1974 Burmese coup d'état

A military coup d'état in the Socialist Republic of Burma was carried out by several senior members of the Burmese Armed Forces (Tatmadaw) on 17 September 1974 and has resulted in the overthrow of the Burmese Socialist Party Programme and the ejection of General Ne Win from the state presidency.

The Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma, proclaimed just few months before, on March, faced several political and economic issues that were rapidly deteriorating. Ne Win decided to adopt an autarchic economic system to avoid bad luck, closed off all imports and exports and isolated Burma from the outside world. The Burma Socialist Programme Party was transformed in a tool used by the leadership to legitimize it's government in front of the citizenry. In June 1974, several riots were organized by students in Rangoon to protest the poor conditions and totalitarianism. Ne Win imposed draconian measures to counter the protests, including the kidnapping of rioters who were brought to the jungles and executed there. The renewed offensive of rebel groups in Shan states against the central government and general unrest caused internal factions of the military to intervene.

On the morning of 17 September 1974, Brigadier General Saw Maung, along with Lieutenant Colonel Than Shwe and Colonel Maung Aye, mobilized the 4th Field Army and moved towards Rangoon, whereby 2 PM government buildings were seized and Ne Win was put under house arrest. Nextly, at 3:45 PM, Saw Maung addressed the nation through a radio speech, announcing the introduction of Martial Law for an indefinite period of time and the creation of the State Law and Order Council, an institution which would have "saved the nation from imminent collapse". Three days later, on September 20, all state institutions, constitution and legislature were suspended. The last change made to the basic law was on 21 September, and the country was renamed Republic of Burma, ending socialist rule of the country which began in 1962.