__,, -�, / a ' ' ' '• ' ,,, '.' • • , •l' •• - '"' ,- "'Ji"' ' " ' ' - ' ·Iii! " ' -� ,.._ � ' m " � 'Iii, "SWI , � � ml ' ' • • ,t·P0;. "' '" . • ' i' • MEMOIRS OF THE FOUR-FOOT COLONEL THE CORNELL UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST ASIA PROGRAM The Southeast Asia Program was organized at Cornell University in the Department of Far Eastern Studies in 1950. It is a teaching and research program of interdisciplinary studies in the humanities, social sciences, and some natural sciences. It deals with Southeast Asia as a region, and with the individual countries of the area: Brunei, Burma, Indonesia, Kampuchea, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The activities of the Program are carried on both at Cornell and in Southeast Asia. They include an undergraduate and graduate curriculum at Cornell which provides instruction by specialists in Southeast Asian cultural history and present-day affairs and offers intensive training in each of the major languages of the area. The Program sponsors group research projects on Thailand, on Indonesia, on the Philippines, and on linguistic studies of the languages of the area. At the same time, indi­ vidual staff and students of the Program have done field research in every Southeast Asian country. A list of publications relating to Southeast Asia which may be obtained on prepaid order directly from the Program is given at the end of this volume. Information on Program staff, fellowships, requirements for degrees, and current course offerings is obtainable from the Director, Southeast Asia Program, 120 Uris Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853. ii MEMOIRS OF THE FOUR-FOOT COLONEL by Gen. Smith Dun First Commander-in-Chief of Independent _sBurma's Armed Forces Data Paper: Number 113 Southeast Asia Program Department of Asian Studies Cornell University, Ithaca, New York • May 1980 ••• Ill Editorial Board Benedict Anderson George Kahin Stanley O'Connor Keith Taylor Oliver Wolters Cornell Southeast Asia Program Publications 640 Stewart Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14850-3857 Data Paper Series No. 113 © 1980, Cornell Southeast Asia Program. Published in 1980. Second Printing 2004. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the CornellSoutheast Asia Program. Printed in the United States of America ISBN 0-87727-113-5 CONTENTS Page PREFACE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • vii MAP. BURMA: CIRCA 1945 •...•.•.......•••......•.•.••..•.••..••••.••••· viii INTRODUCTION .....•.......•..••..•••....••...•••..•...••••.•••.•••...•• IX FOREWORD BY GENERAL D. T. COWAN •.•.•••.••••••••.••.•••••••.•.••••. • • AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION .....•...•••••.••••.••••.••••••••••••••.••..••. Chapter 1. BACKGROUN·D • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Origin of the Karens . •. .• . •. • •. •• •. • • • . • • • • •• • •• • •. •• • • • •• •• • • 1 Characteristics of the Karens .•.•.•.•••••.•. •· . • •• • • ••. .• • • .• • •. 4 Book Tradition ....................................·............. 5 2. EARLY LIFE OF THE FOUR-FOOT COLONEL •. •. • •. •• . .• •. • •. •• . 8 Village School .. .. • . .. •. • ••.. •. •. .. • .. .. • .. • ...• . 8 Government High School . .• . • •. •. • . •• •. • • • • •. • . • •• . • •. .• .• • •• . 9 3. A VISIT TO ENGLAND: SERVICE IN THE RANKS: THE INDIAN MILITARY ACADEMY ... • •• • •• . .. •. .• . • • •• • • • •• . •. • •. • .• • •• • •• • •. 11 Indian Military Academy . •• •. • •• • •• . •. .•.• • • •• • • •• . • •• •.• .• •• • 12 The Rivers Family . .. • • .• • • •• . ••. ..•. • • • • ••.•. •• • •• •• • •• • •• •• 13 Indian Military Academy •• • .• • • •• • •• • • • • • • ••.••••• • • •. •• . • • • •• •. 13 4. POST GRADUATE TRAINING ••. • •• •• • • • • • •. ••• .• • • •• • • •• .• . • • •• • • 21 A Year with the British Unit .•••.•· .•.•••••....••..•..•••.••.•••• 21 2nd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment •.• • • .•.. •• .• •• •• . • .• • •. •• .• 21 Burma Military Police •••.•...•••••••••••••·••• •. • •• .• • • •• . •..• •• • 23 5. EVACUATION OF RANGOON •. • • • • •• •• • • • • •. •. • .• •• .• •• .. • • •. .• • 24 Early Desertion of Karens in B •M. P. • . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 25 To the Ava Bridge .•.•.......•..•..•••.•..•...•.••..•.•. ·•• . •. 26 At Taungd win gyi .· . .• . .. .. .. •. .· . .. .. .. .. .• . .. •... 27 6. WITHDRAWAL FROM SAGAING, KALEWA, TO IMPHAL .. • •••••• •• • • 29 7. STAFF COLLEGE QUETTA, _REJOIN 17TH DIV., CHIEF LIAISON OFFICER IN BURMA INTELLIGENCE CORPS •••.