The civil war in Burma or Myanmar broke out after the country's independence in 1948, as successive central governments of Burma fought numerous radical and racial rebellions. Some of the earliest insurgencies were made by Marxist groups – Communist Party of Burma (CPB) and Red Flag Communist Party - and by the Karen National Union (KNU). One year after Burma‘s independence from the British in January 1949, the Karen National Defense Organization (KNDO) was established to challenge against the U Nu‘s Government. The KNDO later became KNLA and its political wing became the Karen National Union (KNU).