Author: Hla Min (Lifelong Learner)

Aung Thu Yein
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

Highlights

Aung Thu Yein
- Alias : A Nyo & Brownie Way
- Younger brother of Dr. Thet Htar Way
- Classmate at SPHS, I.Sc & RIT.
ATY (Standing 2nd from right)

St. Paul’s High School
- Classmates in Std VIII(A), IX(A) and X(A).
- In the lower classes, he was in Section (C). I was in Section (D).
- Stood 13th in the whole of Burma in the Matric exam of 1963.
- Won Collegiate Scholarship. Only 40 of the 100 scholarship awards were given to students from private schools.
- SPHS had five in the Top Five, seven in the Top Ten, and ten in the top Twenty. Khin Maung U (1st), Min Oo (2nd), Myo San (Freddie, 3rd), Nyunt Wai (Victor, 4th), Thein Wai (5th), Hla Min (7th), Aung Kyaw Zaw (Johnny, 9th), Maung Maung Kyi (11th), Aung Thu Yein (Brownie, 13th), Khin Maung Zaw (Frank, 17th).
- Has a soft heart.
- Before the Matric exam, he read several subjects to Nyunt Wai (Victor), who was sick & could not study. Brownie could take credit for Victor’s success. Victor stood 4th in Burma & became medical professor in IM & Malaysia.
Dr. Nyunt Wai wrote :

Being my best friend since standard IV, I could write volumes about him. For now only two points: (1) my friend was called “ANyo”(Brownie) because he had much darker complexion compared with his elder brother (very fair complexion); this contrast repeated in the case of his two sons; (2) the brown brothers passed away years ahead of their fairer counterparts.

University Days
- We attended the last ever I.Sc.(A) at Leik Khone in 1963. We took the Science Option.
- After a long closure citing Security Concerns following the July 7th Anniversary, a new Education System was established in November 1964.
- Admitted to the first ever 2nd BE at the Gyogone Campus.
- Chose Electrical Engineering as Major & EC (Electrical Communications) as Option.
EE69
- Played Soccer and Tennis
ATY 3
- Learned to smoke — trying to fend off mosquitoes in the RIT rest rooms.
- Learned social drinking from his classmates (e.g “Robert” Win Boh) after the last paper of the RIT final exam.
After Graduation
- One of 13 EC Graduates
- Had a successful career at MOC/Schlumberger, & several foreign assignments.
- Became a heavy smoker & drinker. Felt lonely after the loss of spouse & eldest son.
- Had minor & not-so-minor health problems.
- Quit drinking & smoking for some time, but he still felt the urge.
Last Meeting (in March 2012)
- I visited Yangon to take part in preparations for SPZP-2012 (scheduled for December).
- Zaw Lai came to see me. We decided to surprise Brownie. He trusted people. He did not lock his house. He closed the gate & boarded Zaw Lai’s car.
- Zaw Lai coaxed him to take a couple of drinks.
- That dinner at Zaw Lai’s apartment would be remembered as Brownie’s farewell.
- Brownie did not show up at the 69er breakfast gathering at Royal Rose. The gathering was cut short when we learned that Brownie was in ICU and that the 69er HCF organizers would go to see him.
- Kyaw Zin took Win Lwin, Khin Maung Bo & me to the ICU. Brownie’s son, who is a medical doctor, said that Brownie was not ready for another operation. We left with samvegha that he could very well be No 61 (on Aung Min’s GBNF list). Win Lwin told me to meditate and also “do something for yourself”.
- I spent several days at the Kaba Aye Sun Lun Gu Kyaung as a monk. Sayadaw U Wara (ChE70) was my preceptor.
- During that period, Brownie remained unconsciousness and he finally succumbed.
- My 69er friends notified Brownie’s demise to my siblings, but requested not to notify me at the monastery.
  They did not want to disrupt my meditation practice.
May Brownie be able to share my merits.

Ah Hmya, ah hmya, ah hmya.

Updates

Samvegha
- Three Scholarship winners from SPHS63 — Brownie, Freddie & Maung Maung Kyi — are GBNF
- Five EC69ers — Kyaw Soe, Brownie, Chit Tin, Oo Kyaw Hla & Sai Aik Yee — are GBNF
- 128 69ers (over 40% of the Class) are GBNF. The GBNF list is maintained by Aung Min (M69) & team
- Several RIT EE Sayas — U Kyaw Tun, U Sein Hlaing, U Tin Swe, U Sein Win, U Thein Lwin, Dr. San Tint, U Soe Min, U Chin Way & U Nyi Nyi — are GBNF. For SPZP-2010, I wrote “A Sad & Short Clip : EE Sayas”. Two sayas — U Thein Lwin & U Nyi Nyi — have passed away since the article was published.
RIT EE Sayas

Posts
- 69er
- EE69er
- Electrical Engineering
- Memories of a 69er
- SPHS63
June 11, 2026
Beelin Sayadaw
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

U Pyinnyadipa ဘီးလင်းဆရာတော်ဦးပညာဒီပ
- Patron, Panditarama Monastery
- Former Chief Sayadaw, Hse Mile Gone Monastery
- Former Chief Sayadaw, Tathagata Meditation Center, San Jose, California, USA
- Passed away in Yangon on June 18, 2025
Beelin 1

Beelin 2

Beelin 3

Beelin 4

Beelin 5

Beelin 6

Memories
- I was Interpreter for some of Sayadaw’s dhamma talks at TMC.
- Sayadaw published dhamma books.
Book
- Visited Sayadaw at the Hse Mile Gone monastery and at the Shwe Taung Gone monastery
Posts
- Dhamma Books
- Sayadaw
- Tathagata Meditation Center
- Vipassana Meditation
Beelin 2
- I was Interpreter for some of Sayadaw’s talks (at TMC)
June 11, 2026
De La Salle Schools
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

De LaSalle Brothers

St. John Baptist De La Salle founded the Order in the Catholic Church.

