▁pl ung ed ▁into ▁civil ▁war ▁with ▁not ▁only ▁Bur man ▁ins urg ent ▁groups ▁but ▁also ▁eth nic ▁minor ities ▁including ▁the ▁Kar en ▁National ▁Union ▁( K NU ), ▁Mon , ▁Pa - O , ▁national ist ▁R akh ine ▁and ▁the ▁M uj ah ide en ▁of ▁R akh ine ▁Muslim s . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁post - in dep end ence ▁general ▁elections ▁were ▁held ▁over ▁several ▁months ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁with ▁the ▁AF P FL ▁and ▁its ▁al lies ▁winning ▁ 1 9 9 ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 5 0 ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Deput ies . ▁ ▁Parliament ary ▁rule ▁and ▁split ▁Although ▁the ▁AF P FL ▁was ▁returned ▁to ▁office ▁again ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁elections , ▁the ▁results ▁came ▁as ▁a ▁shock ▁as ▁the ▁opposition ▁left - wing ▁coal ition , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁National ▁United ▁Front ▁( NU F ) ▁and ▁led ▁by ▁A ung ▁Th an , ▁older ▁brother ▁of ▁A ung ▁San , ▁won ▁ 3 7 % ▁of ▁the ▁vote ▁and ▁ 4 8 ▁seats ▁in ▁the ▁Chamber ▁of ▁Deput ies . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁despite ▁an ▁economic ▁recovery ▁and ▁the ▁unexpected ▁success ▁of ▁U ▁Nu ' s ▁' Ar ms ▁for ▁Dem ocracy ' ▁offer ▁that ▁saw ▁the ▁surrender ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁ins urg ents ▁most ▁not ably ▁the ▁P VO , ▁the ▁AF P FL ▁had ▁become ▁r