title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In 2017, the Taiwanese Constitutional Court, also known as the Judicial Yuan, issued "J.Y. Interpretation No. 748", which stated that Article 7 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. The ruling stated that "the five classifications of impermissible discrimination set forth in Article 7 of the Constitution are only exemplified, neither enumerated nor exhausted. Therefore, different treatments based on other classifications, such as disability or sexual orientation, shall also be governed by the right to equality under the said Article."


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In 2002, transgender activist Tsai Ya-ting unsuccessfully petitioned the Presidential office to allow her to use a photo that represented her actual appearance on her National Identification Card.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In 2008, the Ministry of the Interior stipulated in an executive order that transgender and intersex people must undergo sex reassignment surgery in order to change their legal gender on personal documents. Plans to remove the surgery requirement were discussed in late 2014, but were not implemented. In October 2019, a transgender woman attempted to change the designated gender on her national identification card. Her local household registration office refused the request, as she had only provided diagnostic evidence of gender dysphoria, and no evidence of sex reassignment surgery. An appeal to her local government was unsuccessful. The Taipei High Administrative Court ruled on the case in September 2021, permitting her gender to be listed as female without evidence of sex reassignment surgery. The Taipei High Administrative Court issued the decision based on the Constitution, which guarantees all freedoms and rights that are not detrimental to social order or public welfare. In addition, the court cited previous legal interpretations that concluded all limitations on people's rights must be enumerated in a specific law.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In August 2013, Taiwanese authorities accepted a request for the country's first transgender marriage, after initially questioning the couple's gender.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In August 2016, Audrey Tang, a top software programmer, was appointed by the Tsai Administration to the Cabinet and became the first transgender minister of Taiwan. Her role as the Minister without portfolio (i.e. heading no particular ministry) deals with helping government agencies communicate policy goals and managing government-published information, both via digital means.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In January 2018, it was announced that plans to introduce a third gender option on identification documents, such as passports and the National Identification cards, would be implemented in the near future. In November 2018, Chen Mei-ling, the Minister of the National Development Council, announced that these plans will come into effect in 2020.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: A 2020 survey found that 55% of transgender Taiwanese were afraid of using a public restroom, 19% had been harassed or attacked in public, and 16% were afraid to ask a police officer for help.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: On 13 May 2016, the Health Bureau of the Taichung City Government announced that medical institutions in Taichung are prohibited from engaging in conversion therapy. According to Shader Liu, a member of Taichung's Gender Equality Committee, any group – medical, civil or religious – that practices it is violating the "Physicians Act" () and the "Psychologists Act" (), respectively. The committee made a request to the Ministry of Health and Welfare to make the new rule applicable nationwide, so as to eliminate the practice.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: On 30 December 2016, the Ministry of Health and Welfare announced that it would draft an amendment to the "Physicians Act" to prohibit conversion therapy. The Taiwanese Society of Psychiatry and human rights groups recommended that conversion therapy be banned. Members of the public had the opportunity to offer their opinions on the draft amendment for 60 days, after which the Ministry would issue regulations. The regulations were expected to bypass Parliament in late January 2017 and take effect in March 2017. According to the "Physicians Act", doctors who engage in prohibited treatments are subject to fines of between NT$100,000 (US$3,095) to NT$500,000 (US$15,850) and may be suspended for one month to one year. However, the proposed regulations were stalled by fierce resistance from anti-LGBT groups.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: Instead of pushing ahead legal amendments or new regulations, on 22 February 2018, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued a letter to all local health authorities, which effectively banned conversion therapy. In the letter, the Ministry states that sexual orientation conversion is not regarded as a legitimate healthcare practice and that any individual performing the so-called therapy is liable to prosecution under the Criminal Code or the "Protection of Children and Youths Welfare and Rights Act" (), depending on the circumstances.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In December 2016, the Center for Disease Control announced that it would lift the lifelong ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood. The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation commented that other exclusion criteria provided adequate safeguards against unsafe blood.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In March 2018, the Government gazetted, for a two-month public consultation, amendments to the "Standards on Assessing Donor Suitability for Blood Donation" that included allowing gay and bisexual men who have not had sex with another man for five years to donate blood. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare said that the abstinence period would be further reduced to one year in the future, so as to bring the Taiwanese standard in line with Western countries.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: Since 2018, Taiwan has permitted gay and bisexual men to donate blood following five years of abstinence from sex.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: On 1 November 2003, Taiwan Pride, the first LGBT pride parade in the Chinese-speaking world, was held in Taipei, with over 1,000 people attending. It has taken place annually since then. In the early years, many participants wore masks to hide their identity because homosexuality remained a social taboo in Taiwan. This has gradually changed over the years. The 2010 parade attracted 30,000 attendees and increased media and political attention, highlighting the growing acceptance of LGBT people in Taiwan. Since 2010, there has also been a pride parade in Kaohsiung; the first pride in the city attracted over 2,000 people. The city of Taichung also holds pride parades, with the 2016 one attracting a crowd of 20,000 people. The 2017 Taiwan Pride parade was attended by an estimated 123,000 people. The 2018 parade was attended by 137,000 people.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: Representations of LGBT people in literary and cinematic works are also instrumental in promoting public awareness of LGBT people and advancing LGBT rights in Taiwan. In the 1970s, some novels regarding homosexuality were published. One of the most prominent writers is Pai Hsien-yung, who introduced gay characters in his novels, the most famous being "Crystal Boys". More recently, some gay TV series and movies have been produced and have gained great attention among gay communities in both Taiwan and China. Examples include the TV series "Crystal Boys", adapted from Pai Hsien-yung's novel by the same title, and the movie "Formula 17". In 2005, Taiwanese director, Ang Lee, directed the gay Western film "Brokeback Mountain", receiving high critical acclaim and Academy Awards. "Spider Lilies", a lesbian film directed by Zero Chou, was screened at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival. It won the Teddy Award for best gay feature film.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: LGBT people in Taiwan generally have strong, supportive social networks, though many still face difficulty being accepted by family members due to the pervasive "traditional family values" that still exist in Taiwanese culture. In the days following the same-sex marriage referendum, suicide hotlines saw a 40% increase among LGBT people, especially youth.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: Tu'er Shen (兔兒神), also known as the Rabbit God (兔神), is the Taoist (Chinese folk religion) matchmaker god for homosexual relations, and is a deity of homosexual love. In 2006, Lu Wei-ming founded a temple for Tu'er Shen in Yonghe District in New Taipei City. About 9,000 gay pilgrims visit the temple each year for praying, particularly for a partner. The temple also performs marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples. It is the world's only religious shrine for gay individuals.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: A poll of 6,439 adults released in April 2006 by the National Union of Taiwan Women's Association/Constitutional Reform Alliance concluded that 75% believed "homosexual relations are acceptable", while 25% thought "they are unacceptable".


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: A 2013 online poll showed that 53% of Taiwanese supported same-sex marriage. According to the online poll, 76% were in favor of equal rights for gays and lesbians.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In May 2015, PlanetRomeo, an LGBT social network, published its first Gay Happiness Index (GHI). Gay men from over 120 countries were asked about how they feel about society's view on homosexuality, how they experience the way they are treated by other people and how satisfied they are with their lives. Taiwan was ranked 34th with a GHI score of 54.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: A 2015 online poll showed that 59% of respondents approved legislation allowing same-sex couples to establish "marriage-like" relations, with 75% supporting same-sex marriage.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: An opinion poll conducted face-to-face in January–May 2020 by Taiwan's Election and Democratization Survey found that 43% of respondents supported same-sex marriage, while 57% were opposed.


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: In May 2020 a coalition of five LGBT organizations under the name Equal Love Taiwan conducted a poll. 92.8% of the respondents weren't affected by the legalization of same-sex marriage, 3.7% said they were affected negatively because of it and 1.8% were positively affected by the legalization. A majority of 56.8% were in favor of allowing same-sex couples to adopt children, 38.4% were against it. 50.1% were opposed to allowing same sex-couples to use artificial reproductive technologies, 42.1% were in favor of it. A majority (65%) could accept if a family member, classmate or coworker would be gay. 49.2% could accept if their child was gay, 47.3% said it would be hard to accept if their child was gay. 53% would accept if their child was taught about the LGBT topics in school. A minority of the respondents would accept if they saw public display of affection of same-sex couples (48.2%), a majority would accept it if heterosexual couples would do the same (74.1%).


title: LGBT rights in Taiwan

text: Two LGBT groups conducted a survey in May 2020 which showed that 49.7% LGBT respondents would be worried that their workplace relations would be affected if they came out in the workplace. A small majority of 55% came out to a few colleagues, a minority of 30% came out to someone in a higher position than them. 38.1% of the respondents said that there were colleagues out in their workplace.


title: Legislative districts of Quezon City

text: The legislative districts of Quezon City are the representations of the highly urbanized city of Quezon in the various national and local legislatures of the Philippines. At present, the province is represented in the House of Representatives of the Philippines by its six congressional districts, with the districts' representatives being elected every three years. Additionally, each district is allotted six seats in the Quezon City Council, creating a total of thirty-six elective seats in the legislature.


title: Legislative districts of Quezon City

text: From its creation in 1939 to 1972, Quezon City was represented as part of Rizal Province, with the western areas that formerly belonged to Caloocan, Mandaluyong, and San Juan voting as part of that province's first district, and the eastern areas that formerly belonged to Marikina, Montalban (now Rodriguez), Pasig, and San Mateo voting in the second district.


title: Legislative districts of Quezon City

text: In the disruption caused by the Second World War, Quezon City was incorporated into the City of Greater Manila on January 1, 1942, by virtue of Manuel Quezon's Executive Order No. 400 as a wartime emergency measure. Greater Manila was represented by two delegates in the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic: one was the city mayor (an "ex officio" member), while the other was elected through a citywide assembly of KALIBAPI members during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945, Quezon City's divided representation between the two districts of Rizal was retained; this remained so until 1972.


