Body Politics

The man who for a decade sought to bring peace to the world was denied it in death. The funeral of former U.N. Secretary-General U Thant, who died in New York City on Nov. 25, last week erupted into a violent rebellion in Rangoon, Burma's capital. Rioting students, monks and workers clashed with government troops in a bizarre battle over Thant's final resting place. At week's end martial law was imposed in an effort to resolve the tense situation.

The fighting began when Thant's body was being escorted to a modest private burial service in a small family mausoleum in Rangoon's Kyandaw Cemetery. Probably because Thant had been a political ally of Premier U Nu, who was overthrown in a 1962 coup by President Ne Win, the current regime was trying to inter him with a minimum of fanfare. But the city's volatile students, who apparently wanted a more imposing burial site for their distinguished countryman, abducted the body on the way to the mausoleum. Along with antigovernment Buddhist monks, they paraded it through Rangoon's crowded streets to the university, where a special mausoleum had been hastily constructed.

Angry Crowd. While Thant's family pleaded for the return of the body, the city government promised to build a suitable mausoleum near the renowned Shwe Dagon pagoda. Before an agreement could be reached, however, Burmese troops and police unexpectedly stormed the campus and recovered the body. Their action led to riots throughout the capital. An angry crowd of 3,000 destroyed a police station; the Ministry of Cooperatives and two movie theaters were wrecked. Police opened fire in response. Although the government claimed that nine rioters had been killed, some reports indicated that there were many more dead and that hospitals were filling up with wounded. As martial law was imposed, heavily armed troops stood guard at government offices while dissidents were being arrested.

Though Thant's burial precipitated the disturbances, discontent in Burma has been smoldering for months. Monks in the devoutly Buddhist country have long resented the autocratic Premier Ne Win's efforts to reduce their power and influence. Students and workers, unhappy about economic stagnation and the government's repressive policies, are natural allies of the monks. Last June, rioting led by longshoremen and factory workers left at least 22 dead in Rangoon's streets. The latest disturbances were at least as serious. More ominous is the fact that tensions are bound to continue even after the battle for U Thant's body is over.

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