Father to the current State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and commonly referred to as the father of modern-day Myanmar, Major General Aung San spent his life fighting for Myanmar independence.
Right after college, Aung San initially attempted to garner support through communism, but soon was forced to flee the country for the charges of revolt against Britain. While Aung San was trying to escape to China in 1940, the Japanese intercepted him at Amoy. The Japanese persuaded him to side with the Japanese and promised to give him training and supplies to fight against the British.
At first Aung San trained in Hainandao. Then the Japanese moved him to Tamasato (玉里 Yuli, Hualian) for further training before sneaking Aung San back into Myanmar.
Aung San had a more checkered record during the war, helping the Japanese to sack Yangon, and defeated the Allies several times, with reports of cruelty towards war prisoners. The Japanese also had him break away from the communist party which he himself founded. Aung San even had a Japanese name, Omota Monji, and received medals from the Japanese emperor.
After the Japanese established a Myanmar regime under their control, Aung San became disillusioned. By 1943 Aung San switched allegiances, and fought the Japanese with the communists and the British.
Wonder what kind of training the Japanese gave him during his time in Taiwan.
Apparently he was just one of the Thirty Comrades to be so trained
A Japanese officer called Suzuki Keiji, better known among the Burmese by his nom de guerre Bo Mogyo (Commander Thunderbolt) and head of a special intelligence unit called Minami Kikan (南機関) formed in order to support a national uprising in Burma, was the mentor and principal trainer of the Thirty Comrades.
The Thirty Comrades were instrumental in preventing the Allies from protecting the Burma road. About the same time they came to Taiwan for training, President Roosevelt signed a secret deal in April 1941 to supported China with planes, pilots and training, hoping to keep Burma road operational.
When the thirty comrades and their Japanese cohorts returned to Burma in December 1941, they pretty much ran over all defenders. The Chinese and the British were forced to respond by signing a treaty to form a joint effort to defend Burma road 2 days before Christmas that year. The Chinese Expeditionary Force was born as a result of that.
The 400 thousand Chinese Expeditionary Force went to Burma and encountered the Japanese and Aung San led Burmese troops. They were brutally cut down. When ordered by Stilwell to retreat into India, most of the Chinese forces insisted on retreating back to China through dense jungles, and suffered even heavier losses. About 200 thousand were lost through out the campaign.
The forces retreated to India became the New First Army led by general Sun Li-jen (who died in Taiwan and spent most of his time here under house arrest by CKS and CJK). They were trained by the British and the Americans, and were highly effective when they returned to Burma in 1943.
Of course by then Aung San also switched to side with the Allies, so it’s entirely possible they were more effective simply because the locals cooperated.