A Brother takes three vows:
- Chasity
- Loyalty
- Poverty
The mission of the Brothers is to promote Education.

They build De La Salle Schools in several Countries.

De La Salle Schools in Burma

First Two Schools

In 1860, De La Salle Brothers set up St. Patrick’s High School in Moulmein (Mawlamyaing).

A few months later, the Brothers set up St. Paul’s High School in Rangoon (Yangon).

Celebrations

Centennial Celebrations were held in 1960.

Sesquicentennial Celebrations were held in 2010.

Schools & Badges

De La Salle Schools
- St. Patrick’s High School, Moulmein
- St. Paul’s High School, Rangoon
St. Paul’s HS Badge

St. Paul’s HS Blazer Coat
- St. Peter’s High School, Mandalay
- St. Albert’s High School, Maymyo
- St. Joseph’s High School, Loikaw
- St. Columban’s High School, Bhamo
- De La Salle School, Twante
B.O.B
- Brothers’ Old Boys
- Former Students of De La Salle Schools
- A senior did not like being called B.O.B
Paulians

Students from St. Paul’s HS are known as Paulians.

Former students are known as Old Paulians. They include
- U Ba Khin — Auditor General, Vipassana Teacher
- U Tin Tut — First ICS by Invitation
U Tin Tut
- U Chan Htoon — Justice
- Dr. Ba Han — Law Professor, Lexicographer
Dr. Ba Han
- Dr. Ba Maw — RU English Lecturer, Politician, Adipati
- U Than Aung — SPHS Burmese Teacher, AFPFL Minister of Education
SPHS Honor Roll

Honor Roll

During our school days, St. Paul’s HS displayed an Honor Roll with Outstanding Matriculates starting from the 1950s.

U Ba Khin stood First in Matric in the Pre-war days.

Post-war saw SPHS heading the top list for most academic years. The following Paulians stood First in Burma in the Matric exam.
- George Chapman (1951)
- Dr. Nyunt Tin (1952) — heading Top Two
- Koon Yin Chu (1954)
- Dr. Soe Win (1958) — heading Top Two
- Dr. Frankie Ohn (1959) — heading Top Four
- Dr. Khin Maung U (1963) — heading Top Five
After nationalization, the Honor Roll disappeared.

It was recovered by Ko Soe Nyunt (Taw Win Hnin Si, SPHS66).

It is now displayed in St. Paul’s Museum.

Old Paulian’s Association

During our school days, Old Paulian’s Association (OPA) was inside the school compound.

SPHS63

OPA Invitation

Dinner in 1963

On 30th June 1963, ten of us were invited to the Annual OPA Dinner.
- Khin Maung U (1st)
- Min Oo (2nd)
- Myo San (Freddie Ba San, 3rd, GBNF)
- Nyunt Wai (Victor Nyunt, 4th)
- Thein Wai (5th)
- Hla Min (7th)
- Aung Kyaw Zaw (Johnny Maung Maung, 9th)
- Maung Maung Kyi (11th, GBNF)
- Aung Thuyein (Brownie Way, 13th, GBNF)
- Khin Maung Zaw (Frank Gale, 17th)
After Nationalization

On 1st April 1965, private schools were nationalized. Non-native Brothers moved left Burma. e.g Bro Charles to UK, Bro Felix to Germany, Bro Austin to Malaysia.

SPHS became No. 6 Botathaung State High School.

OPA moved out of the school compound. Sadly, OPA allowed non-Paulians to join for billiards and drinks.

Revival

It took some time before Old Paulians — mostly from late 50s and early 60s — took over OPA and organized Reunions & Acariya Pu Zaw Pwes.

OPA also awarded prizes to the children of Old Paulians who had done well academically (mostly in high school).

OPA held Acariya Pu Zaw Pwes yearly.

Pu Zaw Pwe Invitation

SPHS Sayas & Sayamas

SPHS Brothers & Sayas

Some joined SPHS from KG. They would know more sayas & sayamas than me.

SPHS Sayas & Sayamas

After standing second in 3rd standard at PPBRS (Private Primary Boundary Road School), I transferred to Std. IV (D) at SPHS. As Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint noted, most of the transfer students were placed in Section (D).

Sections (A) & (B) were reserved for bright students and some Catholics.

I had to be in the Top Two for four consecutive years, before I was assigned to Section (A) in Std. VIII.

My Class Teachers include :
- Ms. A Benjamin (IVD)
- Mrs. V Boudville (VD)
- U Pe Tin (VID)
- U Nge (VIID)
- Brother Anthony (VIIIA)
- Brother Xavier (IXA)
- Brother Austin (XA)
Ms. Amelia Kyi

(Miss Hong Kong)

She taught us English in VI and VII Standards. She would fine 25 pyas for failing the weekly test. However, she would reward 50 pyas for topping the test. My daily pocket money was 25 pyas.

Brother Xavier

He taught us English in VIII and IX. He would mark a dictation test starting out with 100 and then subtracting 10 for every spelling error. One of my classmates ended with -130.

He would also punish (often with a cane) for making grammatical mistakes.

For some reason, Brother Xavier stopped being strict after he transferred from St. Paul’s to St. Albert’s.

After Nationalization, he moved back to UK. He supposedly left the Order.

Brother Austin

He taught us English in X. He also taught “Morals and Manners” for the period when the Catholic students studied Catechism. He was School Librarian and also in charge of the 8mm projector. Every week, he would take us to the School Library (which had books donated by Ford Foundation & Asia Foundation), ask us to check out a book and write a review over the weekend.

For “Morals and Manners” class, he would ask us to recite poems from the book. The first three who recited perfectly could take “time off for the rest of the period”. I was lucky to win a few special prizes : a ticket to see “1960 Rome Olympics” documentary at Thamada (President) cinema, and a book covering North America (complete with history and atlas).

