The Burma Independence Army (BIA) (later called the Tatmadaw) began negotiations with Allied forces, and worked alongside British forces to expel the Japanese army. Ultimately that cooperation with British forces led Burma to gain official independence. The military’s crucial role in securing Burma’s sovereignty not only increased distrust of foreign powers but also further substantiated the military’s argument that it is the sole savior of the nation. Following the end of World War II and the commencement of decolonization, the central Burmese government represented by General Aung San, and the formerly named Frontier Areas of Shan, Kachin and Chin signed the Panglong Agreement. Signed on the eve of Burma’s independence, the agreement stated that “Freedom will be more speedily achieved by the Shans, the Kachins and the Chin by their immediate cooperation with the Interim Burmese Government.” This was the key aspect of the Panglong Agreement in that it set the precedent for full control by central government and future military regimes. The Panglong Agreement also laid the groundwork for implementation of the Constitution of 1947, which officially established the federal structure of governance. Significantly, the 1947 Constitution granted the right of succession to designated “special division states” after a period of ten years (Human Rights Watch, n.d.). Future military regimes abandoned this right, instead creating the social and political circumstances conducive to warfare between ethnic armed organizations and the central militarydominated government. The fact that this aspect of the Panglong Agreement was essentially ignored highlights the military-state’s acute awareness of potential threats to its overall power as well as its obsession with maintaining absolute control. 54