLUENCE OF TOUGH, HANDSOME BRIGADIER 
AUNG GYI . LAST WEEK THE BRAKES WERE OFF . AFTER 
A LONG FEUD WITH LEFTIST MEMBERS IN THE 17-MAN REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL, 
AUNG GYI " MOST RESPECTFULLY " ASKED STRONGMAN NE WIN " 
TO RELIEVE ME OF THE VARIOUS DUTIES TO WHICH I HAVE 
BEEN ASSIGNED . " AS ARMY VICE CHIEF OF STAFF, MINISTER 
OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY, AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BURMA OIL CO., 
AUNG GYI WAS NE WIN'S NO . 2 MAN AND HEIR 
APPARENT . THE SON OF A WELL-TO-DO CHINESE TEXTILE MERCHANT AND 
A BURMESE WOMAN, HE PROVED HIMSELF A CANNY DIPLOMAT BOTH IN 
THE 1960 NEGOTIATIONS THAT FIXED BURMA'S BORDERS WITH RED CHINA AND 
IN LAST MONTH'S TALKS WITH JAPAN THAT PRODUCED $170 MILLION IN 
ADDITIONAL WORLD WAR II REPARATIONS AND LOANS . DESPITE HIS INSISTENCE 
THAT " I HAVE NO TRAINING IN ECONOMICS, / HE BUILT 
A MODEST ARMY PX-TYPE OPERATION INTO THE GIANT BURMA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 
CORP., RUNNING 34 FIRMS RANGING FROM BANKING TO FISHERIES AND TURNING 
HANDSOME PROFITS THAT IN SOME YEARS RAN AS HIGH AS $2,500,000 
. THOUGH HE INSISTED THAT HE HAD BEEN A SOCIALIST FOR 
20 YEARS AND INTENDED TO REMAIN ONE FOR 20 MORE, IN 
FACT, HE WAS A TOUGH-MINDED PRAGMATIST WHO OPENLY ADVOCATED COOPERATION WITH 
PRIVATE INDUSTRY . INEVITABLY, AUNG GYI'S GRADUALISM ANNOYED NE WIN, A 
SOLDIER WHO IS NO COMMUNIST BUT HAS VOWED TO SOCIALIZE BURMA 
AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE . AUNG GYI EARNED THE ENMITY OF 
BRIGADIER TIN PE, A MARXIST THEORIST AND A KEY MEMBER OF 
THE REVOLUTIONARY COUNCIL . FOR MONTHS, TIN PE PRESSED FOR A 
FASTER SWITCHOVER TO STATE CONTROL ; AUNG GYI'S DEPARTURE MEANS THAT 
TIN PE HAS FINALLY WON OUT . STRIPPED OF POWER, AUNG 
GYI, 43, FLEW OFF TO VOLUNTARY EXILE IN AN ISOLATED BURMESE 
VILLAGE NEAR THE BORDERS OF CHINA AND INDIA . AT LEAST 
FOUR HIGH-RANKING OFFICERS WHO SHARED HIS VIEWS WERE ARRESTED OR FORCED 
INTO RETIREMENT . WITH THE OPPOSITION OUT OF THE WAY, NE 
WIN DECLARED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD IMMEDIATELY TAKE OVER THE IMPORT 
AND EXPORT BUSINESS, THE RICE TRADE AND SOME PRIVATE INDUSTRIES . 
BURMA'S ECONOMY, SAID HE, WOULD NOW COME UNDER " TOTAL STATE 
CONTROL . / 