He abhorred plagiarism. He said, “It’s okay if you do not have time to finish your homework. But don’t copy other’s works. It’s a waste of time for you and me.”

Contrary to his expectations, I did not end up in the Top Three. I stood 7th.

After Nationalization, Brother Austin moved to a De La Salle School in Malaysia, and continued teaching until his demise.

Saya Sein

He was our Burmese teacher in High School. He taught us “Mingala Pa Pun Lu Na Ta Tu Ti Sein Ta Ti Ti Mingala” as an example of giving the meaning of Pali words. He is the father of Dr. Soe Win (1st in Burma in 1958, Chemistry Saya, Administrator at ICST, Retired Rector of YUFL)

Saya Kyaw Sein (brother in law of Saya Sein) taught VII(A) and was our relieving teacher.

Subject Teachers
- Brother Clementian — Maths
- Brother Joseph — Lab
- Saya Beatson — Physics
- Saya D’Cruz — Chemistry
- Saya Nyunt Maung — Burmese & Art Subjects
- Saya Htay Myint — History & Geography
- Saya Htwe — Art Subjects
Relieving Teachers
- Saya Lewis — English
- Saya Timms — English
- Saya Kyaw Khin — Maths
- Saya Johnny Myo — Maths
- Saya M. Hla Min — Physics
- Saya Hla Myint — Physics
- Saya Kyaw Oo — Class Teacher from different section
- Saya Aye — Class Teacher from different section
- Saya San Thein — Class Teacher from different section
SPHS VI D

SPHS VIII A

VIII B

Updates
- Some schools have an associated Juniorate or Seminary.
- Three classmates — Bernard Taylor, Edwin David & Anthony Lourdes — became Priests.
- Most of our sayas are GBNF. The exception is Uzin Beatson (former Physics teacher & Scout master).
Uzin Beatson & former students
- U Aye (M62) matriculated from St. Patrick’s HS. He posted some photos and mentioned some Outstanding students.
- Some students joined St. Paul’s HS but matriculated from No. 6 Botathaung SHS.
- St. Paul’s Museum was opened on the recent St. Paul’s Day (29th June). U Nay Oke (St. Paul’s) is a Patron of OPA.
Nay Oke
- St. Peter’s HS students were 1st, 2nd and Joint 3rd in the Matric of 1956.
- Albertians — Zaw Min & Tommy Shwe — were admitted as Top Students to RIT in November 1964.
- David Myint Thein (M69) and Khin Maung Myint (M70) matriculated from St. Columban’s HS.
Posts
- Badges & Mottos
- Matriculation
- Paulians
- Schools
- St. Patrick’s High School
- St. Paul’s High School
June 11, 2026
Mechanical Engineering
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

ဆရာ (တချို့)

Late 1980s
- Sayagyi U Ba Than & Staff
- U Maung Maung Than (Rector)
- U Kyin Soe later became Professor & Rector
- Some sayas were on Deputation (e.g studying in Australia)
- Two sayamas
- Some are now GBNF
Mech Sayas in late 1980s

U Aung Khin ဦးအောင်ခင် — Mech Engg ပါမောက္ခ ငြိမ်း

First native Professor

Moved to Canada

အကြံပေး၊ Advisor, RIT Alumni International

U Aung Khin

U Ba Than ဦးဘသန်း (GBNF) — Mech Engg ပါမောက္ခ ငြိမ်း

Second native Professor

အကြံပေး၊ Advisor, Engineering Library

အကြံပေး၊ Early supporter & host of HMEE project

U Ba Than

U San Tun ဦးစံထွန်း — Auto Engg ဌာနမှူး ငြိမ်း

President, BEA

U San Tun

U Tin Hlaing ဦးတင်လှိုင် (ကွယ်လွန်) — Agri Engg ဌာနမှူး ငြိမ်း

President, All Universities’ Hockey

U Tin Hlaing

U Tin Htut ဦးတင်ထွဋ် — ကထိက ငြိမ်း

Captain & Gold, RUBC

Founder & President, BASES

Donor, YTU Library project

U Tin Htut

U Tun Shwe ဦးထွန်းရွှေ

Patron, SDYF

U Tun Shwe

U Tin Maung Nyunt ဦးတင်မောင်ညွန့် — Agri ဆရာ ငြိမ်း

President, RIIT သိုင်း

Donor, YTU Library project

U Tin Maung Nyunt

U Maung Maung Win ဦးမောင်မောင်ဝင်း — ကထိကငြိမ်း

RIT Automobile Club

U Maung Maung Win

Dr. Tin Win Dr တင်ဝင်း — ကထိကငြိမ်း

President, BASES

Organizer, 2015 Alumni Reunion in LA

Dr. Tin Win

Mao Toon Siong

Champion, Table Tennis

National Coach, Table Tennis

Mao Toon Siong

U Kyi ဦးကြည်

Perfect score in 4 subjects in Final Year

Head, Aeronautical Engg

U Kyi

S Arya (GBNF)

Had cute accent

See post by Dr. Myint Thein (Ba Thein, Atlanta)

S Arya

U Phone Myint ဦးဖုန်းမြင့်

Workshop Superintendent

After retirement, visited daughters in Jamaica, Malaysia & USA

U Phone Myint

Dr. Tin Hlaing

Moved to Singapore

Organizer, SPZP-2002

Dr. Tin Hlaing

U Soe Lwin ဦးစိုးလွင် (ကွယ်လွန်)

U Soe Lwin

U Win ဦးဝင်း

U Win

S ကျော်အေး (ကွယ်လွန်)

S Kyaw Aye

U Lay Aung ဦးလေးအောင်

U Lay Aung

U Kyaw Myint ဦးကျော်မြင့်

U Kyaw Myint

U Kyaw Sein ဦးကျော်စိန် (ကွယ်လွန်)

