Author: Hla Min (Lifelong Learner)

  • U Tin Htut

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    Highlights

    U Tin Htut
    • Matriculated from SPHS in 1953.
    • Won Senior Novices at the RUBC Regatta in 1953.
    • Coxed the Old Paulian crew which won Senior Novices at the RUBC Regatta in 1954. The crew members : U Tun Shein (Willie Saing, Stroke), M Hla Min (Moosaji, No. 3), Dr. Than Nyunt (George, No. 2) and Sao Hso Holm (Sawbwa Lay, Box).
      He and three crew members later became RUBC Gold.
    • Served as Captain of RUBC.
      Due to heavy involvement in RUBC, he decided to take a sabbatical.
    RUBC Captain

    Engineering

    • Attended 1st Year Engineering at BOC College in 1955.
    • Graduated B.Sc (Mechanical Engineering), University of Rangoon in March 1960.
    • Joined the Faculty of Engineering, University of Rangoon (Leik-Khone) as Assistant Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering in May 1960.
    • Attended Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, W. Germany in 1961/62 as a state scholar.
    • Worked as a Manager in Rangoon Textile Mills Co. Ltd. from 1962 – 65.
    • Rejoined the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, RIT in September 1965.
    • Studied Engineering Production at the University of Birmingham, UK in 1968/69.
    • On return to RIT, lectured Industrial Management to 5th and Final Year students.

    USA

    • Immigrated to the USA in May 1978.
    • Worked in the Aircraft Division, Northrop Corporation, Hawthorne, CA in August 1978.
    • With Leave of Absence from Northrop, worked as UNIDO Project Management Adviser in Khartoum, Sudan in 1981/82.
    • Retired early from Northrop in September 1992.

    Family

    Wife: Irene

    Children: Saynne Tin Htut and Aung Aye Htut.

    Grand children : Three

    Editor’s Notes

    His parents were entrepreneurs in the Textile industry (e.g. Khit Ah Kyaik ခေတ်အကြိုက် Nylon), production & distribution of movies (e.g. Ah Myotha Yoke Shin, အမျိုူသားရုပ်ရှင် Carlton Cinema)

    Served as Captain of RUBC as a student, and later as a Saya Administrator.

    Organizer of RUBC Jubilee and Anniversary regattas.

    Despite having a bypass heart surgery, he was actively involved in BASES, which he co-founded with U Tin Htway (M59) and U Tun Tin (David, GBNF).

    Member of the Steering Committee for SPZP-2000.

    SPZP-2000

    Ccontributed not only to the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe fund, but also to the special fund for inviting Sayagyi U Ba Toke from Myanmar.

    Financial Controller for the 2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles

    Ma Irene was Maurice’s teacher in Methodist English High School. Saya was Maurice’s lecturer in the 5th B.E. “Industrial Management” course. All the skills learnt were used effectively by Maurice, Financial Controller for the “Reunion & Saya Pu Zaw Pwe” and aPublisher of the “RIT Alumni Newsletter” Special Issue.

    Donation

    Saya’s donations include

    • K10 Lakhs to Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
    • K100 to YTU Library Project
    • All Mechanical Gathering
    • RUBC Gathering
  • SPHS Teachers & Classmates

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    Std. VIIIA (SPHS) in 1961

    Teachers

    • Brother Anthony (Class teacher) : taught Mathematics
    • Saya U Sein (Burmese teacher, GBNF) : Father of Saya Dr. Soe Win (retired Rector of YUFL); Also taught Burmese in Matric.
    • Brother Felix (Brother Director, GBNF) : After nationalization, moved to Germany and passed away there. Thonegwa Kyaw Win visited him.
    • Saya U Nyunt Maung (Arts subjects teacher) : Taught Maths in Sacred Heart
    • Saya Beatson (Science subjects teacher) : Became a monk
    • Brother Xavier (English teacher) : Also taught English in 9th standard. After nationalization, moved to UK and presumably left the Order.

