Socialist Meaning-Making Through Rice and the 1967 Rice Riots in Burma/Myanmar

During Burma’s Socialist Era (1962–1988), rice was not just a staple — it was a symbol of state power and everyday resistance.

Declared property of the state, rice production was tightly controlled through a web of permits and quotas. Yet farmers subverted this system, withholding high-quality grain for personal use or the black market while supplying inferior rice to the government. These quiet acts of defiance turned rice into a contested site of negotiation between state and society. In August 1967, simmering tensions erupted into rice riots across the country, culminating in a brutal crackdown in Sittwe, where dozens were killed. This talk explores how rice became central to socialist meaning-making, resistance, and the politics of survival in Burma.

Speaker & chair biographies

Dr. Tharaphi Than is a historian and interdisciplinary scholar whose research weaves together feminism, social movements, and print media. Her recent work includes two edited volumes featuring practitioners’ narratives through a feminist lens. She currently works as an Associate Professor at Northern Illinois University and volunteers with the Virtual Federal University, providing alternative education opportunities for students in Myanmar.

Prof. John Sidel is Director of the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, and the Sir Patrick Gillam Professor of International and Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

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