title: Legislative districts of Quezon City

text: The city was represented in the Interim Batasang Pambansa as part of Region IV from 1978 to 1984. Quezon City residents first elected representatives separate from Rizal in the 1984 election, where four representatives, elected at-large, represented the city at the Regular Batasang Pambansa.


title: Legislative districts of Quezon City

text: Quezon City was reapportioned into four congressional districts under the new Constitution which was proclaimed on February 11, 1987. It elected members to the restored House of Representatives starting that same year.


title: Legislative districts of Quezon City

text: By virtue of Republic Act No. 10170 approved on July 2, 2012, the fifth and sixth districts were created out of the second district. Residents of the two new districts began to elect their own representatives beginning in the 2013 elections.


title: Legislative districts of Quezon City

text: The city was last redistricted on July 2, 2012, where the fifth and sixth districts were apportioned. The city's congressional delegation currently composes of two members of Lakas, two members of the National Unity Party, and two independents. All six representatives are part of the majority bloc in the 19th Congress.


title: James Galway

text: Sir James Galway (born 8 December 1939) is an Irish virtuoso flute player from Belfast, nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Flute". He established an international career as a solo flute player. In 2005, he received the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music at the Classic Brit Awards.


title: James Galway

text: Galway was born in North Belfast as one of two brothers. His father, who played the flute, was employed at the Harland and Wolff shipyard until the end of the Second World War and spent night-shifts cleaning buses after the war, while his mother, a pianist, was a winder in a flax-spinning mill. Raised as a Presbyterian and surrounded by a tradition of flute bands and many friends and family members who played the instrument, he was taught the flute by his uncle at the age of nine and joined his fife and drum corps. At the age of eleven Galway won the junior, senior, and open Belfast flute Championships in a single day. His first instrument was a five-key Irish flute, and at the age of twelve or thirteen, he received a Boehm instrument.


title: James Galway

text: Galway was educated at Mountcollyer Secondary Modern School in Belfast. He left school at the age of fourteen and worked as an apprentice to a piano repairer for two years.


title: James Galway

text: He subsequently studied the flute at the Royal College of Music under John Francis and at the Guildhall School of Music under Geoffrey Gilbert. He then briefly studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Gaston Crunelle. While in Paris, he asked for lessons from the celebrated French flute player Jean-Pierre Rampal, who offered him advice on his playing, but felt he was already too good a flute player to need lessons from either Rampal or the conservatory. He left Paris to take up his first orchestral flute-playing job at Sadler's Wells Opera in London.


title: James Galway

text: He went on to spend fifteen years as an orchestral player. In addition to Sadler's Wells, he played with Covent Garden Opera, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He auditioned for the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Herbert von Karajan and was principal flute in the orchestra from 1969 to 1975. To Karajan's surprise and dismay, after a period of some disagreement, Galway decided that he would leave to pursue a solo career.


title: James Galway

text: In addition to his performances of the standard classical repertoire, he features contemporary music in his programmes, including new flute works commissioned by and for him by composers including David Amram, Malcolm Arnold, William Bolcom, John Corigliano, John Wolf Brennan, Dave Heath, Lowell Liebermann and Joaquín Rodrigo. The album "James Galway and The Chieftains in Ireland" by Galway and The Chieftains reached number 32 in the UK Albums Chart in 1987.


title: James Galway

text: Galway still performs regularly and is one of the world's best-known flute players. His recordings have sold over 30 million copies.


title: James Galway

text: In 1990, he was invited by Roger Waters to play at "The Wall – Live in Berlin" concert, held in Potsdamer Platz; he played Pink Floyd's songs "Goodbye Blue Sky" and "Is There Anybody Out There?". Galway performed for the Academy Award-winning ensemble recording the soundtracks of Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, composed by Howard Shore. In June 2008, he was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame along with Liza Minnelli and B. B. King.


title: James Galway

text: He performs on Nagahara flutes, as well as some Muramatsu Flutes. Conn-Selmer produces his line of flutes, "Galway Spirit Flutes".


title: James Galway

text: Galway is president of Flutewise, a global charitable organisation that supports young flute players, run by Liz Goodwin. In 2003 he formed the Music Education Consortium together with Julian Lloyd Webber, Evelyn Glennie, and Michael Kamen to pressure the British Government into providing better music education in schools. He is an Ambassador for the National Foundation for Youth Music, a UK charity. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1977, and was knighted in 2001, the first wind player ever to receive that honour. He is a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity.


title: James Galway

text: In December 2013 Galway launched "First Flute", an online interactive series of lessons for beginning flute students of all ages.


title: James Galway

text: Galway has been married three times. His first marriage, to a Frenchwoman, produced a son. He married his second wife, Anna (Annie) Renggli, a daughter of a well-known Swiss architect, in 1972, and moved from Berlin to Lucerne, Switzerland, her hometown. The couple had twin daughters and a son. In 1978 he recorded for her an instrumental version of John Denver's "Annie's Song". It peaked at no. 3 in the UK Singles Chart.


title: James Galway

text: After this divorce, he moved to Meggen, Switzerland, a village next to Lucerne, where he resides now with his third wife, the American-born flutist Jeanne Galway (née Cinnante), whom he married in 1984. They often tour together, playing duets. In addition, they give masterclasses and lectures.


title: James Galway

text: Galway is a devout Christian who visits various types of churches while travelling (as long as they are not modern and "happy-clappy") and prays before his concert performances. He also wears a cross pendant, about which he says, "It's not jewellery. It's something that reminds me of what I should be doing and how I should be behaving."


title: James Galway

text: In August 1977, Galway was run over by a speeding motorcycle in Lucerne, breaking his left arm and both legs and required a four-month hospital stay. He has the eye condition nystagmus, and is a patron of the Nystagmus Network, a charity that supports people with the condition. In December 2009, he fell down a flight of stairs at his home, fracturing his left wrist and breaking his right arm.


title: James Galway

text: Appearing on "The Nolan Show" in June 2015, Galway stated that he views his national identity as Irish. He was critical of the actions of the Northern Irish government during his childhood, and singled out prominent Unionist figures such as Ian Paisley whom Galway blamed for fostering the divisions that led to The Troubles. His comments were criticised by prominent Unionist politicians, among them Sammy Wilson. Describing Northern Ireland as "the British-occupied part of Ireland", Galway further elaborated he would like "Ireland to be Ireland" and that when people ask him where he comes from he says "Ireland" and when asked if he is "Irish", he replies affirmatively. He did, however, accept substantive British honours, first an OBE, and later a knighthood.


title: James Galway

text: His younger brother, George (1940–2020), was a jazz musician (clarinet, flute, and saxophone) and teacher based in Manchester, England. George's elder child and James's nephew, Martin Galway, is a musician known for his work on Commodore 64 computer game music in the 1980s.


title: James Galway

text: NOTE: All release dates for non-compilations below are taken from the liner notes for "The Man with the Golden Flute – The Complete RCA Collection" (71 CDs and 2 DVDs box set) (2014).


title: Great Horde

text: The Great Horde ("Uluğ Orda") was a rump state of the Golden Horde that existed from the mid-15th century to 1502.<ref name="https://books.google.se/books?id=Ai1_5IHQ9vsC&pg=PA243&dq=great+horde+tatar&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjO4Mv57pfQAhVCDCwKHf3_DFg4FBDoAQgaMAA#v=onepage&q=great%20horde%20tatar&f=false"></ref><ref name="https://books.google.se/books?id=QjzYdCxumFcC&pg=PA159&dq=great+horde+tatar-mongol&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwio8YiR9ZfQAhVDiiwKHUsGD00Q6AEIYjAJ#v=onepage&q=great%20horde%20tatar-mongol&f=false"></ref> It was centered at the core of the Golden Horde at Sarai. Both the Khanate of Astrakhan and the Khanate of Crimea broke away from the Great Horde throughout its existence, and were hostile to the Great Horde. The defeat of the forces of the Great Horde at the Great Stand on the Ugra River by Ivan III of Russia marked the end of the "Tatar yoke" over Russia.


title: Great Horde

text: The Golden Horde of Jochi had been showing cracks in the 14th century, with periods of chaos within the polity. It was united by Tokhtamysh in the 1390s, but the invasion of Timur during this time further weakened the Horde. The death of Edigu (the last person to ever unite the Horde) in 1419 marked one of the final steps of the decay of the Golden Horde, which fractured into the separate states of the Nogai Khanate, the Kazan Khanate, and later the Kasimov Khanate, which had separated itself from Kazan. Each one of these Khanates claimed to be the legitimate successor to the Golden Horde. The Great Horde itself was centered on the Golden Horde's national center of Sarai, with its territory being led by four tribes - the Qiyat, the Manghud, the Sicivud, and the Qonqirat. The Great Horde was originally simply referred to as the "Orda", or Horde, but it became increasingly important for the disparate hordes in the region to be distinguished from each other, which led to the first mention of the "Great Horde" in sources in the 1430s. The name "Great Horde" might have been used to directly link the now greatly reduced administrative center of the Horde to the original greatness of the Golden Horde.


