Literary Talks (2018)

by Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

SF Bay Area

• Speakers : Aw Pi Kyeh & Min Ko Naing
• Sponsors include BADA, BAWA, Citizen of Burma Award, …
• Date : September 15, 2018
• Time : 5pm – 9+ pm
• Place : Swiss Park, Newark, CA

Aw Pi Kyeh

• Aw Pi Kyeh (Win Naing) is from the Class of 81 and 82.
• As “Mann Bei”, he contributed and managed the RIT Cartoon Box.
• He served as Secretary of the RIT Cartoon Association.
• He spoke about “Made in Myanmar”. He pointed out that his dress is made from neighboring countries. He lamented the loss of countless lives in Cyclone Nargis due to “insufficient knowledge” (e.g. about Disaster Recovery). His talk combines wit, and philosophy.
• During his study at Harvard, he proudly spent US$30 to buy a backpack labeled “Made in Myanmar”. His friend bought a similar backpack but labeled “Made in Sri Lanka”. The seam of his back pack broke after a week. Before his return to Myanmar, his friend gave him his backpack. He felt mad, but accepted it. He went on to use the backpack in Myanmar until it got discolored and his spouse asked him to stop using it.
• The message is that one not only needs Cetana but also the skills to provide “added advantage”. He gave examples of how others (nations and their companies) used our natural resources and our local talents to create products (and often sell them back at profit).
• He also requested those overseas to use “conversion” to understand the “thinking” of those living in Myanmar (possibly most of their lives) as a baby step to help making “Made in Myanmar” proud and reliable.

Min Ko Naing

• Min Ko Naing is the pen name of Paw Oo Tun (author, artist, student activist …).
• He was a 3rd year student at RASU, when he became a student leader of the 8-8-88 movement.
• He visited the San Francisco Bay Area a few years ago and talked about the injustice system and the brutal regimes.
• He gave a talk for the SF Bay Area Annual Talks 2018 along with Aw Pi Kyeh.
• There were some anecdotes about prison life. One political prisoner begged his prison mates to give him a pain reliever. Most people did not have courage to provide one. One had cetana and courage, but lacked medical knowledge. He gave Buspro to the wailing prisoner, who was relieved of pain forever.
• He recounted his observations of the educational and social systems of the countries that he had visited.
• He was impressed with some systems which take the nursery children out into the open and teach lessons from nature, and those that allow students to pursue any combination of subjects provided they envision a problem to solve using the mix.
• He lamented about how most parents and students in Myanmar prepare at all costs for that “all important Matriculation exam” to pursue two or three high profile professions.
• The talk is more suitable for the general audience in Myanmar.
• Kudos to the activist turned evangelist for critical thinking and social change.

Dr. Thynn Thynn wrote : Good observations Ko Hla Min…. I think he was trying to convince that the children in Burma deserve the benefits of open education system the children of the expat audience whom he had tried to seek support for the help of expat Burmese youth community to go in to Burma to help or some sort of set an example for those underprivileged kids in side the country. The talk was only half of what he came to say I think.

Dr. Nyunt Wai wrote : Good to know two of you are good friends. Converging point for technical and medical streams?

Trip to Los Angeles

The hosts choose the first talk to be held in Northern California and the final talk to be held in Southern California.

I had the chance to meet Aw Pi Kyeh twice and to meet Min Ko Naing thrice.

U Yu Ket (Edward Saw, EC85) gave me a ride to Los Angeles. Saya U Tin Htut hosted me and took me to two events :

• Annual dinner of BASES (as his guest)
• La Peunte monastery, which had a festival in the morning
  and the literary talk by Aw Pi Kyeh and Min Ko Naing in the afternoon.

Saya bought a book and received an autographed copy.

Aw Pi Kyeh told us that he did not drink during the Waso, but that he would resume drinking in a few days (at the end of the Buddhist Lent).

Literary Talk at the YSE Fund raiser

The Youth Society of Education invited two guest speakers at their Fund Raiser.

Myinmu Naing Moe

• Myinmu Naing Moe (Ohn Maung) is a poet, vocalist, author and publisher.
• He is a National Literary Award winner.
• He gave a literary talk on “His life and his Kabyas (Poems)”.
• He talked about “Su-Tu-Pyu” paradigm proposed by Sayagyi Minthuwun.
• He gave the background of his early school life, the sacrifice of his beloved mother, a story from Buddha’s time, Saya Zawgyi’s poems, and then recited poems.

May Kyawt Shin

She is a broadcaster, vocalist, and author.