TOKM

by Hla Min

Updated : Aug 2025

Book published for his 70th birthday

Memories

Book Presents

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint (SPHS60) receives books from his former students and from his god-children.

He received a book from Professor Dr. Nyunt Thein.

Dr. Nyunt Thein proposed to have some (if not all) of the examinations for MRCP to be held in Burma.

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint wrote :

Due to Nyunt Thein’s efforts, all parts of the exam are being conducted in Rangoon and Mandalay.

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint wrote :

I am so fortunate that books written by my former students are either given to me by the authors or bought for me by my niece Hnin Wit Yee or Min Thet Aung.

I got a signed copy of “The Female Voice of Myanmar” by Nilanjana Sengupta, translated into Burmese, by Myae Hmone Lwin. It was given to me by Ma Thida.

The book consist of articles about and by four eminent lady Burmese writers and activists: Ludu Daw Ah Mar, Daw Khin Myo Chit, Daw Aung San Su Kyi and my “daughter writer” Ma Thida (San Gyaung).

Please do not say that I am biased towards my daughter but I read the articles on Daw Ah Mar, Daw Khin Myo Chit and Daw Sung Dan Su Kyi once only but read and reread the articles by and on Ma Thida about three times or more.

Coming from a family whose members were at different times and at different lengths of incarceration by the military government, each article about Ma Thida in prison brought back sad memories of my own family. I had to pause even in the middle of each article as such memories flooded my mind.

From a very young age Ma Thida stand out among her contemporaries . A multifaceted person with deep attitudes and understanding of right and wrong, justice and injustice, tears welled up in my eyes reading what she went through in prison, and had to stop reading after going through some incidents described by her in the book.

I am happy and very proud that she can be what she is now, an activist, feminist, author and running PEN Myanmar and many more.

This book must be read in Burmese as in any other language, much would be lost in translation.