title: Great Horde

text: Starting from the 1430s, both Küchük Muhammad and Sayid Ahmad I were in power within the Horde of Sarai. During this time, the Horde lost control of Crimea as Hacı I Giray (brother of Devlet Berdi, who had previously wrested control of Crimea for himself from the Golden Horde) had kicked out authority from Sarai in August 1449. This is accepted as the way the Crimean Khanate became independent, which kicked off a rivalry between Crimea and the Great Horde. Küchük Muhammad drove out Ulugh Muhammad from the heartland of the Golden Horde in 1438, being proclaimed Khan in Sarai. Throughout the rules of Küchük Muhammad and Sayid Ahmad I, the Tatars tried to force their Russian subjects to pay taxes, invading them in 1449, 1450, 1451 and 1452. These attacks led to retaliation from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, who allied with the Crimean Khanate. At the same time, envoys from Lithuanian nobles who were unhappy being under a Polish-dominant Commonwealth brought gifts to Sayid Ahmad, who invaded Poland-Lithuania in 1453. In 1455, the Crimeans again attacked Sarai, forcing Sayid Ahmad to flee to Kiev. However, a force led by Andrzej Odrowąż marched upon Kiev and captured him, leading him to die in prison. Further raids include a Tatar raid on Podolia in 1457 (ending in victory for the Tatars) and one in 1459 on Muscovy (ending in a victory for the Muscovites)


title: Great Horde

text: Küchük Muhammad was succeeded by his son Mahmud bin Küchük in 1459. Mahmud was usurped by his brother Ahmed Khan bin Küchük in 1465. Mahmud headed to Astrakhan, seceding and forming the Astrakhan Khanate. This led to the creation of a rivalry between the two Khanates, ending with Ahmed's descendants occupying the throne of Astrakhan in 1502. In 1469, Ahmed attacked and killed the Uzbek Abu'l-Khayr Khan. In the summer of 1470, Ahmed organized an attack against Moldavia, the Kingdom of Poland, and Lithuania. By August 20, the Moldavian forces under Stephen the Great defeated the Tatars at the battle of Lipnic. By the 1470s, Muscovy had stopped paying tribute to Sarai, but continued to maintain diplomatic relations with them. In 1474 and 1476, Ahmed insisted that Ivan III of Russia recognize the khan as his overlord. In 1480, Ahmed organized a military campaign against Moscow, resulting in a face off between two opposing armies known as the Great Stand on the Ugra River. Ahmed judged the conditions unfavorable and retreated. This incident formally ended the "Tatar Yoke" over Rus' lands. On 6 January 1481, Ahmed was killed by Ibak Khan, the prince of the Khanate of Sibir, and Nogays at the mouth of the Donets River.


title: Great Horde

text: The Crimean Khanate, which had become a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire in 1475, subjugated what remained of the Great Horde, sacking Sarai in 1502. After seeking refuge in Lithuania, Sheikh Ahmed, last Khan of the Horde, died in prison in Kaunas some time after 1504. According to other sources, he was released from the Lithuanian prison in 1527.


title: Great Horde

text: The Crimean Khanate considered its state as the heir and legal successor of the Golden Horde and Desht-i Kipchak, called themselves khans of "the Great Horde, the Great State and the Throne of the Crimea".


title: Kausar Mohammed

text: Kausar Mohammed is an American actress, comedian, writer, and voice actress. She is best known for her roles in "East of La Brea", "What Men Want", "Little" and voicing Yasmina 'Yaz' Fadoula in Netflix's "Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous".


title: Kausar Mohammed

text: She graduated from UCLA and was a member of the UCLA Spring Sing Company. She has worked on and written many digital projects, such as "Smyle" and "Namaste" featured on Huffington Post, and NBC. She is also California’s Census Campaign Digital Ambassador.


title: Kausar Mohammed

text: Kausar also voices series lead characters on the anime show "Great Pretender", and the Netflix animated series "Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous".


title: Kausar Mohammed

text: In July 2022, Nickelodeon announced that Kausar would voice the character Cleo de Nile in the 2022 animated reboot series "Monster High".


title: Kausar Mohammed

text: A queer Muslim of Pakistani ancestry, she has been active in striving to gain visibility for LGBT+ Muslims.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Tawag ng Tanghalan (, abbreviated as TNT) is a Philippine amateur singing competition currently airing as a segment of the noon time program, "It's Showtime" on ABS-CBN. It airs on the Kapamilya Channel, a simulcast on Jeepney TV (encore telecast) from A2Z and TV5, as well as on online streaming platforms such as Facebook and YouTube via "Showtime Online Ü" and "Kapamilya Online Live" every Monday to Saturday. Dubbed as "Your All-Time Favorite Search for Outstanding Amateur Talents", the competition is open to Filipino contestants from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and overseas.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The show first aired on January 2, 2016, and was successfully continuing its fame for the next five regular seasons: one kids edition, one celebrity edition and one all-star edition. There have been eight winners to date: Noven Belleza, Jhon Clyd Talili, Janine Berdin, Elaine Duran, Ethel Booba Mark Michael Garcia, JM Yosures, and Reiven Umali.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: "Tawag ng Tanghalan" (originally known as "Purico Amateur Hour") debuted as a radio talent search program on DZBB-AM in 1953. It was later aired on television DZAQ-TV (now DWWX-TV) until 1972 following the declaration of Martial Law by former President Ferdinand Marcos. The second incarnation of "Tawag ng Tanghalan" and originally hosted by Frankie Evangelista, Danny Javier and Nanette Inventor, it was revived from the following relaunch of ABS-CBN from January 11, 1987 to October 30, 1988.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Noted OPM artists like Armand Panlilio, Nora Aunor, Novo Bono Jr., Pepe Pimentel, Edgar Mortiz and Diomedes Maturan were among the winners of the original program.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: After 28 years of Singing Talent Competition of Philippine Television since 1987, "Tawag ng Tanghalan" returned as a daily segment on ABS-CBN's noon time program "It's Showtime".


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The regular season is divided into four quarters, with the semifinals taking place at the end of each quarter. The two semifinalists with the highest scores from each quarter, along with winners from the wildcard rounds, move on to compete in the grand finals.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: From 1987–1988 and since 2016, Daily contenders from Metro Manila (NCR), Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in over the Philippines perform in front of a live audience and are scored by a panel of judges (or "hurados") composed of a Head Judge (called as "Punong Hurado") and four regular judges. For the first two regular seasons, and kids edition, the judging criteria were as follows:


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The first criterion includes intonation, enunciation, voice projection and technique. The second criterion comprises timing, mastery of lyrics, stage presence and audience impact.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: If the contender goes out-of-tune, the "Punong Hurado" has the option to signal a gong master positioned on the right hand side of the stage to hit the gong three times. The "Punong Hurado" can signal when the gong master should hit the gong by raising his/her hand, and the moments leading up to the ringing of the gong are indicated by a finger warning signal, thereby stopping the performance and eliminating the contender, à la-"Major Bowes Amateur Hour". This mechanic was omitted in the kids' edition presumably to prevent the judges from upsetting young contenders, instead relying solely on the judges' verdict and overall score to determine the winner. In the fourth season, the four regular judges have also been given the power to gong a contender if they all press their buzzers.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In "Celebrity Champions", the winner in the elimination round automatically advances to the semifinals.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the fourth season of the "New Normal", the following contenders are to perform in front of the stage for two rounds, but the audiences are not allowed in the studio due to the pandemic. The two contenders from Metro Manila and Luzon (from their other "barangay") perform a song without a live audience, the contender with the highest and lowest combined scores is advanced to the next round, and if the two contenders receive the same highest combined scores will advance again to the next round, and the contender will pick the songs and then perform again.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The daily contender with the highest score moves on to the face-off round to challenge the defending champion and attempt to steal the golden microphone. The winner in the face-off round gets to claim the golden microphone and defend their title against the next winning daily contender. Defending champions who achieve a five-time winning streak advance as a semifinalist, but may opt to continue their winning streak up to ten. Those who continue and achieve ten straight wins become a "Tawag ng Tanghalan" record holder and get to select a bonus prize. In "Kids", this rule was reduced to five straight wins.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the fourth season of the "New Normal", the daily contenders will forward to the Weekly Finals and determine the one or two contenders moving on to the Quarter Finals, but it is the same criteria for judging in two rounds. The weekly finalists will choose the songs and test their singing by the mentor judge at home, and perform in front of the stage. After the first round, the two weekly finalists will pick songs and then perform again.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The two weekly finalists with the highest combined scores advances to the second round, while the other finalists receive a consolation prize of ₱5,000, and the winning weekly finalist receives ₱25,000 and advances to the Quarter Finals and received the medical kits, "negosyo" package, mobile devices, and other packages and devices, while the other finalist receives a consolation prize of ₱10,000.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the fourth season of the "New Normal", the Quarter Finalists will compete and perform a song based on a theme for each week but it is the same criteria for judging. The two (or three) Quarter Finalists with the highest combined scores at the end of the six days (per week) move on to the semifinals and receive ₱50,000, while the other finalists for the consolation prize of ₱10,000. The judges may still gong a contender in this round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the fifth season of the "New Normal", "Tawag ng Tanghalan" introduced the new mechanics, "Instant Spotlight", the quarter finalists who obtained the highest combined scores on Mondays and Wednesdays and will be safe from eliminations on Tuesdays and Thursdays.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The semifinalists perform a song based on a theme for each day. The semifinalists perform a song based on a theme for each day. Competitors are scored through text voting (50%) by hurados (50%) and the audience (called madlang people). The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Then, the two semifinalists with the highest combined score from the judges, and the public at the end of the six days move on to the grand finals (known as "Ang Huling Tapatan") and receive and a gold medal. The losing semifinalists receive a consolation prize of , and gets a chance to return as wildcard contenders in the Ultimate "Resbak" round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the fourth season of the "New Normal", the three semifinalists with the highest combined scores will receive .


