The Man Who Declined to Become Myanmar's First President

Whether in global or Myanmar politics, throughout history, positions and power have always been objects of desire. The wars and human casualties caused by the pursuit of power and positions are clearly evident in history.

In today's world, even for a position as modest as ward administrator, people spend hundreds of thousands. However, while there are those who crave positions and power, not everyone does. There have been many who refused power and positions. It's truly remarkable that in Myanmar's history, there was someone who declined the position of becoming the country's first president after independence. This is indeed an astonishing fact.

In 1947, General Aung San himself had chosen someone to be elevated as the president of Myanmar once independence was achieved. This person was Sao Khun Pan Sein, the Sawbwa (chief) of Taunggyi.

So who was Sao Khun Pan Sein, the Taunggyi Sawbwa chosen by General Aung San himself? How did he fit into the true historical narrative? And why did General Aung San choose him to be elevated as president? This becomes an interesting true story in Myanmar's history that few people know about.

Who Was Sao Khun Pan Sein

The Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein wasn't ethnically Shan. He was Palaung (also known as Ta'ang). The Palaung people belong to the Mon-Burmese ethnic group. Historians believe that the Palaung people entered Myanmar through three different routes around 100 BC.

In 1867, the Palaung Sawbwa Khun Mein established the city of Namhsan. From Sawbwa Khun Mein to Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein, there were seven generations of Palaung Sawbwas.

Sao Khun Pan was born in Namhsan to father Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Saing Aum and mother Han Saing. When he came of age, he attended what is now State High School No. 2 in Taunggyi. In 1916, at the age of 22, he became the Kyemmong (heir apparent) of Taunggyi state. As Kyemmong, he assisted his father in administrative matters.

After serving as Kyemmong for 10 years, when he reached the age of 32, his father Sawbwa Sao Khun Saing Aum passed away. At that time, Sao Khun Pan Sein, who was trusted by the people both traditionally and based on his capabilities, succeeded his father and became the Sawbwa of Taunggyi.

Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein had an imposing appearance. He was respected by the local people. By lineage, he descended from the traditional ruling Sawbwa family of Shan State, and he was also well-educated. He got along well with others and led initiatives for the benefit of the state.

When the British colonized Myanmar, the Sawbwas were allowed to administer their own territories under British rule. During the Japanese period in 1942, the Japanese also assigned Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein to administer the Taunggyi region. In 1944, during the Japanese period, he became a parliamentary representative consultant for the Kambawza region (Shan State).

In 1945, as world affairs changed with World War II, the political situation in Myanmar also transformed. The Myanmar people were striving hard for independence. On November 6, 1945, Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein and Momeik Sawbwa Sao Khun Kyo demanded self-administration for Shan State from the British. On January 1, 1946, they also held discussions to plan for the future of Shan State. When the Panglong Conference was held in Panglong in February 1947, Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein was also in attendance.

General Aung San's Idea

In 1947-48, Myanmar was enthusiastically working towards liberation from British rule. It could be said that the dawn of independence was breaking.

On February 8, 1947, General Aung San and his colleagues arrived in Panglong, Shan State, for the Panglong Conference. The next day, February 9, General Aung San delivered a speech at the conference. After that day's meeting, General Aung San asked U Phay Khin, "What do you think about giving the first presidency to a Shan national? Would that be good?"

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ဒီကိုနှိပ်ပါ

U Phay Khin was a Shan public representative who later became an ambassador. U Phay Khin told General Aung San that Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein would be suitable for the presidency. General Aung San suggested approaching the Sawbwa to gauge his interest. He seemed interested in assessing the Sawbwa himself. Therefore, when U Phay Khin suggested inviting the Sawbwa for dinner, General Aung San agreed.

Declining the Presidency

U Phay Khin went to meet Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein to extend the dinner invitation. When he arrived, he had a private conversation with the Sawbwa and broached the subject of the presidency.

