Burma Government - 1986

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Official name: Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma

Type: republic under 1974 constitution

Capital: Rangoon

Political subdivisions: seven divisions (predominantly Burman population) and seven states (based on ethnic minorities), subdivided into townships, village-tracts (rural), and wards (urban)

Legal system: People’s Justice system and People’s Courts instituted under 1974 constitution; legal education at Universities of Rangoon and Mandalay; has not accepted compulsory 1CJ jurisdiction

National holiday: Independence Day, 4 January

Branches: Council of State rules through a Council of Ministers; National Assembly (Pyithu Hiuttaw or People’s Congress) has legislative power

Government leader: U SAN YU, President and Chairman of Council of State (since November 1981)

Suffrage: universal over age 18

Elections: National Assembly and local People’s Councils elected in 1985

Political parties and leaders: government-sponsored Burma Socialist Program Party only legal party; U Ne Win party chairman

Communists: est. 15,000 (.primarily as an insurgent group on the northeast frontier)

Burma

Other political or pressure groups: Kachin Independence Army, Karen Nationalist Union, several Shan factions (all insurgent groups)

Member of: ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, 1FC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

NOTE: The information regarding Burma on this page is re-published from the 1986 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Burma 1986 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Burma 1986 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.