The State Religion Act was passed in 1961 after Prime Minister U Nu resumed leadership of Burma following a brief period of military rule. Unlike the 1947 constitution, which did not establish a national religion, this act made Buddhism the official state religion of Burma and formalized the government’s role as a religious patron. Passage of this act led to unrest among non-Buddhist minorities, which was used by General Ne Win to justify the 1962 military coup. Ne Win undid many of the previsions of this act in the years immediately following the coup.
