Thonburi and Bangkok periods would inflict similar levels of destruction and atrocities as the Burmese in 1767, most notably the 1827 Sack of Vientiane during the Lao rebellion (1826–1828). In December 1954, U Nu, the first prime minister of the Union of Burma, on his first state visit to Bangkok, publicly apologized for Burma's past misdeeds. To this day, anti-Burmese feelings persist in the Thai world view. This enmity, at least among the Thai political leadership, manifested in the Thai "buffer zone" policy, which has provided shelter to, and at various times, actively encouraged and "sponsored" the several ethnic resistance groups along the border. The long-running ethnic rebellions by the Shan, the Mon, the Karen against the Burmese government would likely not be possible without the Thai government's active or passive support. Notes References Konbaung dynasty 1736 births 1776 deaths 18th-century Burmese monarchs