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In addition to the four semifinals, an additional semifinal is held for overseas contenders. The semifinalists compete for additional two spots in the grand finals.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the third season, every judge is given the power to save one losing defending champion in the face-off round. The saved contender advances to compete in the Instant "Resbak" for a chance to re-enter the competition as a grand finalist. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Semifinalists who failed to advance to the grand finals advance to the Ultimate "Resbak" round for a chance to re-enter the competition as a grand finalist. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the first season, the semifinalists are grouped into four and must compete in two rounds. In the first round, a group performs with individual songs. The semifinalists with the highest combined scores from the judges, and the public for each group will advance to the second round. In the second round, the four remaining semifinalists perform again with individual songs. The two contenders garnering the highest combined scores from the judges and the public advance to the grand finals.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the second and third seasons, the Ultimate "Resbak" round follows a last man standing format. Two semifinalists who are in the "Seat of Power" choose two semifinalists. These chosen semifinalists battle it out for a chance to challenge and dethrone the sitting semifinalists. If the challenger wins, the semifinalist in the "Seat of Power" is dethroned. If the semifinalist in the "Seat of Power" wins, they remain in their seat. This continues until there are only two semifinalists left.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the third season, Tawag ng Tanghalan introduced the Final Resbak. This round allows finalists who lose from the Instant and Ultimate Resbak rounds to compete for the final spot in the Grand Finals. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the fourth season, three weeks of wildcard rounds were introduced. Quarter Finalists (Week 1), Weekly Finalists and one defending champion from Quarter 1 saved by the judges (Week 2), and Semi Finalists (Week 3) competed for a slot in the Grand Finals.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: There is only one Seat of Power for each week. On the first day, the contender that will sit on the Seat of Power will be determined by draw lots. The resbaker will pick two contenders for a three-way battle. On the next episodes, the Seat of Power holder has an option to pass and pick two contenders who will perform against the Top 2 contender on the previous episode or to continue and pick only one contender for a three-way battle. The judges may still use the gong on a contender in this round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: If a resbaker wins for three consecutive days, they will have an additional . The last Seat of Power holder will proceed to the Grand Finals and received an additional .


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the sixth season, the resbakers will perform their redemption songs on the first two days. The Top 6 Resbakers will perform for two rounds on the third day and the Top 3 Resbakers will get the chance to advance in the second round to get the Top 2 spots for the "Ultimate Resbak" Round.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The finalists compete in the week-long grand finals, dubbed as The Final Face-off (or "Ang Huling Tapatan"), through a series of rounds. The finalist (or finalists) with the highest combined scores from the judges, and the public for each round advances to the live finale. In the second and third seasons, the finalist (or finalists) with the lowest score for each round is also eliminated.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the first and second seasons, the judges still used the gong on a contender in this round. This rule was discontinued in the third season.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the live finale, the competition is divided into two parts. The six finalists sing their journey song in the first part. Then, the three finalists with the highest combined scores from the judges, and the public will move on to the second part, wherein they will sing a medley song by their chosen artist. The finalist with the highest score will be named the grand champion.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The weekday rounds are held in ABS-CBN Studio 3, while the live finales are usually held in a large venue.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Drama sa Tanghalan was a parody of a soap opera that is aired live within the ""Tawag ng Tanghalan"" segment of the Filipino noontime variety show "It's Showtime" on ABS-CBN in the Philippines and worldwide through The Filipino Channel. The mini-show, focuses on the comedic sketch of Vice Ganda, Vhong Navarro, Anne Curtis and Jhong Hilario. "Drama sa Tanghalan" has elements of comedy drama, parody, romantic comedy and reality television. The name ""Drama sa Tanghalan"" was coined by Jhong Hilario, one of the co-hosts of "It's Showtime", to refer to the name of the primary segment.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The show follows the romantic-comedy love story of Romeo and Juliet. But there is a woman who blocks their relationship and her name is Aning. She is a beauty queen who won the title "Mutya ng Bunganga ng Bulkan 2016". The appearance of other characters like the father of Romeo and Juliet make things even more brighter and funnier.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: "Drama sa Tanghalan" proved to be a success in both broadcast television and social media. Since January 2016, It's Showtime dominated the noontime ratings. From 8%-10% in 2015, it boosted to 16%-20%, surpassing "Eat Bulaga!'s" 12%-14%. The comedy drama skit added excitement to the show as viewers are starting to love it resulting to good reviews and ratings.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The judging panel is composed of a Head Judge (called as "Punong Hurado") and four regular judges which was reduced to two regular judges since New Normal up to the current season.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The first season debuted on January 2, 2016. The season concluded on March 11, 2017, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila in Pasay.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: After more than a year, Noven Belleza of Visayas emerged as the grand champion. Belleza won a musical instrument package from JB Music, family vacation trip, recording contract from Star Music, business package, a house and lot from Camella, a trophy and . Sam Mangubat was declared as runner-up, while Froilan Canlas finished at third place.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: "Tawag ng Tanghalan Kids" is a special edition for contenders ages 7 to 13. Auditions were held on December 4, 2016. The season premiered on March 13, 2017, with the additions of Jed Madela and Jolina Magdangal to the judging panel. Yeng Constantino served as the Head Judge for this season. The season concluded on June 10, 2017, at ABS-CBN Studio 3.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Jhon Clyd Talili of Mindanao emerged as the grand champion, taking home a business package from Siomai House, a house and lot from Camella, a trophy and from Topps. Keifer Sanchez of Mindanao was declared second placer, while Mackie Empuerto of Luzon finished at third place.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The second season premiered on June 12, 2017. For this season, the competition was also opened for global Filipino contenders from different parts of the world. Rey Valera returned as Head Judge, while Gary Valenciano was added to the judging panel. The season concluded on June 2, 2018, at Aliw Theater in Pasay.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Janine Berdin from Visayas emerged as the second grand champion, taking home an ultimate vacation package from 2GO Travel, music gadget package from JB Music, business package from Siomai House, premium television sets from HKTV, talent management contract, a brand new house and lot from Camella, a trophy and from Nescafé Creamy White. Ato Arman of Mindanao was declared as second placer, while Steven Paysu of North America finished at third place.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The third season premiered on June 25, 2018. The competition's 1975 champion Dulce, Randy Santiago and Zsa Zsa Padilla were added to the judging panel. The season concluded on September 28, 2019, at the Caloocan Sports Complex in Bagumbong, Caloocan.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Elaine Duran of Mindanao, the first TNT record holder, emerged as the third grand champion, receiving an ultimate family vacation package to Bali, Indonesia from Gingerbon, custom in-ear monitors from FlipEars, business franchise from Potato Giant, talent management contract from ABS-CBN and TNTV, recording contract from TNT Records, a brand new house and lot from Camella, a trophy and ₱2,000,000. John Mark Saga of Luzon, the second TNT record holder, was declared as second placer, while John Michael dela Cerna of Mindanao finished at third place.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: "Tawag ng Tanghalan: Celebrity Champions" is a celebrity edition aired on October 7, 2019, as part of the month-long celebration of "It's Showtime"'s 10th anniversary. The season concluded on November 9, 2019, at ABS-CBN Studio 3.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Ethel Booba of Mindanao emerged as the grand champion, receiving a recording contract from TNT Records, custom in-ear monitors from FlipEars, a trophy and . Jason Fernandez and Roxanne Barcelo finished second and third place, respectively.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: "TNT All-Star Grand Resbak" is a special edition for contenders from past seasons who failed to advance to the grand finals. It premiered on November 11, 2019 and concluded on December 21, 2019, at ABS-CBN Studio 3.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Mark Michael Garcia from Metro Manila was hailed as the grand champion, taking home a business franchise from Potato Giant, recording contract from TNT Records, management contract from ABS-CBN, a trophy and . Jex De Castro of Metro Manila, Sofronio Vasquez III of Mindanao and Julius Cawaling of Luzon finished at second, third and fourth place, respectively.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The "fourth season" premiered on January 4, 2020. Pilita Corrales was added to the panel of judges this season. On March 15, 2020, the season was put on hiatus due to the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines and ABS-CBN's shutdown on May 5, 2020. The season was resumed on June 13, 2020, after 3 months since the lockdown in Luzon started and ABS-CBN's shutdown on May 5, 2020. This season was be halted from twice due to COVID-19 pandemic: on July 15, 2020, the season was halted due to the 14-day quarantine caused by one of the staff testing positive for the coronavirus and returned on August 1, 2020, and on August 5, 2020, the season was halted again due to the 2-week modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) and returned again on August 15, 2020. The season concluded on February 6, 2021, at ABS-CBN Studio 10 (ASAP Studio) in Quezon City.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: JM Yosures of Metro Manila became the grand champion of the season. His prizes include , management contract from Star Magic, recording contract from Star Music, trophy made by Toym Imao, and a brand new house and lot from Lessandra. Rachell Laylo of Luzon and Ayegee Paredes of Mindanao placed second and third respectively.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The "fifth season" premiered on February 8, 2021. On March 16, 2021, Vice Ganda announced that the show will move to a new studio at ABS-CBN Soundstage at San Jose del Monte, Bulacan soon. From March 18 to April 10, 2021, the season was halted because ABS-CBN decided to temporarily stop holding daily live programs due to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the Greater Manila Area. The season was resumed on April 12, 2021. Angeline Quinto, who was originally a guest judge in the previous season, became a regular judge after a successful guesting stint as a TNT Hurado. On June 28, 2021, Klarisse de Guzman joined the judging panel. The season concluded on September 18, 2021, at the It's Showtime Studio.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Reiven Umali of Luzon became the grand champion of the season that spanned for seven months. His prizes include , management contract from Star Magic, recording contract from Star Music, a trophy made by Toym Imao, and a brand new house and lot from Camella. Adrian Manibale and Anthony Castillo who was both from Metro Manila placed second and third respectively.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: The "sixth season" premiered on November 22, 2021. From January 6 to 15, 2022, the season was halted because they decided to temporarily stop to daily live productions due to the surge of COVID-19. The season resumed on January 17, 2022.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Rey Valera has often as a judge been criticized by viewers and critics alike for his offensive comments to contestants about their physical appearance. He has received backlash on the internet for repeated incidents of body-shaming several female contestants and failing to focus on the contestants' singing skills.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Judges' scores and text voting results are also questioned by many viewers either for lack of transparency, a faulty system that fails to confirm their votes thru SMS, allegations of unfair judging and similar claims that the show is rigged.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In the 2017 Grand Final, acclaimed actress Nora Aunor, the original Tawag ng Tanghalan Grand Champion in 1968, was scheduled to be the special judge but pulled out at the last minute due to a conflict with Vice Ganda, one of the main hosts of the show. According to reports, Aunor believed Ganda's brand of insult comedy was against her moral beliefs and made her deeply uncomfortable with the idea of being on the show.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: On May 22, 2018, in the Ultimate Resbak rounds, after the first round of songs between Ato Arman and Aila Santos, Ato Arman advanced to the second round. However, there has been negative criticisms against Hurado Jaya. Vice Ganda defended Jaya, and stated that she was one of the two hurados that voted for Aila Santos.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: Since 2018, Tawag ng Tanghalan is often mentioned as one of the factors for longer airtime of It's Showtime, which in turn led to subsequent delays for the afternoon and primetime programs of ABS-CBN.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: One of the semifinalists of Quarter 4, Season 3, Shantal Cuizon, made a headline when she made a controversial post in Twitter saying "Composer ka lang" and "Hustisya." Later, after her public apology, it was deleted and deactivated her Twitter account for good.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: On the September 11 episode, after the second round of songs between Mariane Osabel and Mariko Ledesma, Mariko took the seat of power, dethroning Mariane. But when the screen appeared where the split scoring was revealed (showing the public and judges scores), the viewers noticed that Mariane's score given by the judges was 16.50%, while Mariko received 50%. Due to the allegedly "rigged" results, netizens used #HustisyaParaKayMariane and it trended on Twitter, citing the expression, rants and sentiments over the score given by the judges.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: On September 14, 2019, Hurado Dulce spoke out on the controversial result, which aired on September 11, 2019.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: With the recent controversy of the alleged results, Mariane withdrew the opportunity to compete for the Final Resbak due to her health problem. Mariko, who was one of the finalists for the Huling Tapatan, also withdrew her slot due to the netizens backlash to her.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In June 2017, "Tawag ng Tanghalan" debuted "TNT Versions" or "TNTV", a YouTube channel featuring cover videos from its alumni and "TNTNow", livestreams featuring OPM icons.


