RU Centennial Group

by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Daw Su Su

• First occupant of Room No. (1) at Inya Hall
• Wanted her daughters — Hazel, Olive & May — to have experience like her at the Inya Hall.
• Hazel & May spent a year at Inya Hall as room mates. Olive had to stay at the Hall for medical students.

• Danced three roles in the fund raiser for the Tekkatho Dhammayone. Her cousin Saya U Lu Pe Win (Pali and Kyauksar Scholar) directed the play. The rehearsal was assisted by U Nyi Pu (First male actor in a Burmese movie).

• Was honored at the Thet Kyee Pu Zaw Pwe (Paying homage to the elders) held at the Tekkatho Dhammayone.
• Her account was published in the Golden Jubilee Sar Saung of Inya Hall.

A1 Film

• Myanmar Ah Swe Film evolved into A1 Film.
• A1 U Tin Nwe & his family are known as Producers, Directors & Actors.
• U Nyi Pu founded Maha Weikzardo Film.
• U Tin Pe (Maung Maung Soe) founded Maung Maung Soe Film.
• A1 U Tin Maung acted alongside May Shin and other lead female actors before becoming a Director/Actor.
• Daw Khin Myint’s son U Tin Yu & son-in-law U Mya Maung are Director & Producer.

Feedback

• Thit Yine (alumnus of Yegyaw Methodist) wrote :
  Dr. Hla Shwe (Boon Chiong) stood First in the Matriculation examination of 1953 from Yegyaw Methodist, and that his class mate Ohn Khin stood Second. Yegyaw Methodist was well known before the Nationalization of schools.
• Thit Yine and Ko Ko shared the names of sayas (e.g. U Aung Myint, U Khin Zaw, U Ko Lay) who taught in the late 50s and early 60s.

• Po Shwe Kyu wrote :
  Credit to Saya Hla Min as being the most prolific writer in this group, and his archives and chronicles will be of greatest help to coming generations. Drs. Hla Shwe & Tin Maung returned to Burma around 1962-63. I don’t know Dr Hla Shwe but Dr. Tin Maung also resided at the Chummery during my short stay there. Chummery is a “Saya Lu Pyo Saung”.
• Myo Thaik wrote :
  Sayama Daw Khin Aye passed away last year. His cousin uncle Dr. Myint Thein won a Gold Medal for scoring highest marks in Chemistry in the I.Sc. examination, and later became the first Myanmar to received Ph.D in Nuclear Chemistry in the USA. He is currently staying with his son in Texas. He also wrote about “A Che A Nay Kaung” and “Ma Khan Chin Seik” that led him and his uncle cousin Dr. Win Naing to pursue their dreams to have doctorates.
• Myo Thaik wrote :
  Dr. Hla Shwe is Emeritus Professor, East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvannia, and then moved to California.

First in Burma

I knew that several SPHS students stood First in Burma in the Matric exam. They include

• U Ba Khin (Vipassana teacher, first native Auditor General)
• George Chapman (SPHS51)
• Dr. Nyunt Tin (SPHS52)
• Koon Yin Chu (Phillip, SPHS54)
• Dr. Soe Win (SPHS58)
• Dr. Frankie Ohn (SPHS59
• Dr. Khin Maung U (SPHS63)
• Bernard Khaw (SPHS65)

I was aware that students from other schools also scored Top in the some years.

• St. Peter’s High School, Mandalay
• Methodist English High School (MEHS)
• St. John’s Convent
• Yegyaw Mthodist
• Sacred Heart

Thanks to those who provided additional info and/or corrections

GBNF & Tone Kyaw

I have to be very careful in specifying persons as GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten).

There are at least three Tone Kyaw (person believed to have died) including me.

When my name sake CO U Hla Min (Chief Operator at UCC, who appeared healthier than me) passed away in his mid-30s, two Training Departments (from Co-op and Trade) inquired UCC where they could send a “Lwan Thu Pann Kway” (wreath) for me. My former class mate Moe Hein (Ajala with an extremely loud voice) was surprised when he saw me at the Kyandaw Cemetery. He said, “I have taken a day off to come here. I wondered why your brother did not tell that you had passed away.” I became a Tone Kyaw.

U Han Sein (C69, Ah Pho Gyi) was sentenced to 20 years for his alleged involvement in 8-8-88. His classmates, who were organizing the 30th Reunion of Graduation, inadvertently listed him as GBNF. He became a Tone Kyaw. He was released after 16 years (with the Amnesty Proclamation), but sadly, his family had been broken. He recently celebrated his 10 years of regained freedom.

When Dr. Tin Hlaing (Marine Technology) passed away in Singapore, some RIT inadvertently sent condolences to Saya Dr. Tin Hlaing (M63), who became a Tone Kyaw.

Mya Kyun Nyo Nyo Kun Yeik Kho

• The song was first recorded as a “Dat Pya” at Myanmar Ah Than (Burma Broadcasting Service). It was first sung by U Mya Thein and group. U Thet Lwin received 100 Kyats for his composition, and he treated his fellow Ah Nu Pyinnya Shins.
• In a TV interview, Saya played the song.
• The song has been sung in many events including the SPZPs (Saya Pu Zaw Pwe) of RIT Alumni.
• The Singapore “Pon Chan Chan Group” led by Don Min U Yu Swan recorded the song.
• The song was also sung at the Ceremony on December 1, 2019 to kick off the RU Centennial.
• The various versions can be listened from the Facebook Posts and You Tube.

Land marks

• Thit Pope Pinn is recognized by the Yangon Heritage Society.
• The tree was there even before the founding of the University of Rangoon, and it survived Cyclone Nargis.
• A few readers expressed displeasure to see the wired fences and the inexplicable disappearance of landmarks.

• The Convocation Hall is another land mark.
• Eons ago, the Prime Minister of the Union of Burma served as Chancellor of the University of Rangoon, and also delivered “Commencement Speech” at the graduation.
• I posted the program of the 1958 Convocation which listed about 30 prize winners (Gold Medals, Silver Medals and Books).
• U Soe Paing, my mentor at RIT and UCC, received two Gold medals (after paying 150 Kyats for each Gold Medal, because the original endowments no longer covered the “rising cost” of Gold for the Medals). He had the highest score for I.Sc. (A) and (B) combined. He had the joint highest Maths score for I.Sc. exams — with two other students.
• In 1962, Dr. Myint Tun (Henry Cho Tun) won the Gold Medal for the highest score for I.Sc.(A) and (B) combined. U Myat Thwin (ChE66) beat him by one point for the highest score in Mathematics for I.Sc.(A) and (B) combined.

Autograph

Ma Chit Swe (Hazel Kyaw Zaw’s mother) was a Junior I.A. (Intermediate of Arts) student in 1936. Hazel has posted her mother’s autograph.

Daw Hla Myint, a close friend of Hazel’s mom, wrote a lovely poem. Many were unaware of her talent. She had to leave the University before graduation to get married to U Tu Maung. Saya U Tu Myint (Winston Tu Maung) was our saya at RIT and later taught at Singapore Polytechnic until retirement. Dr. Hla Maung (Ronald Tu Maung, MEHS65) moved to the UK. Her siblings include Dr. Pe Nyun (Pediatric Surgeon, who led the operation of conjoined twins Ma Nan Soe and Ma Nan San), Dr. Pe Thein (Professor and Retired Minister), Daw Ivy San Pe and Daw Flora San Pe.