La Birmanie, la France et la « question algérienne »

Drawing on French diplomatic archives, contemporary Burmese press publications and a number of interviews, this article highlights how France sought to prevent independent Burma from publicly addressing its foreign policy in Algeria between 1954 and 1962. It first reveals the existence of Burmese sympathies, particularly among socialist and student circles, for the Algerian nationalist movement. It then describes how the French intelligence services enacted surveillance measures to monitor Algerian envoys during their visits to Burma. Finally, this article explores how France attempted to deter successive Burmese governments from recognising the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic, which would have entailed a loss of French diplomatic influence at the United Nations.