title: Tawag ng Tanghalan

text: In July 2018, "Tawag ng Tanghalan" launched its own record label "TNT Records" under the guidance of ABS-CBN and Star Music to create platforms for its alumni. Its first signed artists were the TNT Boys, Janine Berdin, Ato Arman, Eumee Capile, Froilan Canlas, Anton Antenorcruz, Arabelle Dela Cruz, Reggie Tortugo, Sheena Belarmino and Steven Paysu. Second season finalists JM Bales, Christian Bahaya and Sofronio Vasquez were also launched as COVE, while Lalaine Araña and Pauline Agupitan were introduced as Bukang Liwayway.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The Communist Party of Burma (CPB), also known as the Burma Communist Party (BCP), is a clandestine communist party in Myanmar (Burma). It is the oldest existing political party in the country.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Founded in 1939, the CPB initially fought against British colonial forces before joining them in a temporary alliance to expel the invading Imperial Japanese Army from Myanmar during World War II. In the final years of the war, the CPB helped establish a leftist political and military coalition called the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL).


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: However, the CPB fell out of favour with the more moderate socialists within the AFPFL due to differing views on how an independent Myanmar should be governed. The moderate faction of the AFPFL became the dominant political force in Myanmar's government following the country's independence in 1948. The CPB was subsequently expelled from the AFPFL and the government cracked down on the party's political activities, prompting the CPB's leadership to flee from the capital Rangoon (present-day Yangon). The CPB then began a four-decade-long insurgency in the countryside, which started with an armed insurrection in Paukkongyi, Pegu Region (present-day Bago Region), and ended with an internal mutiny and the party's leadership fleeing to China.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, the CPB's cadres rearmed themselves and reentered Myanmar. The CPB subsequently announced that it had begun a "people's war" against the State Administration Council, the military junta established after the coup.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB was established in a secret meeting attended by seven men in a small room in Barr Street, Rangoon, on 15 August 1939. The attendees were Thakin Aung San, Thakin Ba Hein, Thakin Bo, Thakin Hla Pe (Bo Let Ya), Thakin Soe, Yèbaw Ba Tin (H. N. Goshal), and Yèbaw Tun Maung (Amar Nag). An armed wing was formed shortly afterwards which fought against British colonial rule and then the invading Imperial Japanese Army upon the start of the Burma campaign of World War II.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: While in Insein Prison in July 1941, Thakin Soe and Thakin Than Tun coauthored the "Insein Manifesto", which declared fascism "the major enemy in the coming war" and called for temporary cooperation with the British and the establishment of a broad alliance that would include the Soviet Union. It followed the popular front line advocated by Bulgarian communist leader Georgi Dimitrov at the seventh congress of the Comintern in 1935.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: This was against the prevailing opinion of the nationalist We Burmans Association ( or the "Thakins"), including Aung San, who had secretly left Burma in 1940 with a group of young intellectuals, later known as the Thirty Comrades, to receive military training from the Japanese. Aung San and the Thirty Comrades returned to Burma in 1941 and established the Burma Independence Army (BIA) to fight against the Allies. After capturing Rangoon in 1942, the Japanese established a puppet state, the State of Burma, and later installed Aung San as its Deputy Prime Minister in August 1943. The BIA was reorganised as the puppet state's armed forces, the Burma National Army (BNA).