Archived Pon Tu’s of Sayas (by Bagyee Myat Myo Myint)

Dr. Kyaw Sein Dr ကျော်စိန်

RIT Weightlifting and Body Building

Retired Professor from YIT & Malaysian University

U Myo Win ဦးမျိုးဝင်း (ကွယ်လွန်)

Rowing

RIT Automobile Club

Taught at Wagga Wagga University, Australia

U Myo Win

U Hla Myint ဦးလှမြင့်

ရေကူး၊ ဝါတာပိုလို

Chaired RIT Alumni Gathering in Sydney, Australia in 2006

U Hla Myint

Dr. Nyo Win

Organizer, SPZP-2000
Founding Member, RIT Alumni International
Founding Member, NorCal RITAA

Worked for Tech Companies in USA & Taiwan

U Nyo Win (2nd)

U Lin ဦးလင်း

Rowing

RIT Buddhist Association

SPZPs in Yangon

U Lin

GBNF
- U Ba Than
- Dr. Chan Nyein
- U Han Tun
- U Khin Maung
- U Kyaw Sein
- U Myo Win
- S Arya
- S Kyaw Aye
- U Soe Lwin
- U Thein Tun Aung
- U Tin Hlaing
- U Tin Maung Oo
- …
Updates
- Need help to organize / integrate the posts.
- Several are GBNF. See partial list in the post.
- U Aung Khin is in Canada. He stays fit by playing Tennis & Golf.
- U San Tin, Tin Htut, Dr. Tin Win, Mao Toon Siong, U Tin Maung Nyunt, U Kyaw Myint & Dr. Nyo Win are in USA.
- U Maung Maung Win & U Hla Myint are in Australia.
- U San Tun, Dr. Kyaw Sein & U Lin had medical treatment.
Posts
- U Aung Khin
- U Ba Than
- From BIT to YTU
- HMEE
- Mech Sayas
June 11, 2026
Alumni & Associations
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

RIT Alumni helped establish the following Associations in California :

BEA

Burmese / Bay Area Engineers Association
- Saya U Htin Paw (EE58, GBNF) was a founding member of BEA & served as the First President. He was President of TBSA. He wrote articles for RIT Alumni Newsletter & SPZP-2000.
U Htin Paw
- Saya U San Tun (Sain Fone Wong, M59) succeeded U Htin Paw as President. He invited us to his birthday party & his son’s wedding reception. He had a Stroke. He is recuperating.
U San Tun
- Saya K C Chiu (Dr. Tin Aung, ChE63) succeeded U San Tun as President. He proposed the idea of forming BEA with sayas and alumni in the SF Bay Area. Lily (T73) agreed to be Secretary.
K C (Right)

Lily (Seated, Center)
- BEA merged with BASTS into BAPS.
BAPS

Burmese American Professional Society
- Saya U Nyo Win (Dr. K H Chen, M65) served as the first President of BAPS. He also served as Editor of BAPS Newsletter.
U Nyo Win (2nd)
- Benny Tan (Tan Yu/Eu Beng, M70) succeeded U Nyo Win as President
Benny
- Maurice Chee (U Hla Myint Thein, M75) succeeded Benny Tan as President
Maurice (Seated Right)
- The Three became founding members of RIT Alumni International and Core Organizers for SPZP-2000.
BASES

Burmese American Society for Engineers and Scientists
- Saya U Tin Htut (M60), U Tin Htway (M59) and U “David” Tun Tin founded BASES. They adapted the BAPS bye-laws and added the needs for those in Southern California.
U Tin Htut
- Several sayas and alumni served President, VP, Secretary, Advisor & EC member. They include U Tin Htway (M59), Saya Dr. Chris Lee (L Tin Htun, EE59), Saya U Tin Htut (M60), Saya Dr. Tin Win (M62), U Tun Aung (Jefferey, EC68), U Aung Khin (EP68), U Tin Nwe (Milton, C68), U Khin Maung Lay (Henry, T68), U Thura Thant Zin (M76) & U Win Naing (Michael, M81)
Thura

RIT Alumni International

SF Bay Area Alumni Group
- Founded by the SF Bay Area Alumni Group led by Saya Allen Htay.
SF Bay Area Alumni
- To host SPZP-2000
- To support RIT Alumni Newsletter (founded by U Hla Min, EC69), and the first RIT website (designed & implemented by U Khin Maung Zaw, EC76).
U Hla Min
- Saya Allen served as President.
- Maurice served as Treasurer. He and Benny chaired the Working Committee for SPZP-2000. They wore multiple hats for SPZP-2000.
- Founding members included Saya Allen (C58), Saya K (ChE63), Saya Nyo (M65), Saya George (ChE66), Saya Myat Htoo (C68), Hla Min (EC69), Benny (M70), Saya Thein Aung (Met72), Maurice (M75), KMZ (EC76) and Gordon (M83).
SPZP-2000 Organizers
- Several more sayas and alumni (including BAPS and BASES members) volunteered for SPZP-2000.
Norcal RITAA
- Founded to continue the Vision & Mission of RIT Alumni International.
NorCal RITAA
- Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE66) served as the first President. Successors : Gordon Kaung (M83), U Aung Myint Oo (EC84) and U Tin Maung Win (C76)
Saya U Maung Maung
- Stan Liou (M67) served as first Chair of BOD (Board of Directors). Successor : Saya U Myat Htoo (C68)
YTU Library
- Activities: Financial support for children of alumni in Norcal & for eligible YTU students; Support for YTU Library Modernization; Annual Dinner and/or Picnic; Coordinated with BASES for 2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles
Posts
- Alumni Worldwide
- Associations
- Gatherings
- RITAA
- SPZP
June 11, 2026
Souvenirs
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