    Dr. Khin Maung U

    OPA Dinner
    Khin Maung U
    • First in Burma in the Matric exam in 1963; Won Collegiate Scholarship
    • Had perfect scores of 100 in Maths & Chemistry and a score of 99 in Physics. Grapevine says that one point was deducted from the initial score.
    • Multiple Luyechun at IM(1)
    • Due to changes in the Edu System, he had to do M.Sc. (Med Sc) locally. Top students from earlier years studied in UK as State Scholars.
    • His persistence paid off. Got Fellowships from UK and MD from Australia
    • Retired from Food & Drug Administration in the USA
    • Translator/interpreter for dhamma courses & meditation retreats.
    • Wore thick glasses since his younger days.
    • Classmate in Stds VIII(A), IX(A) and X(A). We were in different sections in the lower classes.


    Dr. Min Oo (Kenneth)

    • Stood second in Burma in the Matric exam in 1963. Won Collegiate Scholarsip.
    • Some saw him reading a German book before entering the hall to take the Matric exam.
    • Scored distinctions in English, Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
    • Chose to study Maths at RASU.
    • Saya U Aung Sein (Maths) saw Min Oo get out of the Tutorial classes after a few minutes and yet had perfect score. He decided to give challenging questions for a Tutorial. Min Oo took longer time than the easier Tutorials, but most of the other students could not get a passing grade.
    • A Tuition Saya (now GBNF) challenged his students. “Ask your teachers to solve the problem. I will give you free tuition if you can provide the correct answer.” One student asked Min Oo, who was enjoying a card game. Min Oo scribbled the answer during the card game. The Tuition Saya was disappointed. He did not keep his promise to give the student free tuition.
    • Attended Tekkatho Luyechun Camps twice.
    Min Oo (Seated Right)
    • In the Summer of 1965, he was chosen as Luyechun among second year RASU students.
    • In the Slummer of 1968, he was chosen as a Saya for the Tekkatho Luyechun camp.
    • As a multiple Tekkatho Luyechun from IM(1), Dr. Khin Maung U was present at both camps. He remembers Min Oo with a cigar trying to look like a Sayagyi.
    • Min Oo received two doctorates in Maths from Germany. He taught at McMasters University in Canada. He voluntarily retired in 2015.
    • He was one of the young students in the class, but also among the brightest.
    • Classmate in Stds VIII(A), IX(A) & X(A). We were in different sections in the lower classes.
    • He often visited his daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area.

    Dr. Myo San (Freddie, GBNF)

    Khin Mg Zaw, Myo San, Khin Mg U
    • Stood third in Burma in the Matric of 1963. Won Collegiate Scholarship.
    • He had studied phonetics. He had read lots of English books.
    • He scored distinctions in English, Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
    • He was older than us. That might have given him a slight advantage in the early years.
    • He gave me a quiz. “How do you pronounce GHOTI?” I gave an answer which he corrected as “FISH”. He had read George Bernard Shaw, who posed the quiz as an example of eccentricity in English. GH is phonetically equivalent to F as in ROUGH. O is phonetically equivalent to I as in WOMAN. TI is phonetically equivalent to SH as in ATTENTION. Thus, GHOTI is phonetically equivalent to FISH.
    • He became a surgeon, but the stress caused him to take early retirement.
    • Sadly, he passed away.
    • Classmate in Stds VIII(A), IX(A) & X(A), We were in different sections in the lower classes.

    Collegiate Scholarship Holders

    In 1963, students from private schools had to be in the Top Forty to be eligible for Collegiate Scholarship.

    SPHS had ten students in the Top Twenty. Min Oo studied Maths.
    Hla Min, Maung Maung Kyi & Aung Thu Yein studied Engineering. Khin Maung U, Myo San, Nyunt Wai, Thein Wai, Aung Kyaw Zaw & Khin Maung Zaw studied Medicine.
    Myo San, Maung Maung Kyi and Aung Thu Yein are GBNF