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Thakin Soe had gone underground in the Irrawaddy Delta to organise armed resistance soon after the invasion, and Thakin Than Tun as Minister of Land and Agriculture was able to pass on intelligence to Thakin Soe. Thakin Thein Pe and Tin Shwe made contact in July 1942 with the exiled colonial government in Simla, India. In January 1944 at a secret meeting near Dedaye in the Delta, the CPB successfully held its first congress chaired by Thakin Soe.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Aung San became increasingly sceptical of Japan's ability to win the war as time progressed, and in mid-1944 he decided to switch sides, reaching out to his former comrades in the CPB. The CPB, together with the BNA and the People's Revolutionary Party (PSP) formed the Anti-Fascist Organisation (AFO) at a secret meeting in Pegu in August 1944. The AFO was later renamed the Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League (AFPFL) on 3 March 1945. Five days later on 8 March 1945, the communist commander Ba Htoo of the northwest command based in Mandalay started a rebellion against the Japanese. The rebellion escalated into a national uprising on 27 March 1945, led by the BNA under the command of Aung San. Japanese forces capitulated by July 1945, and the AFPFL became Burma's most influential political party in the post-war years leading up to independence and for several years after independence was achieved.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Thakin Soe and Ba Tin travelled to India in September 1945 to talk to the Communist Party of India, and Thakin Soe came back convinced that armed struggle was the only way forward. Amidst widespread strikes starting with the Rangoon Police and mass rallies, the new British governor Hubert Rance offered Aung San and the others seats in the Executive Council. Aung San initially refused the offer but eventually accepted it in September 1946.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: In February 1946 Thakin Soe denounced the CPB's leadership, particularly Thakin Thein Pe, accusing them of Browderism, the form of revisionism espoused by Earl Browder, leader of the American Communist Party. Browder argued that armed revolution would no longer be necessary to establish a dictatorship of the proletariat, as world fascism and imperialism had been weakened, making constitutional methods a real option to achieve "national liberation". Thakin Thein Pe, who had replaced Thakin Soe as secretary general, was the leader responsible for the policy paper on strategy entitled "Toward Better Mutual Understanding and Greater Cooperation" written in India and adopted at the party's second congress at Bagaya Road, Rangoon in July 1945. Thakin Soe broke away from the CPB to form a splinter group called the Communist Party (Burma) or CP(B) for short. The CP(B) was popularly nicknamed the "red flag communists" as they continued to use the CPB's original red-coloured flag. The majority remained with Thakin Than Tun and Thakin Thein Pe and continued to cooperate with the AFPFL; they were nicknamed the "Thein-Than communists" by the Rangoon press and were popularly known as the "white flag communists" for their use of new white-coloured party flags. During negotiations the British noticed that Thakin Than Tun was the thinker behind Aung San, as Aung San often referred to his brother-in-law for his opinion.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB had abandoned its Browderist line by mid-1946, and a rift that had opened up between the party and Aung San with the socialists culminated in Thakin Than Tun being forced to resign as general secretary of the AFPFL in July, a position he had held since the AFPFL's inception. The CPB was finally expelled from the AFPFL on 2 November 1946 after the communists accused Aung San and the socialists of "kneeling before imperialism", selling out by joining the Executive Council, and calling off the general strike. In the end the CPB failed to achieve "leftist unity" with Aung San and the socialists led by U Nu and Kyaw Nyein within the AFPFL.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: In February 1947, Ba Thein Tin and communist student leader Aung Gyi attended the British Empire Conference of Communist Parties in London, the first time the CPB took part in an international communist forum. After denouncing the elections to the Constituent Assembly that took place the following April, the party fielded 25 junior candidates but won just 7 seats. The assassination of Aung San and his cabinet members on 19 July stunned the CPB as much as the rest of the country, but the party was still anxious to build a united front with the AFPFL to drive the British out of Burma, convinced that the assassination was an imperialist plot to stop Aung San from achieving leftist unity.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: U Nu concluded negotiations that Aung San had started with the British premier Clement Attlee in London, and the Nu-Attlee Treaty of October 1947 was condemned as a sham by the communists, the bone of contention in particular being the Let Ya-Freeman Defence Agreement, appended as an annexe to the treaty. It provided for an initial period of three years for a British military training mission to remain in the country and a possible future military alliance with Britain. This was to the CPB proof of British intention to subvert Burma's sovereignty and U Nu's capitulation.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: U Nu called for a new coalition between communists and socialists on 8 November 1947, urging negotiations between the CPB, the PSP, and the People's Volunteer Organisation (PVO), an association of World War II veterans which served as Aung San's private army. When the attempted coalition failed, U Nu accused the communists of gathering arms for an insurrection. The impact of communist campaigning against the treaty left its mark in Burma's decision not to join the British Commonwealth. Yèbaw Ba Tin, the CPB's Burma-born Bengali theoretician, released a thesis in December 1947 titled, "On the Present Political Situation and Our Tasks" which set out a revolutionary strategy reviving the slogan "final seizure of power" from the previous January, and called for a "national rising to tear up the treaty of slavery", nationalisation of all British and foreign assets, the abolition of all forms of landlordism and debt, the dismantling of the state bureaucracy and its replacement with a people's government, and alliances and trade agreements with "democratic China, fighting Vietnam and Indonesia" and other democratic countries resisting "Anglo-American imperialist domination". A twofold strategy would be followed: an escalating campaign of strikes by workers and government employees in Rangoon and other cities, and the establishment of "liberated" areas in the countryside to be defended by Red Guards consisting of PVOs trained in guerrilla warfare.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: February 1948 saw a wave of strikes in Rangoon by the All Burma Trade Union Congress (ABTUC) backed by the CPB, and in March 1948 a 75,000-strong mass rally by the All Burma Peasants Organisation (ABPO) took place in Pyinmana. U Nu ordered the arrest of the CPB's leaders, convinced that they were planning an uprising on Resistance Day, 27 March, only to find the CPB headquarters at Bagaya empty on the morning of. The party leadership had flown to their stronghold in Pyinmana to start an armed revolution.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB fired the first shots of their post-independence insurgency in Paukkongyi, Pegu Region, on 2 April 1948. Thakin Soe's red flag communists had already started a rebellion, as had the Arakanese nationalists led by the veteran monk U Seinda and the Muslim "mujahideen" in Arakan. The PVO had split into "white-band" and "yellow-band" factions; the majority white-band PVO led by Bo La Yaung (a member of the Thirty Comrades) and Bo Po Kun joined the insurrection in July 1948. U Nu's government deployed the Karen and Kachin Rifles to suppress the communist uprising, and took Pyay, Thayetmyo and Pyinmana during the latter half of 1948. The Karen National Union (KNU) rebelled at the end of January 1949 when Army Chief of Staff Smith Dun, an ethnic Karen, was replaced by Ne Win, a socialist commander and senior member of the Thirty Comrades after Aung San and Bo Let Ya. The Mon joined the Karen shortly afterwards, as did the Pa-O in Shan State. Three regiments of the Burma Rifles also went underground and formed the Revolutionary Burma Army (RBA), led by communist commanders Bo Zeya, Bo Yan Aung, and Bo Ye Htut, all members of the Thirty Comrades. The CPB had 4,000 to 15,000 armed troops and 25,000 party members in 1949.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB's appraisal of Burma as a "semi-colonial and semi-feudal" state led to the Maoist line of establishing guerrilla bases among the peasants in the countryside as opposed to mobilising the urban proletariat, although it continued to support above-ground leftist opposition parties such as the Burma Workers and Peasants Party (BWPP) led by trade union leaders Thakins Lwin and Chit Maung, and dubbed "crypto-communists" or "red socialists" by the Rangoon press. They tried unsuccessfully to bring the communists back into mainstream politics, and in 1956 formed an alliance called the National United Front to contest the election on a "peace ticket" winning 35 per cent of the vote though only a small number of seats.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The politburo's decision to fight "for the very existence of our party" at a clandestine central committee meeting in April 1948 in Rangoon was confirmed the following month by the full plenum of the central committee at Hpyu 120 miles north of the capital. The headquarters of the CPB remained on the move mostly in the forests and hills along the Sittang River valley, Pyinmana – Yamethin area in central Burma, sometimes north into the "Three M triangle" (Mandalay–Meiktila–Myingyan). Debt was abolished, and farming and trading cooperatives established in areas under their control.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: One year into the insurrection, the CPB's forces were reorganised along Maoist lines and divided into a main force, mobile guerrilla forces, and local people's militias, with the command of each being shared between military and political commissars. The main force was called the People's Liberation Army (PLA), homonymous with the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China founded around the same time. In September 1950, the PLA merged with the RBA regiments under Bo Zeya's command and formed the People's Army (PA). Its regular forces consisted of four main divisions, each with a thousand armed troops.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Although its chairman Thakin Than Tun expressed support for the Karen people's right to self-determination, the CPB regarded the Karen National Union (KNU) as reactionaries employed by the British to destabilise Burma. The civil war was thus waged from three sides: the AFPFL, the communist PVOs and the ethnic minority nationalists with the KNU threatening Rangoon itself in early 1949. U Nu estimated government casualties alone at 3,424 dead, including 1,352 army personnel from 1950 to 1952. He also estimated that 22,000 civilians had been killed in the violence during the same period, but Western analysts argued it was an intentional underestimation and gave a much larger figure of 60,000 dead and 2 million displaced.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The first united front against the AFPFL, the People's Democratic Front (PDF), was established in Pyay in March 1949, after the town was captured by a joint CPB, RBA, and PVO force. The Tripartite Alliance Pact was the next, signed by Thakin Than Tun, Thakin Soe, and Bo Po Kun at the village of Alaungdaw Kathapa near Monywa on 1 October 1952. Apart from the CPB-RBA merger of September 1950 which formed the People's Army, the agreements mainly involved demarcation of territory and terms of cooperation.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: In November 1952 a ceasefire agreement was reached between the CPB and the KNU, but a military alliance did not materialise until May 1959 in the form of the National Democratic United Front (NDUF). The surrender of smaller ethnic insurgent groups hastened the creation of the Democratic Nationalities United Front (DNUF), established in April 1956 by the KNU, which by then had become dominated by the Maoist Karen National United Party (KNUP) led by Mahn Ba Zan. The leftist turn of the KNU left it isolated from other ethnic insurgent groups, and it moved closer to the CPB despite the many staunch anti-communists in the veteran Christian leadership.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The NDUF also included the fledgling New Mon State Party (NMSP) led by Nai Shwe Kyin and formed after the surrender of the Mon People's Front (MPF), the Chin National Vanguard Party (CNVP) formed in March 1956, and the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) led by Saw Maw Reh and formed in July 1957. Both the NMSP and the KNPP were founded with the help of the KNU. It was the most successful united front among the ethnic insurgent groups and lasted until 1976, when the KNU broke away from the NDUF to form the National Democratic Front (NDF).


