League). This political coalition garnered massive public support and served as the foundation for the modern-day nationalist movement (Aung-Thwin, 2019). After the conclusion of World War II and the decision by Britain to decolonize its colonial empire, General Aung San and a group of Burmese politicians and military figureheads traveled to London to determine the future of Burma as an independent nation. As a result of their discussions, the Aung San-Atlee Agreement was written and signed in January 1947 (Aung San-Atlee Agreement, 1947). The arrangement stipulated that general elections to establish a parliamentary democracy in Burma, elections would take place in April for the general non-communal, the Karen, and the Anglo-Burman constituencies as constituted under the Act of 1935, and for each constituency two members shall be returned. Any Burma nationals (as defined in Annex A) registered in a general constituency other than one of those mentioned above shall be placed on the register of a general non-communal constituency (Aung San-Atlee Agreement, 1947) Annex A of the Agreement defines a Burma national as a means to determine voting or candidacy eligibility. According to Annex A, to be considered a national, an individual had to be a British subject or the subject of an Indian State who was born within Burma’s borders and “reside there for a total period not less than eight years immediately preceding either 1 January 1942 or 1 January 1927” (Aung San-Atlee Agreement, 1947). Nationality and citizenship as stipulated in the Agreement is important because it sets the groundwork for future manipulation by the Tatmadaw. At Burma’s inception as an independent nation, ethnicity and citizenship were intimately linked together and used to achieve an outcome desired by the most powerful and influential politicians of the country. This provided the legal background upon which the Tatmadaw built its framework of maneuvers for maintaining control over the composition and functioning of the Burmese population. 61