Bo Let Ya
Bo Let Ya (Burmese: ဗိုလ်လက်ျာ, pronounced [bò lɛʔ jà]; also spelt Bo Letya; born Hla Pe; 30 August 1911 – 29 November 1978) was a Burmese military officer and a member of the legendary Thirty Comrades who fought for Burma's independence from Britain. He also served as the 2nd Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Union of Burma (now Myanmar) and Deputy Prime Minister of Burma.
Bo Let Ya | |
|---|---|
| ဗိုလ်လက်ျာ | |
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| Minister of Defence of Burma[1] | |
| In office 1 August 1947 – 13 September 1948 | |
| Preceded by | Aung San (Defense Consultant Officer) |
| Succeeded by | U Nu |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Burma | |
| In office 1947–1952 | |
| Preceded by | Aung San |
| Commander in Chief of the Burma Defence Army | |
| In office 1947–1948 | |
| Preceded by | Aung San |
| Succeeded by | Smith Dun |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hla Pe (လှဖေ) 30 August 1911 Pyinmana, British Burma |
| Died | 29 November 1978 (aged 67) |
| Nationality | Burmese |
| Political party | Dobama Asiayone AFPFL Communist Party of Burma Parliamentary Democracy Party |
| Occupation | Army officer, Statesman |
| Awards | Independence Mawgunwin (First Class) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Burma |
| Branch/service | Burma National Army |
| Rank | Major General |
Early life
He attended Myoma High School in Rangoon.[2]
Career
During the Second World War he was Chief of Staff of the Burma Defence Army (1942-1943) and as Deputy Minister of War in the Japanese puppet-state, the State of Burma (1943-1945). After the war, he replaced Aung San as Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister when the latter was assassinated on 19 July 1947. He was later made to resign from the post by AFPFL Government. He was involved in the 1947 Let Ya-Freeman Agreement.[2] He also founded the Patriotic Burmese Army in 1969, an exile rebel army based in Thailand. During the 1950s and 1960s, following his resignation from his political and military posts, he founded Martaban Fisheries and became a millionaire businessman.[3]
Throughout his career, he served the following posts:[3]
- Deputy Minister of War Affairs (1943–1945)
- Defence Councillor (July 1947 – 1948)
- Deputy Prime Minister (January 1948 – 1952)
- Minister of Defence
Following the 1962 coup d'état, Bo Let Ya was imprisoned by the Union Revolutionary Council from 1963 to 1965.
Death
On 29 November 1978, he was killed by Karen troops during a battle following a split in the Karen National Union's leadership.[3]
References
- "ကာကွယ်ရေးဝန်ကြီးဌာန". Myanmar National Portal. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019.
- Seekins, Donald M. (2006). Historical Dictionary of Burma (Myanmar). Scarecrow Press. pp. 267–268. ISBN 9780810854765.
- Zöllner, Hans-Bernd (2008). "Material on Two Political Dictionaries" (PDF). Working Paper No. 10:13. Universität Passau. ISSN 1435-5310. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-14.