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: However, political differences remained unresolved as no compromise was possible between the CPB's position of regional autonomy for Burma's ethnic minorities within a unitary state (modelled after the autonomous regions of China) and the ethnic minorities' demands for self-determination. Thakin Soe's red flag communists, meanwhile, advocated the establishment of "independent people's republics" for each ethnic group within a federal union (modelled after the Soviet Union), and more importantly, the right for each ethnic group to secede from such a union. During the 1950s and 1960s, Thakin Soe and his red flag communists succeeded in creating amicable relations with various ethnic minority communities in the border regions of Burma, leading to the establishment of such groups as the Communist Party of Arakan and the Karen New Land Party. However, the red flags' numbers were relatively low in comparison to the CPB's, and by the early 1970s most of the red flags' cadres had been crushed by other ethnic insurgent groups such as the KNU.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The communist military offensive began to lose traction in the early 1950s; Burmese authorities outlawed the party in October 1953, and the CPB put forward the "peace and unity" proposal in 1955. It combined a strong peace movement by its above-ground supporters and sympathizers and proposals by Thakin Than Tun to the AFPFL government in 1956. War-weariness had led to a desire for peace, and the move was welcomed by both the leftist opposition and conservative groups in Rangoon. Thakin Kodaw Hmaing, the revered veteran nationalist leader, formed an Internal Peace Committee which in 1958 was allowed by the government to speak on the CPB's behalf. The results of the 1956 election, where the National United Front did very well on a peace ticket, had also given the AFPFL a jolt.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: On the international front, U.S. support of the Kuomintang (KMT) forces, that had crossed over from Yunnan province into northeastern Burma after Mao's victory in China, had resulted in Burma's refusal to join the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO). Zhou Enlai visited Rangoon on his return from the Geneva Conference on Indo-China to meet U Nu, and issued a joint communique reaffirming the "five principles of peaceful coexistence" and the right of people "to choose their own state system"; U Nu repaid the visit the same year receiving the assurance that Chinese leaders had no contact with the CPB. Ne Win also led a military delegation to Beijing in 1957, and met Chairman Mao Zedong. A week-long visit in December 1955 by Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev appeared to endorse Burma as a model non-aligned, socialist Third World country developing at its own pace; Burma was a strong supporter of the 1955 Bandung Conference. Joseph Stalin's death and the shift in Soviet policy under Khrushchev contributed to the mood of national reconciliation.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: U Nu then turned the communist peace offensive to his advantage and came up with a very successful "arms for democracy" offer. Tatmadaw (Burma Armed Forces) offensives in early 1956, Operation "Aung Thura" ("Valiant Victory") in Pakokku area and Operation "Aung Tayza" ("Glorious Victory") in Pathein area, had been partly successful. The year 1958 saw mass surrenders of first the Arakanese nationalists led by U Seinda, next the Pa-O, Mon, and Shan communists, but most importantly the PVO led by Bo Po Kun. The official figure was 5,500 armed insurgents that "entered the light", of which about 800 were white flag communists mainly in Sittwe, northern Rakhine State. The one crucial exception was the KNU.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Ne Win's caretaker government presided over a general election in February 1960 which saw the return of U Nu to office after his faction of the Clean AFPFL, renamed the Union Party, won a landslide majority over the Stable AFPFL. Parliamentary democracy this time, however, lasted just two years before Ne Win staged a coup d'état on 2 March 1962. A major crackdown on the above-ground opposition followed, with most of the remaining leaders of the AFPFL and ethnic community leaders being rounded up and imprisoned. A peaceful student-led protest at Rangoon University on 7 July 1962 was brutally suppressed by the Tatmadaw, ending in a massacre of over 300 students by the students' accounts.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: In the mid-1960s the United States State Department estimated the CPB's membership to be approximately 5,000.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: As head of the Union Revolutionary Council (URC) government, Ne Win launched a peace offensive starting with a general amnesty on 1 April 1963. Bo Ye Htut, a member of the Thirty Comrades and the central military committee of the CPB who had been to Rangoon on a secret peace mission before the 1958 AFPFL split, took the offer together with Bo Ye Maung and Bo Sein Tin. The KNU split in the same month between the Karen National Unity Party (KNUP) and the Karen Revolutionary Council (KRC) led by Saw Hunter Tha Hmwe. The red flag communists' delegation was the first to arrive in Rangoon in June, later joined by the red flag leader Thakin Soe himself from Arakan in August. After just three meetings the talks were abruptly ended by the URC on 20 August and the red flag communists were flown back to the Arakanese capital Sittwe.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Three CPB teams led by Bo Zeya, Yebaw Aung Gyi, Thakins Pu, and Ba Thein Tin arrived in July and September by air from China. These "Beijing returnees" were allowed to travel to the party's jungle headquarters in the Pegu Yoma near Paukkaung, where the leadership, reunited after 15 years, held a historic meeting of the central committee. Talks began on 2 September after the CPB delegation headed by the general secretary Yebaw Htay and the People's Army's chief of staff Bo Zeya arrived on 28 August. A second team headed by Thakin Zin, politburo member and secretary of the NDUF which agreed to negotiate as one team, arrived on 20 September. Meetings with the CPB and NDUF overshadowed those with other nationalities such as the Shan and Kachin delegations.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Expectations had been running high, and the People's Peace Committee, set up by the NUF and supported by Thakin Kodaw Hmaing and former brigadier Kyaw Zaw, staged a Six-District Peace March in early November from Minhla to Rangoon. The marchers were cheered and applauded along the entire route by large crowds chanting anti-government slogans, and given food parcels collected by the Rangoon University Students Union (RUSU) and the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU). When they reached Rangoon at a mass rally of 200,000 in front of city hall, speakers openly supported the NDUF's demand to keep its weapons and territory. Although at first the CPB and NDUF had misinterpreted Ne Win's peace offensive as a sign of weakness desperate for a solution, once they arrived in Rangoon they realised it was going to be a mainly cosmetic exercise. They therefore took the opportunity to re-establish contacts and meet family and friends.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Over 900 people, mostly BWPP and NUF activists, were arrested in the immediate aftermath. Thaton Hla Pe, leader of the Union Pa-O National Organisation (UPNO), former leader of the Pa-O National Organisation (PNO), and one of the main organisers of the peace march, was among the arrested, as was Nai Non Lar, the former leader of the Mon People's Front (MPF). By the end of the year over 2,000 were believed to have been imprisoned. Almost the entire executive committees of the RUSU and the ABFSU fled to join the CPB.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Frustrated with the failure of the 1963 peace talks and inspired by Cultural Revolution in China, Thakin Than Tun ordered the party to begin its own "Cultural Revolution". The party abandoned its previous position of "peace and unity" and returned to a revolutionary Maoist line. A mass campaign of purges and summary executions immediately followed, characterised by the Rangoon press as a policy of "purge, dismiss, and eliminate". Much of the party's old guard, as well as several student leaders who had joined the CPB after the failed 1963 peace talks, were killed under the orders of Thakin Than Tun.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB's leadership conducted a review of its "peace and unity" line in 1964. They did so for several reasons, including the failure of the 1963 peace talks, the government's intensification of its campaign of political repression and military offensives, and most importantly Ne Win's founding of the Burma Socialist Programme Party (BSPP) with the help of former communists. The CPB's willingness to carry out an armed struggle was the main difference between it and the above-ground leftist opposition parties such as the BWPP and NUF. Thakin Ba Tin, Yèbaw Htay, and Bo Yan Aung led the minority faction that questioned the need to continue the armed struggle, while Thakin Than Tun, Thakin Zin, Thakin Chit, and Bo Zeya formed the majority faction which argued for a return to a Maoist revolutionary line. The majority faction was reinforced by the Beijing returnees led by Yèbaw Aung Gyi, a former Rangoon University Student Union (RUSU) leader whose detailed analysis of the party's history up until that point was adopted as the "1964 line" at a central committee meeting near Nattalin, Bago Region, from 9 September to 14 October 1964. The 1964 line maintained that the CPB upheld a development of Marxism–Leninism which was independent from that of other countries and based on the concrete situation in Burma.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: At this important meeting, which 11 out of the 20 central committee members were able to attend, a unanimous agreement was reached by the attendees to reaffirm Burma's status as "semi-colonial" after her "pseudo-independence" from the United Kingdom, and the primacy of the armed struggle against Ne Win's "armed counter-revolution". The party would establish a broad united front between the country's ethnic minorities and peasants, with the key task being party building.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB sided with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from the onset of the Sino-Soviet split, rejecting the 1955 "revisionist" line of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). On the 50th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, the CPB denounced the CPSU for supporting Ne Win's "pseudo-socialism".


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Burma's insurgent groups, communist and ethnonationalist alike, became increasingly receptive of the Maoist concept of a "people's war". The CPB began identifying so closely with the CCP that it became the CCP's most important ally among the communist parties in the region, more so after the start of China's Cultural Revolution, which the CPB replicated. The CPB's Cultural Revolution was perceived by many Burmese as an attempt by China to intrude into Burmese affairs, a sentiment which led to the violent 1967 anti-Chinese riots in Burma. By the time the riots were quelled, 31 Chinese civilians had been killed and several Chinese-owned businesses had been burned down.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Recommitting itself to Mao Zedong Thought, in 1965 the CPB began constructing rural bases called "Red Power areas", managed by "hardcore" activists who would encircle the cities from the countryside and eventually launch a "final seizure of power" when conditions permitted. A central party school for political training in Mao Zedong Thought was established and its first course was taught on 25 March 1965. These efforts by the CPB were openly supported by the CCP, which provided the CPB with arms and funding during the 1960s and 1970s.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: However, growing dissension within the party prompted Thakin Than Tun, Thakin Chit, and the Beijing returnees to meet on 16 August 1966 to decide on a strategy to remedy this "issue". Drawing on the practices of China's Red Guards, they established youth teams and handpicked the university and high school students who would lead the party's majority faction in purging their opponents.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Several senior party officials were labelled "revisionists" and purged during the CPB's Cultural Revolution. Thakin Ba Tin and Yèbaw Htay were suspended from the politburo on 27 April 1967, while a number of other senior members, such as Yèbaw Ba Khet, left the party, sensing the impending danger. Thakin Ba Tin was summarily tried and executed on 18 June 1967, followed by Yèbaw Htay, whose own son formed part of the execution squad. They were dubbed "Burma's Deng Xiaoping and Liu Shaochi", respectively. Thakin Than Tun and the remaining politburo passed a resolution on 15 December 1967 to adopt the "intraparty revolutionary line" and ordered party cadres across the country to carry out their own purges. Bo Yan Aung, who accompanied Aung San to Xiamen in search of military training abroad and was the first of the Thirty Comrades, was the next major victim of the purges on 26 December 1967. In August 1968, Bo Tun Nyein, who had led the executions of Thakin Ba Tin, Yèbaw Htay and Bo Yan Aung, was himself executed after being charged with "trying to set up a rival party headquarters". Former leaders of the RUSU, such as Aung Thein Naing (nephew of Bo Yan Aung) and Soe Win (son of Ludu U Hla and Ludu Daw Amar), met the same fate the next month.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Ne Win's government took advantage of the chaos and confusion within the CPB and launched a massive military offensive against the party in 1968, which resulted in the deaths of several more senior CPB officials. Bo Zeya, by that time the chief of staff of the People's Army, was killed in action on 16 April 1968, in a battle on the city borders of Pyay and Tharrawaddy. Yèbaw Tun Maung (Dr. Nath), the other Bengali founding member of the CPB besides Yèbaw Htay, was killed in action later the same year, near Hpyu in the Bago Yoma. On 24 September 1968, while on the run from government troops, Thakin Than Tun was shot dead by one of his own bodyguards, who later surrendered to Ne Win's government. The assassin had joined the CPB just two years prior as an "army deserter".


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB's former base in the Pegu Yoma mountain range, in central Burma, was eventually destroyed in 1975 after heavy clashes between the CPB and Tatmadaw. Despite these setbacks, the CPB had approximately 10,000 to 14,000 troops during the 1970s.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Shortly after Burma resigned from the Non-Aligned Movement in protest against Soviet and Vietnamese "manipulation" at the September 1979 Havana Conference, the Chinese Foreign Minister Huang Hua paid a visit to Rangoon. Ne Win announced an amnesty in 1980 which saw the return of U Nu and others from Thailand. The CPB responded with an attack on Mong Yawng, but proposed talks in September after letting the amnesty expire. The first meeting took place in Beijing in October between the teams led by Ba Thein Tin and Ne Win who paid a surprise visit to China leaving the Kachin delegation in the middle of the talks in Rangoon. At the second meeting headed by Thakin Pe Tint of the CPB and Maj. Gen. Aye Ko of the BSPP the following May in Lashio, three new conditions were put on the table by Aye Ko:


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The CPB was told that according to Article 11 of the 1974 Constitution which had established Burma as a one-party state there was no place for another political party. Ne Win ended the peace talks on 14 May and let the ceasefire deadline of 31 May with the KIO pass without replying to the Kachin position. There had been no ceasefire agreement with the CPB.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: Across the border in China, the CPB-sympathetic "Voice of the People of Burma" (VOPB) began to broadcast appeals for ending the insurgency in Burma, developing democracy in the country and building national unity in a new multi-party system. The CPB still commanded 15,000 troops in the northeast, and the Tatmadaw, after resuming the Operation King Conqueror belatedly in 1982 and having suffered losses amounting to several hundred in the Kengtung-Tangyang area from CPB counter-attacks, finally retreated. Both sides now faced another challenge in the rising strength of the NDF formed in 1976, pointedly excluding the Bamar, by the ethnic insurgencies uniting the Karen, Mon, Kachin, Shan, Pa-O, Karenni, Kayan, Wa and Lahu, particularly with the return of the KIO in 1983 after its separate peace talks with the BSPP failed. This finally led to the CPB reaching an agreement with the NDF in 1986.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: In November 1978 Thakin Ba Thein Tin presented a "political report" at a historic meeting of the politburo held in Pangsang, unanimously approved at the central committee meeting in early 1979. It formed the basis of the resolutions passed in September 1985 at the CPB's third congress, 40 years since the last one in Rangoon, attended by just 170 of the party's estimated 5,000 members.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: The party's general programme was drawn up in the light of "the experiences of the last 30 years of the armed struggle".