Golden Jubilee

Present from KMZ

Birthday Wishes

Birthday Wishes
- Maurice Chee (M75) organized a Birthday Soon Kyway at Dhammananda Vihara, Half Moon Bay on August 20, 2016.
- He prepared electronic & hard copy of the birthday wishes.
Awards & Birthday Cards
- Another set was for attendees, who had not sent wishes by e-mail.
- Thanks to the sayas, colleagues and friends for a memorable gathering.
Appreciation from Alumni in US & Canada
- Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi could not attend the soonkyway, but he requested Maurice to donate a food dish for him & his family.
  Sayagyi’s message was read by Maurice.
- Saya U Myat Htoo (C68) presented the appreciation award at Half Moon Bay soonkwyay and gathering.
Appreciation Award

From NorCal RITAA Dinner in Dec 2016
- Alumni Appreciation Award was signed by Saya U Myat Htoo (C68, Chair, BOD), Gordon Kaung (M83, President) and U Thaung Nyunt (M87, Secretary).
Award 2
- Saya U Myat Htoo presented the award to me at the NorCal RITAA Annual Dinner, 2016.
From SPHS in 1963

There were five Paulians in the Top Five, seven in the Top Ten, and ten in the Top Twenty. They received Collegiate Scholarship.

SPHS63
- Dr. Khin Maung U (Retired from FDA, USA) – 1st
- Dr. Min Oo (Retired Maths Professor in Canada) – 2nd
- Dr. Myo San (Freddie, Surgeon, GBNF) – 3rd
- Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor, Professor in IM & Malaysia) – 4th
- Dr. Thein Wai (Migrated to USA after graduation) – 5th
- U Hla Min (Retired Software Engineer) – 7th
7th place
- Dr. Aung Kyaw Zaw (Cardiologist) – 9th
- U Maung Maung Kyi (Dip Ing, GBNF) – 11th
- U Aung Thu Yein (Brownie, EC69, GBNF) – 13th
- Dr. Khin Maung Zaw (Frank, Retired Doctor in UK) – 17th
From Toastmasters International

DTM 1

DTM 2

Hall of Fame

Awards
- CC (Competent Communicator)
- ACB (Advanced Communicator Bronze)
- ACS (Advanced Communicator Silver)
- ACG (Advanced Communicator Gold)
- CL (Competent Leader)
- ALB (Advanced Leader Bronze)
- ALS (Advanced Leader Silver)
- DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster)
I served as
- Club Officer
- Area Governor
- Club Coach
- Contest Chair
- Ambassador
- Guest Speaker
- Test Speaker
- Team Builder (for Excellent Leadership)
MP3 players

Mug & CD Player

Dhamma Talks & Lectures
- Received MP3 player with dhamma talks from U Khin Maung Tun, SDYF President
  at 2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles
Also received MP3 players from
- Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt
- My sisters
- Dhamma friends
Each player has Paritta Pali (protective verses) and dhamma talks by different sayadaws.

From my Life Savers

Coffee mug with photos

My beloved grandchildren gave it as present for Grand Father’s Day

Books

Dhamma & Bawa

For writing, translating, editing or proof-reading

I edited or proof-read books written by
- Sayadaws (U Silananda, U Jotalankara)
- Sayas (Des Rodgers)
- Friends (U Aung Zaw).
  
  They provided me copies of their books.
Book Presents

I received books from others. They include
- “Life Journey of Maths Professor U Ba Toke” : autographed copy
U Ba Toke
- “Myanmar in my life-time”
  by BBS U Khin Zaw — air mailed from Australia by U Wint Khin Zaw
Book by U Khin Zaw
- Book honoring Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint — air mailed from Australia by Dr. TOKM
TOKM
- Centennial for U Khin Maung Latt & Daw Khin Myo Chit —
  Two books by Junior Win
- Books by U Ye Sint (former Editor of Dhammananda Newsletter) : His works; Pathan Dethana (Dhamma Dana by his siblings)
- U Kesala (Chief Resident monk, Alodaw Pyie Monastery in Arizona) : Dhamma Q&A; Several other books
- “Nga Doh Khit Ka Tekkatho”
  by Shwe Ky May Hnin —
  Given to me at San Francisco Bay Area Talk
Book by Shwe Ku May Hnin
- Books by Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) —Collection of Poems; Collection of Articles
Saya Moe
- Book by Saya U Nyunt Htay —
  Collection of Swel Daw Poems
RIT Poets
- Books by Nyan Oo Maung
  (aka Mudita Shwe Kyaung Sayadaw U Nyanika)
- Books by various sayadaws in Bay Area & beyond : Beelin Sayadaw, U Dhammapiya, U Gosita, Dhamma Bheri Sayadaw, Aung San Tat Oo Sayadaw, Thamanay Kyaw
- Books by Dr. San Oo, Daw Than Yi and family
- “Yahandar and Poke Ko Htoo Myar” by Dhammacariya U Htay Hlaing — in the 80’s for translating several of his “Dhamma Duta” articles
- Books by Sayawun Tin Shwe
  — Given by his daughter Tyn Tyn Aye during her UCC studies
- U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ) mailed me two books that he bought in Myanmar : U Thant Ah Yay Ah Khin, Collection Bagan poems (by Zawgyi, translated by Ah May Thar).
- Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt believes in a revolving library.
  Gave me several books that he enjoyed reading.
- 8-8-88 by Dat Pone Htein Win — Received at 5th ILF
- Books by Members of Professional Spakers Association (PSA) : Kyaw Kyaw Hlaing, Kaythri Kyaw …
Publications

Contributing Editor for “90th Anniversary Issue of the Founding of RUBC” (2013)

Wrote articles and/ or poems for
- Guardian
- Working People’s Daily
- Forward Magazine
- Veda Magazine
- Pan Magazine
- Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife
Encyclopedia
- BAPS Newsletter
- RIT Alumni Newsletter (Special issue for SPZP-2000)
Newsletter
- “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung” for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 & SPZP-2010
SDY Sar Saung
- “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine” for Shwe YaDu
SDY Magazine

U Ohn Khine (M70) and I compiled the CD supplement for HMEE-2012.