    • First : Dr. Khin Maung U (Medical Researcher, FDA, USA)
    • 2nd : Dr. Min Oo (Maths Professor, McMasters University, Canada)
    • 3rd : Dr. Myo San (Surgeon, GBNF)
    • 4th : Dr. Nyunt Wai (Physiology Professor in IM & Malaysia)
    • 5th: Dr. Thein Wai (Moved to USA)
    • 7th: U Hla Min (Lifelong Learner; Software Engineer, Silicon Valley)
    • 9th: Dr. Aung Kyaw Zaw (Specialist, Base Military Hospital)
    • 11th : U Maung Maung Kyi (Dip. Ing in Pulp & Paper, Wales, UK, GBNF)
    • 13th : U Aung Thu Yein (EC, Schlumberger, GBNF)
    • 17th: Dr. Khin Maung Zaw (Medical Doctor, UK)
    SPHS63

    In the group photo

    Seated (L to R) : Min Oo, Khin Maung U, Myo San (GBNF)

    Standing (L to R) : Hla Min, Khin Maung Zaw, Nyunt Wai, Thein Wai, Maung Maung Kyi (GBNF), Aung Thu Yein (GBNF), Aung Kyaw Zaw

    Updates

    Kyaw Wynn’s Birthday

    • Offered soon to Ashin Ukkamsa (Victor, Aung Chaw)
    • Lunch to SPHS63 Classmates
    SPHS63
    • Aye Ngwe (Edwin)
    • Kyaw Wynn — Host
    • Khin Maung Bo (Allan, GBNF)
    • Hla Min
    • Aung Chaw (Victor, Ashin Ukkamsa)
    • Than Win
    • Aung Kyi (Arthur, GBNF)
    • Tin Tun (Phone Gyi, GBNF)
    • Khin Maung Zaw (Frank, UK)

    Sayadaw Beatson

    • Taught Physics at SPHS
    • Scout Master
    • After retirement, became a monk
    • Paulians — Myo Nyunt (Harry), Atom Hla & team — offered soon to Sayadaw
    Sayadaw Beatson
    Paulians offering Soon
    • La Min
    • Nyunt Wai (Victor)
    • Sayadaw Beatson
    • Nyan Taw (Dicky)
    • Hla Min
    • Than Win
    • Aung Kyi (Arthur)

    Sein Nyunt (Swe Set)

    • Classmate in Stds IV(D), V(D) & VI(D)
    • Shared names & status of former classmates. Several are GBNF. Hla Myint (Snow Makeup), Maung Maung Thaung, Sonny Yone Sein, Sydney Khant, Tin Tun are some who have passed away

    Posts

    • De La Salle
    • Memories
    • OPA
    • Pu Zaw Pwe
    • SPHS
  • Unsolved Mystery

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    1949

    • Assassination of U Tin Tut in 1949
    • Someone informed of the “probable assassination attempt” to U Kyaw Myint (younger brother of U Tin Tut).
    • Senior Police Officials in charge of the investigation were retired with generous offers.

    Memories

    Tin Tut 1
    Tin Tut 2
    Tin Tut 3

    Post by Thant Myint-U (on September 15, 2015)

    66th anniversary of Myanmar’s tragic assassination

    Friday (18 September) will be the 66th anniversary of the assassination of U Tin Tut, ICS. He was mortally wounded when a bomb exploded in his car on Sparks Street (now Bo Aung Kyaw Street). He died shortly after in Rangoon General Hospital. The mystery of who killed U Tin Tut has never been solved. His death changed the course of Burmese history.

    U Tin Tut was educated at Dulwich and Queen’s College, Cambridge. He was a top scholar and athlete (captaining his college rugby team) and the first Burmese admitted into the elite Indian Civil Service. After World War Two, he was the only Burmese fluent in both financial and constitutional affairs and widely seen as the most brilliant Burmese of his generation.

    He was in many ways U Aung San’s principal deputy and a key figure at both the January 1947 London negotiations and at Panglong. He was seriously injured on 19 July 1947 when U Aung San and the others were killed.

    He was Burma’s first foreign minister but resigned during the increasingly chaotic and violent days of mid-1948 to become the Inspector General (i.e. commander) of the new Union Auxiliary Force, meant to counter the communists and other ‘Leftists’.

    He was a nationalist but not a socialist, and wanted to maintain good relations with the West. The more radical factions in Burmese politics and in the Burma Army saw him as a threat.