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: By 1987 the isolationist policies of Ne Win's "Burmese Way to Socialism" had decimated Burma's economy, and the United Nations designated the country as one of the world's least developed. Simmering discontent amongst the Burmese populace over the years was compounded by yet another round of demonetisation in late 1987. Protests and marches against the government began earnestly on 12 March 1988 and culminated in a nationwide uprising on 8 August 1988. The protesters succeeded in pressuring Ne Win and most BSPP officials to resign from their offices, but the Tatmadaw, after accusing the protesters of being communist agitators, seized power in a coup d'état on 18 September 1988 and violently suppressed the demonstrations.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: CPB politburo member Kyin Maung was forthright in admitting the presence of party cadres in the cities during demonstrations, but he asserted that the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) had greatly exaggerated the party's role in the uprising. The CPB had begun advocating a multiparty system after 1981, and on 28 March 1988 it called for a provisional government composed of various opposition groups and figures. The students' calls for the military to create an interim government and to hold multiparty elections fell on deaf ears, and the failure of U Nu and Aung San Suu Kyi to achieve a united opposition sealed the fate of the uprising.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: During the uprising, communists and moderate leftists were active organisers and supporters of the democracy movement and strike committees in the cities. Kyin Maung stated, "We had never said that we initiated the upheavals. Nor did we say that our cadres comprised the leading core. On the contrary, we firmly believe that the upheavals had so much impact only because all the forces for democracy took part. Marxism holds that it is the people who make history." Neither the CPB nor the NDF took advantage of the crisis that the government found itself in, as the former was evidently unprepared for an urban uprising as opposed to a peasant war, and many ethnic armed groups regarded the uprising as an internal Bamar issue.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: On 16 April 1989, a group of mutineers stormed the party headquarters in Pangsang and destroyed portraits of communist leaders and copies of communist literature. Many party members, including the senior leadership, were forced into exile and fled across the border into China. The party's ethnic Wa leaders in Pangsang later formed the United Wa State Army, while splinter groups led by Pheung Kya-shin and Sai Leun broke away and formed the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and National Democratic Alliance Army, respectively.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: On the morning of 1 February 2021, the Tatmadaw deposed the democratically elected members of Myanmar's civilian government in a military coup d'état. The CPB subsequently released a statement on the same day, condemning the coup and calling for a united front against the Tatmadaw.


title: Communist Party of Burma

text: CPB cadres reentered Myanmar through the China–Myanmar border in March 2021. Five months later in August 2021, the CPB announced that it had rearmed itself and established a new armed wing, the People's Liberation Army (PLA), to wage a "people's war" against the State Administration Council (SAC). The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) provided the PLA's initial supply of weapons and equipment.


title: Mallika Srinivasan

text: Mallika Srinivasan (born 1959) is an Indian industrialist and is the Chairman and Managing Director of Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited, a tractor major incorporated in 1960 at Chennai, India. She is also the Chairperson of the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) constituted by the Government of India. She is additionally on the Global Board of U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), and the Boards of AGCO Corporation - United States and Tata Steel Limited. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, the Governing Board of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai, Bharathidasan Institute of Management (BIM), Trichy, and a member of the Governing Body of Stella Maris College, Chennai.


title: Mallika Srinivasan

text: Mallika Srinivasan established TAFE as a mass manufacturer of tractors. She led the company's growth to its present status with revenues in excess of Rs. 10,000 Crores with diverse interests in tractors, farm machinery, diesel engines, generators, engineering plastics, hydraulic pumps and cylinders, batteries, automobile franchises and plantations.


title: Mallika Srinivasan

text: She led a variety of industry bodies such as the Tractor Manufacturers’ Association of India, the Madras Chamber of Commerce and has held various positions in industry bodies such as the Confederation of Indian Industry and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade.


title: Mallika Srinivasan

text: She supports organizations such as the Sankara Nethralaya (a leading eye care organization), the Cancer Hospital in Chennai, and a number of educational and healthcare facilities in Alwarkurichi, Tirunelveli district in South India. She is also a generous patron of the arts through her involvement in the promotion and support of Carnatic music through the Indira Sivasailam Foundation.


title: Mallika Srinivasan

text: She earned her degree in Mathematics from the Women's Christian College and later was a university gold-medalist in Econometrics from the University of Madras, she graduated as a member of the Dean's Honor List, and the Alpha Beta Gamma Society, from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, and was ranked as one of its top 125 most successful alumni.


title: Mallika Srinivasan

text: Srinivasan has received a number of accolades and awards. In 2011, she was voted Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young; awarded the Woman Leader of the Year award by "Forbes India"; and recognized by "Forbes Asia" as one of the Top 50 Asian Power Businesswomen.


title: Mallika Srinivasan

text: She was named among the six Most Powerful Women of India Inc. by "Business Today", while the Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) honored her with the ABLF Woman of Power Award. NDTV Profit, India's leading business television channel, accorded her the honor of Business Thought Leader of the Year 2012 Award, at the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards. In 2018, she was ranked fifth among India's Most Powerful Women in Business by "Fortune India". In 2020, she was awarded "Businesswoman of the year" at ET Prime Women Leadership Awards 2020.


title: H. Gary Morse

text: Harold Gary Morse (December 19, 1936 – October 29, 2014) was an American billionaire and the developer of the active adult retirement community The Villages, Florida.


title: H. Gary Morse

text: Morse was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Mary Louise and Harold Schwartz, who later moved to Arizona. His father Harold was Jewish. After the couple divorced, Mary Louise married Clifford Morse (Morse would later take his stepfather's surname) and lived in Central Lake, Michigan.


title: H. Gary Morse

text: H. Gary Morse was first married to Sharon Morse, who died in 1999. Morse and his second wife, Renee, lived together in a house in The Villages worth more than $1 million. Morse had three children — Mark Morse, Jennifer Parr and Tracy Morse— each of whom own and work for the Holding Company of the Villages Ltd. He is known for having had a private life, making little contact with other residents and not giving interviews to the media. Upon his death, his family issued the following statement regarding Morse's life:


title: H. Gary Morse

text: "Dad never sought the limelight. He was content to stay in the background and enjoy seeing Villagers revel in this amazing lifestyle of their adopted hometown. While he was a friend and adviser to captains of industry, presidents and heads of state, he never lost focus on this community and making it the greatest retirement development in the world."


title: H. Gary Morse

text: He was a close friend of former United States Surgical Corporation CEO Leon C. Hirsch, and is the grandfather of actress Megan Boone.


title: H. Gary Morse

text: Prior to being a land developer, Morse worked as an advertising executive in Chicago. In 1983, Morse moved to Florida to take over his father's business selling vacant lots to mobile home owners. Morse instead decided to build homes, restaurants, pools, and golf courses, and by 1986 Morse was selling more than 500 homes per year. In 2011, the Holding Company of the Villages Ltd. generated at least $550 million in revenue. Morse also was the proprietor of a bank, an insurance company, a local newspaper and other properties. Morse has been described as owning "just about everything" in the community.


title: H. Gary Morse

text: In 2008, Morse settled for a $40 million class-action lawsuit that alleged that he had misused monthly community amenity fees.


title: H. Gary Morse

text: The IRS investigated the special tax districts Morse used for The Villages on the basis that the bonds sold by the districts did not qualify for tax-exempt status. However, once the IRS learned that the bonds had been fully redeemed, the investigation was closed as moot.


title: H. Gary Morse

text: Morse, his children, and The Villages have donated tens of thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Florida Governor Rick Scott, and served as major fundraisers for George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. In addition, Morse donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Republican National Committee. Morse also used his 147-foot yacht, the Cracker Bay, for political gatherings. Upon receiving news of his death, Scott and United States Senator Marco Rubio issued separate statements on Morse's vision and ultimate realization of The Villages.


title: Telecommunications engineering

text: Telecommunications Engineering is a subfield of electrical engineering which seeks to design and devise systems of communication at a distance. The work ranges from basic circuit design to strategic mass developments. A telecommunication engineer is responsible for designing and overseeing the installation of telecommunications equipment and facilities, such as complex electronic switching systems, and other plain old telephone service facilities, optical fiber cabling, IP networks, and microwave transmission systems. Telecommunications engineering also overlaps with broadcast engineering.


title: Telecommunications engineering

text: Telecommunication is a diverse field of engineering connected to electronic, civil and systems engineering. Ultimately, telecom engineers are responsible for providing high-speed data transmission services. They use a variety of equipment and transport media to design the telecom network infrastructure; the most common media used by wired telecommunications today are twisted pair, coaxial cables, and optical fibers. Telecommunications engineers also provide solutions revolving around wireless modes of communication and information transfer, such as wireless telephony services, radio and satellite communications, internet, Wi-Fi and broadband technologies.