CDs

Received raw and formal CDs and DVDs for the various RIT Gatherings.

DVD
June 11, 2026
It seemed not long ago
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

SF Bay Area Alumni Group

Alumni Group
- Standing:
  Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE66), U Hla Min (EC69), Saya U Thein Aung (James, Met72), Saya Dr. Nyo Win (K H Chen, M65), Saya U Myat Htoo (C68), Benny Tan (Tan Yu Beng, M70)
- Seated :
  U Kaung Kaung Oo (Gordon, M83), Saya Allen Htay (C58, GBNF), Saya Dr. Tin Aung (K C Chiu, ChE63), Maurice Chee (U Hla Myint Thein, M75)
- Photographer : U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76)
Founding Members
- Met at Benny’s house several times
- Discussed the formation of “RIT Alumni International” to support the Newsletter and web site
- Decided to hold a Grand Reunion and SPZP in October 2000
SPZP-2000
- Served as members of the Working Committee and Steering Committee for SPZP-2000
Saya Allen Htay (GBNF)

Saya Allen
- Leader of the group
- President of “RIT Alumni International”, which organized the First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe in San Francisco, California, USA in October 2000.
- His classic article, “Brother, can you afford US $500?” was partly responsible for five Golden Sponsors, and the generous donations by sayas and alumni.
- Retired three times. His former students U Thein Aung & U Myat Htoo coaxed him to un-retire twice.
Saya Allen’s grandsons
- Saya did not recover from a debilitating stroke. Did not live long enough to spend time with his grand children. One grandson had “Allen” as his first name. Another had “Allen” as his middle name.
Saya K C Chiu (Dr. Tin Aung)

Saya K C
- Brother of Saya Dr. Aung Soe (C61)
- Past President of BEA
- After retirement, he relocated to Southern California.
- He wrote : In early ‘80, Dr. Tin Win was working in Houston and came to the Bay Area on business trip. Dr. Tin Win was visiting me at home while Lily and I were discussing BEA matter. I believed they were meant for each other. The rest is history.
Saya Dr. Nyo Win (K H Chen)

Saya Nyo
- Past President of BAPS
- Core Organizer for SPZP-2000
- Founding member of NorCal RITAA and served as a member BOD (Board of Directors)
- Retired after working in high technology companies in the Silicon Valley & Taiwan
Saya U Maung Maung (George)

Saya George (Left)
- Founding member of NorCal RITAA and served as the inaugural President.
- Organized a fund raiser for the “Staff Training” component of “YTU Library Modernization”.
Saya U Myat Htoo (C68)

U Myat Htoo
- Past President of Theravada Buddhist Society of America (TBSA)
- Past President of Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA)
- Founding member of NorCal RITAA; Served three terms as Chair, BOD of NorCal RITAA
- Co-emcee of SPZP-2000
- Plays the ukelele and piano. A favorite song is theparody of “Lost Neikban”.
U Hla Min (Life Long Learner)

Hla Min
- Completed 26 years as Founder and Chief Editor of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”
- Editor and Content Provider of RIT Alumni websites
- Chose to re-tire (re-thread) rather than retire (per Steeve’s suggestion)
- Decided to pay back to his alma mater(s): RIT and UCC (per advice of spouse, sayas, colleagues & friends)
- Wrote 40+ postings of “Memories of UCC” in three days during his vacation to Myanmar.
- Owner, Admin and Moderator of hlamin.com web site & several Facebook groups.
Screenshot
- Broadcast 220+ Educational Videos on selected topics. Channel for YouTube is @hmin3664
Benny Tan (Tan Eu Beng)

Benny (Right)
- Succeeded Dr. Nyo Win as President of BAPS.
- Successful entrepreneur.
- Multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs.
- Designed the banner and mementos for SPZP-2000.
- Now spending quality time with six grand children and taking trips & cruises around the world.
Saya U Thein Aung (James)

Set Hmu Maung
- Mr. RIT in 1968. His mentor was Commander Maung Maung (Mr. Burma in 1947). A few years back, he handed over the “Sa-Lwe” for Mr. RIT68) to U Wynn Htain Oo (M72).
- Co-emcee of SPZP-2000
- Contributing Editor for BAPS Newsletter
- Associate Editor of the Commemorative Issue of RIT Alumni Newsletter
Maurice Chee (Hla Myint Thein)

Maurice
- Succeeded Benny as President of BAPS.
- Wore multiple hats for SPZP-2000. Co-Chair of the Working Committee with Benny; Financial Controller; Published the commemorative issue of “RIT Alumni Newsletter”; Did name tags; Coordinated the culinary experts for the follow-up lunch gathering.
- Founding member & Past Vice President of NorCal RITAA.
- In August 2016, he organized the Soon Kway gathering at Dhammananda Vihara, Half Moon Bay for my birthday and to recognize my volunteer work.
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ)

KMZ (Second from Right)

UCC-RIT Gathering
- Belongs to three circles — St. Paul’s High School, RIT and and UCC — like Saya U Soe Paing and me.
- Took the group photo
- Designed and implemented http://www.ex-rit.org website, which contributed to the planning & implementation of SPZP-2000. Many contributed to “Count down to the Reunion” and “Post Reunion” pages. I wrote 64 posts for “Count down to the Reunion” and 36 posts for “Post Reunion”.
- Was then an eligible bachelor; Worked four 10-hour days & had a three day weekend
- His RIT web site was largely responsible for the success of SPZP-2000. Promised to have Version 2.0 of the web (with better features). Could not fulfill his promise.
- Luckily for him, he moved to the challenging and lucrative job at Microsoft, and also became blessed with a wonderful family.
U Kaung Kaung Oo (Gordon Kaung)