    Posts

    • ICS
    • Seven Siblings
    • The Empty Tomb
    • U Tin Tut
  • Dr. Khin Maung Win (Maths)

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    Family

    • Parents : U Khin Maung Latt & Daw Khin Myo Chit
    • Spouse : Tekkatho Shwe Yi Win
    • Children : Maung Maung Win (Mg Yit) & Mi Mi Win (Junior)
    U Khin Maung Latt, Daw Khin Myo Chit & KMW

    Dr. Khin Maung Win

    Maths Saya

    • As an assistant of Saya Dr. Chit Swe, I worked with several Maths Saya.
    • Dr. Khin Maung Win wrote about Maths Curriculum in France for the “High School Maths” project.
    • After retirement, he published books on Maths, Education & Vipassana (Insight Meditation).

    Vipassana

    • His parents were friends and devotees of KabaAye Sunlun Sayadaw U Vinaya. They hosted Meditation retreats in their compound.
    • During my visit to Yangon in January and February 2018, I met Saya at Kaba Aye Sunlun Gu Kyaung.
    • Mi Mi Win (Junior Win) gave me two of her books (one in English, and another in Myanmar) that she wrote to celebrate the Centennial of her paternal grand parents : U Khin Mg Latt (English saya at Rangoon University & Private Tution, First Chief Editor of Working Peoples’ Daily) and Daw Khin Myo Chit (Award winning author).
    • Junior Win took a year to write the book for the Centennial of her grandparents in 2015. Her mother Tekkatho Shwe Yi Win helped with the indexing. Her brother Maung Yit helped with photos and cartoons.

    Good & Sad news

    • The book won a prize from Tun Foundation. Sadly, Shwe Yi Win passed away before the prize presentation.
    • Ko Soe Myint (M72, UCC), who appeared healthy, passed away unexpectedly at 3AM about one and a half months following his elder sister’s demise.
    • Life sometimes presents people with both good and sad news.

    Updates

    • Mg Yit is co-founder of Moemaka. He helped publish several books & e-books (including those for his Twin sister).
    • Saya is now GBNF. I received his book on Sunlun Vipassana.

    Posts

    • Dr. Chit Swe
    • Maths
    • Sunlun
    • Vipassana
    • WPD
  • Metallurgy Education in Myanmar

    By U Thit
    (Melbourne, Australia)

    Updated : May 2026

    U Thit

    The Metallurgy Department was established in 1954 with the assistance of contract staff from India. Mr. H.S. Shastri was the first head of department and Mr. A.C. Agrawal was an assistant lecturer.

    I was awarded a government scholarship to study Metallurgy at Lehigh University in 1954, when I was a second year student of Civil Engineering in Rangoon. (Incidentally, it was at Lehigh that I first met Sayas U Aung Khin and U Pu.), I returned home in 1957 after completing my bachelor’s degree and joined the department as assistant lecturer. Saya U Saw Pru joined the department as an assistant lecturer in 1958.

    I was awarded a Colombo Plan Fellowship in 1959 for further studies at the University or Queensland, Australia, and came back in 1961 after finishing my master’s degree. I was promoted to lectureship in 1962,

    Saya U Than Tin joined the department in 1960 and left for U.S. after a few years. There were visiting lecturers from U.S.S.R., namely, Mr. Charlichev from 1961 to 1963 and Mr. Chalpanov from 1963 to 1965.

    Sayas U Aung Hla Tun, U Pe Win and Dr. Khin Maung Win joined the department in 1965, 1966 and 1967 respectively. There were also part-time teaching staff from time to time from UBARI, such as U Khin Maung and U Nyunt.

    I left the department in 1968 to go to Australia.

    The continuing history of the Metallurgy Department after 1968 can best be written by Saya U Aung Hla Tun,

    Notes (by Hla Min)

    • Saya taught “Materials and Processes” in our 2nd BE class in 1964. He attended some SPZPs & Metallury gatherings in Myanmar. He moved to Melbourne, Australia.
    • Saya’s successors include Dr. Saw Pru (GBNF), U Than Tin & Saya Dr. Khin Maung Win (GBNF).
    Pon Tu of Dr. Khin Maung Win

    Updates (by Hla Min)

    • Saya U Aung Hla Tun (GBNF) was the lead author for HMEE projects.
    U Aung Hla Tun
    • Sayas U Win Kyaw (Met71, RUBC), U Thein Aung (Met72, Mr. RIT68) & U Nyunt Htay (Met73, Poet/Editor) had a micro-reunion in 2015 Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles and at the iNapa Winery in Northern California.
    iNapa Winery
    • Metallurgy is taught as “Materials Science” in the US.

