East Asia Youth League

   A mass organization established by the Japanese Military Administration (Gunseikanbu) in June 1942, with as many as 65,000 members by late 1944. Many of its initial recruits were veterans of the Burma Independence Army. The League had a nationwide network of several hundred branches and promoted sports, social welfare, and civic activities. Because it enjoyed greater autonomy than other wartime groups, the League became an important vehicle for mobilizing young people for the independence struggle. The central leadership espoused cooperation with the Japanese, but local League members often had close ties to the Communist Party of Burma.

   See also Japanese Occupation.