The Taunggyi Sawbwa laughed and responded, "Please don't, Ko Phay Khin. It would be like being imprisoned in the presidential palace." He also mentioned that there were more senior Sawbwas than him. If General Aung San wanted to elevate a Shan person as president, the Sawbwa suggested it would be better to have the Shan Sawbwas consult among themselves and select an appropriate person by consensus.

Regarding the dinner invitation, since General Aung San and his colleagues were visitors to Shan State, the Sawbwa insisted that as the host, he should be the one inviting them for dinner. He then extended an invitation to General Aung San and U Phay Khin.

The next day at noon, General Aung San and U Phay Khin went to the Taunggyi Sawbwa's house for dinner. When they arrived, they found the Hsipaw Sawbwa was also present. It was apparent that the Taunggyi Sawbwa had already informed the Hsipaw Sawbwa about General Aung San's desire to elevate a Shan person as president.

Regarding the presidential selection, both Sawbwas expressed to General Aung San that whoever he chose as president should be selected by consensus. Both Sawbwas showed their preference for elevating Nyaungshwe Sawbwa Sao Shwe Thaike as president.

The Panglong Conference continued. During the conference, the Shan Sawbwas dissolved the British-influenced Shan State Council of Chiefs. Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein himself signed and telegraphed this decision to the British. Then, deciding to seek independence together with mainland Burma, he had the news broadcast on Myanmar Radio that very night. This was an open defiance of British colonial authority. That day (February 7) has now become Shan National Day.

On February 12, 1947, the historic Panglong Agreement was signed in Panglong, Shan State. Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein was among the signatories.

After the Panglong Conference, when Nyaungshwe Sawbwa Sao Shwe Thaike (who would become Myanmar's first president) and U Htun Myint (from Taunggyi) visited General Aung San's house in Yangon, General Aung San asked, "Sawbwa, I'm thinking of making a Shan national the first president of our independent Myanmar. What do you think about the Taunggyi Sawbwa (Sao Khun Pan Sein)?"

This shows that even though Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein had declined the presidency, General Aung San was still reluctant to let go of the idea.

The Aftermath

On July 19, 1947, General Aung San and other martyrs were assassinated. U Nu took leadership of the AFPFL organization that General Aung San had led.

After General Aung San's death, the matter of selecting Taunggyi Sawbwa as president changed. The Taunggyi Sawbwa's third Mahadevi (queen) Daw Khin May May was of mixed European descent, which led to his being passed over for the presidency.

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It's worth considering that during this period, not only Myanmar but the whole world was in a struggle between colonial and fascist systems. People of small colonized nations that had been under colonial rule for hundreds of years had strong nationalist sentiments.

Instead of the Taunggyi Sawbwa, Nyaungshwe Sawbwa Sao Shwe Thaike was chosen as president by popular consensus among the Shan people. The Constituent Assembly elected Nyaungshwe Sawbwa as president on September 25, 1947.

Although Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein didn't become president, he was elected as a representative to the Constituent Assembly. He was also elected as an ethnic minority parliamentary representative in the 1952, 1956, and 1960 elections. After independence, when AFPFL split into Clean and Stable factions, the Sawbwa supported the Stable AFPFL. In 1959, along with other Sawbwas, he relinquished his Sawbwa powers.

Afterwards, the Sawbwa served as a government representative director on the board of Namtu Mines Burma Corporation and as a member of the Union Industrial Handicraft Enterprise Tea Production. For his service to the nation, Taunggyi Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein was awarded the title of "Maha Thray Sithu" by the state on Independence Day in 1958.

Thus, the Taunggyi Sawbwa who declined Myanmar's first presidency passed away in 1975 at the age of 81.

Though Sawbwa Sao Khun Pan Sein has passed away, his legacy as someone who didn't crave power, was willing to relinquish it, and respected democratic principles hasn't faded. His mindset of accepting only what he deserved and respecting the will of the people truly remains worthy of emulation.

By Han Thit Ein (Y3A)

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