Gordon (Center)
- Youngest member of the group
- Founded “Mechanical Solutions” in San Francisco
- He and his spouse Lillian Kaung (EC83) later set up iNapa Winery & hosted RIT-related gatherings. The Winery survived two fires.
- Founding member of NorCal RITAA; Succeeded U Maung Maung as President
NorCal RIT Alumni Association
- Donated Premium Wine bottles for selected events (e.g. the Annul Dinner and Summer Picnic for NorCal RITAA, 2005 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles).
June 11, 2026
Kidney
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

Redundacy
- There are two kidneys, but some people can live with one kidney.
U Khin Maung Maung
- U Aung Zaw Maung (Pet78, ex-UCC) mentioned that his father lived for 40 years with one good kidney.
Daw Kyawt

U Aung Zaw & Daw Kyawt
- Daw Tint Tint Wai (Daw Kyawt) donated a kidney to her spouse U Aung Zaw. She is doing fine. After a decade, U Aung Zaw passed away. The kidney that she donated was still doing fine.
Dialysis

U Tin Hlaing

U Tin Hlaing

Saya U Tin Hlaing (M59, GBNF) was Head of the Agricultural Engineering (sub-department of Mechanical Engineering). Had kidney problem, but he did not have access to the two dialysis machines that were for VIP in Burma. Applied for passport and visa to have medical treatment abroad, but he did not receive them in time.

Cases

Based on the severity, the frequency and number of dialysis sessions.

Most patients have to visit a hospital or clinic.

A few had to perform dialysis at home.

Transplant

U Aung Zaw

U Aung Zaw (2nd from Right)

Saya U Aung Zaw (ex-UCC) is indebted to his spouse Daw Kyawt, who donated her kidney. The love story can be read in Saya Zaw’s first book “Dhamma and Bawa ဓမ္မနဲ့ ဘဝ”. I wrote the Foreword.

Dhamma & Bawa

He published a second book “Cetana Thi Thar Kan စေတနာ သည်သာ ကံ” which has a section written by me based on his ideas.

Cetana Thi Thar Kan

Henry Lim

RIT Alumni Newsletter

U Aung Myint (Henry Lim) served as Chief Editor of the BAPS Newsletter and an Associate Editor of the commemorative issue of “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” for SPZP-2000. He founded the “Golden Padauk” and “Durian” magazines in the San Francisco Bay Area, but at his doctors’ advice, he stopped publishing the magazines to preserve his health. Luckily, he found a match for his kidney transplant. He had a renewed life full of oversea travels.

Aung Khin

Aung Khin (Last Row 5th from Left)

U Aung Khin (SPHS 63, GBNF) is the second son of Dr. Ko Gyi (MS of EENT hospital). He had two kidney transplants and succumbed while he was trying to have a third transplant.

Related Posts
- Advice from Sayas & Friends
- Medical Reports by Dr. Khin Maung U
- Medical Advice by Dr. Kyaw Nyunt (Robert)
June 11, 2026
Paying back to my alma mater
by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026
- Studied five years at RIT from 1964 to 1969
- Have spent 27 years (from 1999) paying back to my alma mater & my mentors
- Thanks to my family members for their support.
1963

SPHS63
- Received award given by SPHS for passing Matriculation (7th in Burma)
  Won Collegiate Scholarship
7th in Matriculation examination of 1963
- Attended the last ever I.Sc.(A) at Leik Khone
- Senior Novices Runner-up at RUBC Monsoon Regatta with Willie Soe Maung (Stroke, GBNF), Kyaw Wynn (3), Maung Maung Kyi (Bow, GBNF) & Myint Thein (Cox, GBNF)
- Attended RUBC 40th Anniversary Dinner hosted by Sithu U Tin (President, GBNF) at Kandawgyi
- Received Full Green
1964 – 1969
- Admitted to the first ever 2nd BE in November 1964 as the Top Student
2nd BE
- Selected RIT Luyechun in the Summer of 1965 and attended the LYC Camp at Inlay Khaung Daing.
Luyechun
- Joint Secretary, Secretary & Magazine Committee, RIT EE Association
RIT EE
- Treasurer and Vice Captain, RUBC
- Editor, Newsletter published by RIT English Association
- Started free lance writing (article, poem, translation …)
- My poem “Men on the Moon” was published in the Guardian in July 1969
Poem

1970 – 1998
- Generation Zero member of UCC (Universities’ Comouter Center)
  Hardware & Software Engineer
  Senior Systems Programmer
  Manager, Business Applications
UCC
- Senior Lecturer, Computer Science, DCS (Department of Computer Science)
- Associate Professor, Software Technology, ICST (Institute of Computer Science and Technology)
- Worked for several high tech companies in Silicon Valley
1999

Newsletter

Chief Editor, RIT Alumni Newsletter
- Started “RIT Alumni International Newsletter”
- It started with the news and photos of some gatherings back in Burma. (a) 30th Anniversary of the Graduation of the Class of 69 [reported by Ko Daniel Tint Lwin and Ma Saw Yu Tint (Alice). (b) Mini-gathering with Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi and other sayas and senior alumni (reported by Saya U Soe Paing)
2000