    Posts

    • Education Systems
    • Gatherings
    • HMEE
    • Metallurgical Engineering
    • RIT Sayas
  • Nigara Falls, Inlay & Ngapali

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    Niagara Falls

    • Visited Nigara Falls twice
    • First : from the US side
    • Second : photos taken on the trip in 2015 from the Canada side
    Niagara 1
    Niagara 2
    Niagara 3
    Niagara 4

    Ngapali

    • Visited Ngapali three times
    • First : with cousin & friends
    • Second : with my family
    • Third : Guest Lecturer at the Luyechun Camp
    • My poem was published in the Forward Magazine
    Ngapali

    Inlay

    • Visited Inlay four times
    • First : as RIT Luyechun
    • Second : with Peter Pe & Mg Mg Aye (SPHS classmates)
    • Third : with a Tour Company
    • Fourth : with PSA
    • My poem was published in the Thadinkyut Supplement.
    Inlay 1
    Inlay 2
    Inlay 3
    Inlay 4
    Inlay 5
    Poem
  • Dr. Freddie Ba Hli

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    Highlights

    Dr. F Ba Hli
    • Only son of Sayagyi U Ba Hli, first native Dean of Engineering & Proponent of Twinning Program between Faculty of Engineering and prestigious US universities.
    U Ba Hli
    • Sc. D (Doctorate of Science) from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
    • Helped Dr. Aung Gyi & U Min Wun, who were doing undergraduate studies at MIT under “Twinning Program”.
    • Spouse : Daw Myint Thwe (sister of U Tin U & U Ba Than)
    • Children : Tin Tin Hlaing (ex-UCC, Tha Hlaing (EC 83) & Min Thet Tun (GBNF)
    Daw Myint Thwe and children
    • Per request from Saya U Aung Khin, he wrote an article about his beloved father in the RIT Alumni Newsletter for SPZP-02000,

    Service in Burma

    • Part-time Lecturer, Electrical Engineering Department
    • Acting Director, Burma Atomic Energy Commission
    • Director General, Union Of Burma Applied Research Institute (UBARI)
    • National Advisor, Ministry of National Planning
    • Member, UCC Board of Management
    • External Examiner, UCC

    Post-retirement in Australia

    • After retirement, he moved to Australia
    • Celebrated his 93rd birthday on June 28, 2015
    • Had a heart attack on June 30,2015 and was taken to West Mead Hospital.
    • Passed away at 3 AM (Australian Standard Time) On July 1, 2015.

    Messages of Condolence

    From Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi

    Ko Hla Min,

    I am very sad to know that Dr F. Ba Hli has passed away recently.

    As I have mentioned before in my contributing article to the History of Engineering Education in Myanmar, Dr Ba Hli was one of the nicest persons that I had the privilege of knowing in my life. He was helpful in every way to me and U Min Wun so that we were able to adapt successfully to our studies at MIT.

    I send my heartfelt condolences to his family.

    From Saya U Soe Paing

    Please convey our condolences to Daw Myint Thwe, Htay Aung, Tin Tin Hlaing and the family of Saya Freddie Ba Hli.

    Dr. Ba Hli was an active member of the UCC Board of Management

    From Association of Myanmar Engineers in Australia

    Funeral program details of Dr. F Ba Hli are as follow:

    • 6 July 2015 Monday
    • 3:00 pm
    • Castlebrook Memorial Park Cemetery, Windsor Rd, Rouse Hill NSW 2155, (02) 9629 1477

    As per family’s request: it would be greatly appreciated if you wish to contribute donations toward ‘Heart Foundation’ instead of memorial/sympathy flowers.