• •. .• • •• • • •• • •• • • •. 35 8. REORGANIZATION, TRAINING AT MHOW, CENTRAL INDIA •• •• • •• 47 9. POSTED TO 7TH DIV., REOCCUPATION OF BURMA • • •• • •• • • •• •••. 48 10. CAREER WITH POSTWAR BURMA ARMY TO SELF-IMPOSED EXILE, KACHIN STATE •... •• •• •• . • . •. • .• . • • • • •. • . • ••. •. .• •.• • •. • 51 Self-Imposed Exile .............................................. 54 V Chapter Page 11. THE BURMAN-KAREN TROUBLES • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 60 The B urmans' Point of View • • • • • • • •••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••••• 60 The Karens' Point of View • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •••••• 63 Insein • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••••• 70 12. THE KAREN STATE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 79 Notes by the Author • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 89 13. THE KAREN SOLDIER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 94 World War I • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 104 Karen Levies •...........•.•.. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••• • • • • • • • • • •••••••• 107 The Unknown Karen Soldiers •••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •••••• 112 Martial or Non-Martial Race ••• • • . � . ••• • • • • • 114 14. DUN THE SHIKARI . � . 117 Last Shoot with Colonel Coleridge • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 120 15. GOD'S CARE AND GUIDING HANDS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 123 16. CONCLUSION • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 126 PREFACE Memoirs, whether of those in high place or low, are prime sources for the detail and color which flesh out the spare frame of history, bringing to it that sense of human vitality so necessary for real understanding. Smith Dun was one of those who rose to high place indeed--from Karen farm boy to Commander-in-Chief of the army of Burma in little more than the first half of his life. His memoirs, filled with color_n and humor, give us an account of the struggle for Burmese independence which is unique. As a Karen himself he provides us with special understanding of both the Karen peoples and that difficult period of Karen rebellion following inde­ pendence. His story is without guile or bias. With keen appreciation of his Karen-ness he yet remained a loyal soldier of B urnia throughout his life. Editing of these ·memoirs has been limited to questions of clarity in order to preserve as fully as ·possible the vivid flavor of Smith Dun's English style. The author included many lengthy quotations and, although some of them are not otherwise inaccessible, they acquire new significance in the context of this story; these have been identified and cited in so far as possible . The Southeast Asia Program is pleased and honored to have the oppor­ tunity to make available these memoirs of a most important period of Bur­ mese history written by one of its chief protagonists--the Four-Foot Colonel. Robert B . Jones •• Vll , .,· · -· .,-✓- { { \ I I I. I • Koni1r1a. / - - - ,, • .1 ll'Aflha¼ I i .i .(' r, -· ,- I \. ... ...,_.'\ ."'"-; f I ' I ..,,<; I • • I I I I I '- NORTME"RN - •� .PLA•hio • ., ;( HilJ.s ', r-..,, I <( :� ) Hi;;.,AN STATES i' • • I I '. ' \ I ! , �� I NPALAV , ....i _.,. ,,,.. sou(TME"llN / - --�'�w,� r · ,.-·( 3 H ,,.. N S T A T Ill 5 r•_) 'r--· ! t\ 1,1"- _,,._. �- \• �� r ,.,! \.,! ·""'·--- �- '-·- _ _,,,. u-"\ \ KAUNl'/1i \ I I �-- �-\ \ ·, ..> '-\ '"'\ -z.t_,. � 7 -., . I "· 011&1111CJ'1 • - \,'": -;. ,.) I i ) { �,\ \.·,. •Ta.v01 °'.', \...... 11'1 ....., ..!:8'!:Mttl(C)I( l. -� ....., I' 7' ·"'\ l G tt LI' ol 0 s• 100 100 0 0 BURMA: CIRCA 1945 • Vlll... INTRODUCTION General Smith Dun died in 1979 in Kalaw, Shan State, Burma. Born on Novem­ ber 11, 1906 in the Irrawaddy Delta, he was virtually a forgotten figure in contem­ porary Burmese history, if not in the minds of many of his older countrymen. The general lived in quiet retirement for thirty years in Maymyo, Myitkyina, and Kalaw. His tranquil life and intentional obscurity from the public masked strongly held views on the state of Burma and its· directions. His reluctance to resume a public posture was in the best traditions of the military education he received and the rank he held. He was a good and loyal soldier of the Union of Burma. General Smith Dun's critical role in Burmese history was a product neither of his military exploits nor of the important position he held as Commander-in-Chief of