The Soviet republics became independent entities only after the union collapsed in 1991.
There is no separatist movement in Birobidzhan, but in recent years there has been something of a cultural revival in the area. Two years ago, the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the autonomous region was celebrated in style. Monuments honoring the first settlers and Sholom Aleichem were unveiled, a photo book was published, and the local authorities organized a sports festival for children called “Sholom-2004.” The booming border trade with China has also prompted some of its former inhabitants to return from abroad. A new arch at the entrance to Birobidzhan has the name of the town prominently displayed in Hebrew. Today, students can once again take Hebrew and Yiddish lessons as well as culture classes at schools and institutes in Birobidzhan—although it is uncertain how many are actually doing this.
And, as of 1991, Birobidzhan has been referred to by some as a “republic” rather than just an “oblast,” or area. Given the weakening of central power in Russia, many parts of this huge country are also becoming more autonomous, but by default rather than design. Birobidzhan is one of them, but the problem here is that there are so few Jews left that it cannot claim to have an ethnic identity that corresponds with the name of the territory.
A future, democratic and federal Burma could do well to study how other countries define regional autonomy. The tragic saga of Birobidzhan very clearly shows on what grounds and in accordance with which principles ethnic states or provinces should not be established. A “National Convention-type” showcase “union” would spell disaster—as would the emergence of de facto autonomy in peripheral areas only because the center is weak.
Moreover, the collapse of the Soviet Union—as well as Yugoslavia—into a number of states should serve as a warning against how fragile federations based on ethnicity can be. The US, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Malaysia are federations too, but their states are geographical areas, not territories where different ethnic groups are concentrated. Only India has an ethnically based federal system and that, not Birobidzhan, could serve as a model for a future Burma. A hastily drawn-up constitution, like the one in 1947, would not provide any lasting solution to Burma’s seemingly eternal ethnic problems.
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