    Memories

    • Engg Dean U Ba Hli
    U Ba Hli 2
    U Ba Hli 3
    • Yahan Khan, Shin Pyu
    U Ba Hli & Dr. F Ba Hli
    • Family Gathering
    Dr. F Ba Hli
    • UCC Gathering
    Dr. F Ba Hli, Dr. Chit Swe
    • Daw Myint Thwe
    Daw Myint Thwe

    Posts

    • Deans & Rectors
    • RIT Alumni Newsletter (2000)
    • Sydney Gatherings (2006)
    • Three Generation of Engineers
    • UCC
  • Thanks for your appreciation

    by RIT Alumni

    Updated : May 2026

    • Dr. Soe Thein (C75) wrote :

    ကျွန်တော် တို့ မမှီ လိုက်တဲ့ အင်ဂျင်နီယာ တွေနဲ့ ပါတ်သက် ခဲ့တဲ့လိပ်ခုံး BIT RIT အကြောင်း အရာ တွေကို နှစ်ပေါင်း ဆယ်စု များစွာ စံနစ် တကျ စဉ်ဆက် မပြတ် ရေးသား ပေးတဲ့ ရာသက်ပန် RIT သတင်း ပြန်ကြားရေး မှူး ဦးလှမင်း ကို အထူး ဂုဏ်ပြု အပ်ပါတယ်။

    ဒီလို ထူးချွန် ​ပြောင် မြောက် တဲ့ သတင်း ပြန်ကြားရေး မှူး နောက် တယောက် ဘယ်တော့မှ ပေါ်ထွန်း နှိုင်တော့ မည် မဟုတ်ပါ။

    Big big congratulations ပါ

    ဦးလှမင်း

    • Khin Aye Myint wrote :

    Congrats to U Hla Min for his informative RIT, BIT history ..

    • Aung Min wrote :

    Junior များ

    လက်ဆင့်ကမ်းကြလော့

    • Aung Myaing wrote :

    An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

    A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away making you healthy and happy.

    • Zaw Winn wrote :

    My Appreciations Dear Senior,

    Your affection for our Alma Mater is unparalleled and will be in our memories for ever.

    • Mg Mar Ga wrote :

    အကို့ကြောင့်သာဒိလိုမှတ်တမ်းမှတ်ရာတွေအသေအချာကျန်ခဲ့တာပါအကို့ခြေရာနင်းနိုင်ဖို့နောက်တယောက်ထပ်ရှိဖို့မလွယ်ပါတကယ်ပြောတာပါမှတ်ညဏ်ရယ်စေတနာရယ်အချိန်ပေးနိုင်မှုရယ်ဆောင်ရွက်တတ်မှုဆိုတာသာမန်လူလုပ်နိုင်ခဲလွန်းလှတယ်RIT Archive လုပ်ဖို့အကိုတအားတိုက်တွန်းခဲ့တာမှတ်မိတယ်ကြိုးစားစခဲ့ပေမဲ့တကယ်ကအကိုလုပ်ပြီးသားထက်ရေှ့မတိုးနိုင်ခဲ့ တကယ်ကိုရင်ထဲကချီးကျူးပါရ စေကျန်းမာသက်ရှည်လိုရာပြည့်ပါစေအကို

    • U Myo Myint wrote :

    Mg Mar Ga

    ဆရာ U Hla Min စုဆောင်းပြုစုမှတ်တမ်းတင်နေတဲ့‌အားထုတ်လုပ်ဆောင်ချက်များကို

    ဦးဝင်းထိန်ဦးရဲ့မှတ်ချက်နဲ့ထပ်တူကျနော့်ရင်ထဲမှာလေးစားတန်ဖိုးထားချီးကျူးရပါကြောင်းနှင့်

    ဆရာကိုယ်စိတ်နှစ်ပါးကျန်းမာ ချမ်းသာပါစေကြောင်း ထပ်ဆင့်ဆုတောင်းပါတယ်ခင်ဗျာ။

    • Wai Lu wrote :

    These are extraordinary records. Maybe superman @ genius @ techniques.

