DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
Date: 8/15/49
SUBJECT: Burmese Foreign Minister's Call on the Secretary
PARTICIPANTS: U e Maung, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Union of Burma U So Nyun, Ambassador of Burma Mr. Dean Acheson - Secretary of State Mr. George C. McGhee, Assistant Secretary Mr. R. E. Usher, SOA
COPIES TO: S NEA SOA S/P - Mr. Joyce AMEMBASSY, RANGOON
U E Maung, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Burma called on me on the morning of August 15. He was accompanied by the Ambassador of Burma to the United States. I said I was glad the Foreign Minister had come to visit us and remarked that his visit was to be short. He said it was necessary for him to be in London during the week of August 21 to 27 in order to confer with officers of the British Government, including Bevin, Cripps and General Alexander, who had been out of the country during his previous visit there. He observed, however, that he would return to attend the September session of the United Nations General Assembly. He expects significant questions to arise concerning which he would make decisions on the spot.
I asked the Foreign Minister whether he considers that the current situation in China presents serious problems for Burma. He replied that he does and that it is because of these that he plans to attend the General Assembly session. He expects that, after the Chinese Communists have succeeded in establishing a Government in China, they will make claim to Burmese territory extending down as far as Shwegoo.
I asked the Foreign Minister whether he expects Chinese Communist pressure to be primarily in the nature of aggression from the outside or whether it would be exerted through internal subversion.
He replied that the pressure would be from both directions. He explained that although Burma's domestic Communists are not very strong now, they would be greatly encouraged and their local prestige would be increased by a threat of imminent Chinese Communist aggression. He said that he would also like to point out that there is considerable danger or Communist penetration from across the Indo-Chinese border east of Kengtung.
I asked the Foreign Minister how he thinks the Bao Dai experiment in Indo- China will work out. He replied that he hopes the experiment will succeed but that we would have to wait and see what develops. I said that I was very glad to have this expression of his opinion.
I then referred to the Foreign Minister's legal background and to the studies that the Burmese had made of our Constitution. During this discussion the Foreign Minister said that he looks forward to the day when he can resume his place on the Union of Burma Supreme Court.
MEA:SOA:REUsher:sha