SPZP-2000
- SPZP-2000
  First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in San Francisco, USA
  Core Organizer
- Content Provider & Editor for the First RIT Web Site designed and implemented y KMZ / Khin Maung Zaw (EC76)
- Special Web Pages for SPZP-2000
- Commemorative Issue of the Newsletter for SPZP-2000
  Chief Editor)
  Composed “SAYA PUZAW PWE” poem
- 64 Countdown to the Reunion posts
- 36 Post-Reunion posts
2002
- SPZP-2002
  Second RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Singapore
- Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung”
  by Saya U Moe Aung and team
  Reprinted my “SAYA PUZAW PWE” poem as Back Cover
2004
- SPZP-2004
  Third RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Yangon
- Mild earthquake did not rattle the attendees
2007
- SPZP-2007
  Fourth RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Singapore
- Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung”
  by Saya U Moe Aung and team
  Contributed a poem “SWE DAW YEIK”
2010
- SPZP-2010
  Fifth RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Singapore
- Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung”
  by Saya U Moe Aung and team
  Contributed an article “Sad and short clip — EE sayas”
2012
- SPZP-2012
  Sixth RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Yangon
  Traveled twice (in March and December) to help with the SPZP
- True “Home Coming” in the Gyogone Campus
With Steeve Kay (Multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs)
- Special publication : History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar by Saya U Aung Hla Tun and team. Ko Ohn Khine (M70) and I prepared the supplemental CD for the book.
- Special publication: Selected RIT Cartoons
- Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine” by U Saw Lin and team
- Reprints: Limited number of RIT Annual Magazines
2013
- Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
- Contributions for various projects
- Health care for the sayas and sayamas
- “Saya Geha” as long term project
- Contributing Editor
  RUBC 90th Anniversary Souvenir Magazine
2014

Shwe YaDu Lan
- Shwe YaDu
- 50th Anniversary of the opening of RIT in 1964
- Planted 50 Swel Daw Bins
- Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine” by Saya U Moe Aung and team; I wrote an article “Recollections of a 69er”
Memories of a 69er (published in Swel Daw Yeik Magazine in 2014)
- Paved Shwe YaDu lane and set up Swel Daw Yeik benches
- Translated Saya U Moe Aung’s Shwe YaDu poem
2016
- RIT/YIT/YTU Alumni Association
  Life Member
- SPZP-2016
  Seventh RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Yangon
- 10000+ attendees
- Free food and fun (all day and all night long)
- Platinum Jubilee for the Class of 69
  Hosted by some 69ers for their friends (in their sunset)
Alumni Appreciation Award (received for the second time)
- Soonkway at Half Moon Bay Monastery (organized by U Maurice Chee)
  Received Alumni Appreciation Award from alumni worldwide
- Annual Dinner by Northern California RIT Alumni Association
  Received plaque signed by Saya U Myat Htoo (Chair, BOD), U Kaung Kaung Oo (Gordon, President), and U Thaung Nyunt (Secretary)
Alumni Appreciation Award (received for the third time)
- Attended SPZP-2016 and Platinum Jubilee of the Class of 69
SPZP-2016

2017
- Attended Post-SPZP2016 Gatherings
- Award
  Distinguished Toastmaster
DTM

2018
- Memories of UCC
  40+ posts
- Trivia : 1000+ posts (on going)
  Several readers said that the posts are more than Trivia
- Archived newsletters and posts in my website
  hlamin.com
2019
- Panelist, 5th Irrawaddy Literary Festival
ILF
- Golden Jubilee, RIT 69ers
GJ
- Attended several gatherings and Acariya Pu Zaw Pwes
2020
- Invited to join the PSA 2020 Tour to Upper Burma
- Broadcast Short talks (Videos)
  Archived in Facebook and Youtube
- Moderator & Contributor
  RU Centennial Facebook Group
2021 – 2023
- Due to pandemic, outdoor activities were put on hold
- Overseas travel required certificate of Covid vaccine
- Revise articles
- Write new articles
- Short Trips to Singapore, Thailand & Laos
2024 – present
- In 2024, we celebrated (a) Centennial of Engineering Education in Burma / Myanmar (b) 60th Anniversary of RIT (c) Silver Jubilee of RIT Alumni Newsletter
- In 2025, updating posts.
- My educational videos can be accessed from YouTube. Search for @hmin3664
Screenshot
June 11, 2026
UCC Gatherings

by Hla Min

Updated : June 2026

At Saya U Soe Paing’s house

Saya U Soe Paing’s house

Over the years, I attended several mini-gatherings and gatherings hosted by UCC sayas and alumni.

Saya U Soe Paing hosted gatherings (usually dinner meeting) at his house. Sayagadaw Daw Saw Yu Tint (T69) was my class mate. She also attended CPC course.

U Thein Oo, Daw Tin May Lwin and several others help organize the gatherings. U Thein Oo, U Htin Kyaw, Aung Aung and several others provide transportation to or from Saya’s house.

40th Anniversary

There was fun and laughter at UCC’s 40th Anniversary Gathering.

ICST SPZP

In January 14, 2018, I attended the 5th UCSY Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe as “Generation Zero” representative and the “Most Senior” (not by age). Several attendees started their studies and/or careers at UCC.

Saw Yan Naing, son of Dr. Saw Naing (Wesley, SPHS59), gave me a ride to the Pu Zaw Pwe. SYN is a nephew of Dr Myo Khin. He is a cousin of Soe Lin Maung (UCC).

Gatherings in USA

Dr. Rafiul Ahad, Ko Khin Zaw,, Ko Aung Myint Oo & Ma Thida Khin, Ko Sein Myint & Sao Mon Sint (Cindy) and Ko Toung hosted UCC gatherings (especially to welcome and alumni visiting US). Ivan Lee hosts an annual joint gathering for UCC and RIT sayas and alumni at his home in New Jersey.

Gatherings in Singapore

Ko Tin Aung Win, Ko Zaw Tun and Pale Shein organized buffet gatherings. Ko Aung Aung & Ma Kyin Mya are regulars at the gatherings. Some have moved to Thailand and Myanmar.

Gatherings in Australia

Sydney

Saya U Aung Zaw (GBNF), Ko Sein Myint Maung & Khin Aye Mu, Ko Htay Aung & Tin Tin Hlaing organized the gatherings. I met Thandar Htwe Htwe and Khin May Thet.

Ko Sein Tin created a short music video during my visit to Oz in 2006.

June 11, 2026