    • San Lin wrote :

    ပြီးခဲ့သမျှကို အရမ်းမှတ်မိသလို လုပ်လဲလုပ်နိုင်တဲ့ ဆရာဦးလှမင်း ကျန်းမာသက်ရှည်ပါစေ။

    • U Hla Myint Rit wrote :

    Thanks to all. VV Nice. Be mindful

    Photos

    At Ko Benny’s house
    Soon Kyway on August 20, 2016
    Award & Birthday Greetings
    Saya U Myat Htoo presented the Award
    Birthday card (from sayas & alumni)
    & two cakes (by Charlie & Diana Tseng)
    Birthday Card
    Welcoming Saya U Soe Paing to SF Bay Area
    At Half Moon Bay monastery
    SF Bay Area Retirees
    Retirees
    Welcoming Sayas Dr. San Hla Aung and U Tin Htut
    With Ko Tun Shwe & Ko Myint Thein (Soon Hoe)
    Saya Dr. Aung Gyi received Pon Tu (by Bagyee Myat Myo Myat)
    carried by Saya Ko Nyunt Htay
    SF Bay Area alumni
    Gathering hosted by Steeve Kay
    40th anniversary of arrival in USA
    With Steeve Kay (Multiple Golden Sponsor of SPZPs)
    With Class of 71 at Indian restaurant
    SPZP-2012 at Gyogone Campus
    At SPZP-2012
    with Sayas George & U Myat Htoo
    At Feel restaurant
    hosted by Ko Saw Lin (GBNF)
  • New Jersey Reunion

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    Hosted by Ivan Lee

    • Ivan Lee (Khin Maung Oo, M69, New Jersey) hosted an annual get-together for RIT and UCC alumni for more than a decade.
    • The date is chosen so that Saya Dr. Aung Gyi (Former Rector) and Saya U Soe Paing (EE, UCC) can attend.

    Reunion in 2015

    69ers

    69ers in New Jersey
    • Fred Thetgyi (M69)
    • Tun Aung Gyaw (EC69)
    • Hla Min (EC69)
    • Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69)
    • Mg Toung (Tom, EC69)
    • Ivan Lee (Khin Maung Oo, M69)
    Reunion in 2015
    • Sayas Dr. Aung Gyi & U Soe Paing
    Ivan, DAG & HM
    • RIT Alumni — U Than Se (Richard, ChE62), U Sein Myint (EC76)
    • UCC Alumni — U Tun Aung Gyaw, U Hla Min, U Sein Myint, Daw Sao Mon Sint, U Soe Myint
    • Spouses & Relatives

    Reunion in 2018

    • In June 2018, seven RIT sayas attended the NJ Reunion.
    1. Dr. Aung Gyi (Former Rector)
    2. Dr. San Hla Aung (C58)
    3. Saya U Soe Paing (EE, UCC)
    4. Dr. Tin Win (M62)
    5. Dr. Ohn Myint (C64)
    6. U Htun Aung Kyaw (ChE67)
    7. U Aung Myint (M69)

    MASTAA

    • At a later Reunion, some sayas and alumni suggested to form MASTAA (Myanmar American Science and Technology Alumni Association).
    • Ivan served as the inaugural CEO. U Soe Myint (UCC) served as President. U Sein Myint (EC76, UCC) served as Vice President.

    Posts

    • Associations
    • Gatherings
    • Memories of RIT
    • Memories of UCC
    • Visits
  • Messages, Wishes & Dishes

    by Hla Min

    Updated : May 2026

    From Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi (Canada)

    Dr. Aung Gyi
    • Sayagyi hosted us for two days during our trip to Canada in July 2015.
    • He enjoys talking about the RIT days. His account “Coconut Episode” was published in the Swel Daw Yeik Sar saung for SPZP-2002.
    • Due to schedule conflicts, he could not make it to the soon kyway on August 20, 2016, but he asked Maurice to order Tohu Thoke. He sent a message to Maurice to be read at the gathering.

    Ko Hla Min & family, & Friends,

    First of all I would like to mention that I am sorry I was not able to be there for Happy Birthday celebration for Ko Hla Min with all of you. I miss the opportunity of sharing the good time, laughter and the good food with my friends. Although I am not there in person for this joyful occasion, I want you to know that my heart and thoughts are with all of you.

