Editing Myanmar (section)

=== Independence (1948–1962) ===
{{main|Post-independence Burma (1948–1962)}}{{See also|Independence Day (Myanmar)}}
On 4 January 1948, the nation became an independent republic, under the terms of the [[Burma Independence Act 1947]]. The new country was named the ''Union of Burma'', with [[Sao Shwe Thaik]] as its first president and [[U Nu]] as its first prime minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, Burma did not become a member of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]]. A [[bicameral]] parliament was formed, consisting of a [[Chamber of Deputies (Burma)|Chamber of Deputies]] and a [[Chamber of Nationalities]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.dvb.no/e_docs/511947_con.htm|title=The Constitution of the Union of Burma|access-date=7 July 2006|year=1947|publisher=DVB| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615072018/http://english.dvb.no/e_docs/511947_con.htm|archive-date=15 June 2006}}</ref> and [[multi-party]] elections were held in [[1951–52 Burmese general election|1951–1952]], [[1956 Burmese general election|1956]] and [[1960 Burmese general election|1960]].

The geographical area Burma encompasses today can be traced to the [[Panglong Agreement]], which combined Burma Proper, which consisted of Lower Burma and Upper Burma, and the Frontier Areas, which had been administered separately by the British.<ref>{{cite book |first=Martin |last=Smith |year=1991 |title=Burma -Insurgency and the Politics of Ethnicity |publisher=Zed Books |location=London and New Jersey |pages=42–43}}</ref>

In 1961, [[U Thant]], the Union of Burma's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former secretary to the prime minister, was elected [[Secretary-General of the United Nations]], a position he held for ten years.<ref>{{cite journal|volume=14|issue=9|url=http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7610
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314141301/http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7610
|archive-date=14 March 2012
|author=Zaw, Aung
|title=Can Another Asian Fill U Thant's Shoes?|journal=The Irrawaddy |date=September 2006}}</ref>

When the non-Burman ethnic groups pushed for autonomy or federalism, alongside having a weak civilian government at the centre, the military leadership staged a coup d'état in 1962. Though incorporated in the 1947 Constitution, successive military governments construed the use of the term '[[federalism]]' as being anti-national, anti-unity and pro-disintegration.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-united-states-of-myanmar/article18525853.ece |title=The united states of Myanmar? |newspaper=The Hindu |date=23 May 2017 |access-date=9 September 2017 |last1=Kipgen |first1=Nehginpao |archive-date=13 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613230526/https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-united-states-of-myanmar/article18525853.ece |url-status=live }}</ref>