    Having said all of the above, I would like to express my deep appreciation and thanks to Ko Hla Min for his years of dedicated and selfless service to keep us informed and connected; and at the same time for keeping the “RIT SPIRIT” alive. I am quite sure all of the RIT Alumni also appreciate and are grateful for this excellent service like me. In recognition of this outstanding community service, I understand that Northern California RIT Alumni is giving Ko Hla Min some kind of an award for which he deserves. I hope that Ko Hla Min will be able to continue this service for years to come, as I feel that no other person may be able to carry out this task better than he does.

    I really do not know how old Ko Hla Min is now. The number is irrelevant; what’s important is that he is still healthy and active and he still looks young. With this happy thought my wife and I wish Ko Hla Min “Happy Birthday”.

    May you all be happy, healthy, prosperous and free from all harm. Please enjoy your joyful get-together.

    With abundant Metta
    Aung Gyi

    From Saya Dr. San Hla Aung (C58)

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    Here’s wishing you all the happiness and the best of everything on your Birthday and praying for many many more returns of the Day.

    Thanks also for your tireless effort and devotion towards keeping the website alive and flourishing, and letting all of us alumni stay connected. Kudos for a great job so well done!

    With boundless metta,
    San Hla Aung

    From Saya U San Tun (Sain Fone Wong, M59)

    Dear U Hla Min,

    We regret that we will not be able to join the celebration of your birthday at the Theravada Buddhist Society of America on August 20, 2016.

    There is no doubt that the attendance will be large and all the Burmese foods will be mouth-watering and delicious. We are sure all the attendees will have a good time and leave the celebration venue with a fond memory.

    We admire you for all the good deeds and sacrifices you have been doing over the past decade for the benefits to oversea Burmese immigrants not only in the bay area, Southern California, the United States and over various parts of the world. Keep up the good work!

    We expect to meet you at the annual Nor Cal RITAA dinner on September 17,2016. We wish you a happy birthday and our best regards to your beloved Daw Sein Yee.

    Sain Fone & Sylvia

    From Saya Dr. Chris Lee (L Tin Htun, EE59)

    Dear Ko Hla Min:

    From reading the recent emails in your “Update”, tomorrow will be a great “Happy Birthday Bonanza Party” for you. It will surely be a fun, exciting and memorable event for all attendees.

    We wish you a wonderful Happy Birthday and many many more returns.

    Best regards,
    Chris and Pam Lee

    From Saya U Tin Htut (M60)

    • Founder & Past President of BASES
    • Organizer for SPZP-2000
    • Saya will attend the soon kyway on August 20, 2016 and the Annual Dinner of Northern California RIT Alumni Association on September 17, 2016. Thanks.

    Yes, I will be glad to join you all in the celebration.
    Tin Htut

    From Saya U Soe Paing (my mentor at RIT and UCC)

    Happy 70th Birthday and best wishes for many more birthdays to come.

    SP

    From Saya Dr. Tin Win (M62) and Daw Lily Win (T72)

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    We wish you a very happy Birthday and many more years with good health, prosperity and contentment.

    Best regards,
    Tin Win and Lily

    From Saya KC Chiu (Dr. Tin Aung, ChE63)

    Ko Hla Min,

    Happy birthday to you. Your voluntary service in keeping RIT alumni connected is unprecedented and commendable. You deserve the honorable commendation party to be held on 8/20/2016 at Half Moon Bay. If I didn’t move to Southern California last year, I would not miss it for the world. Happy birthday again and many more to come.

    Regards,
    KC Chiu

    From Saya Dr. Nyo Win (M65)

    • Past President of BAPS
    • Founding member of RIT Alumni International
    • Founding member & BOD for NorCal RIT AA
    • Saya Allen Htay’s article, “Brother, can you afford US $500?” refers to “U Nyo Win Act” for SPZP-2000. The Act did not need to be implemented thanks to the Golden Sponsors : U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70), U Yu Beng (Benny Tan, M70), U Khin Maung oo (Ivan Lee, M69), U Tin Myint (David Ko, M67) and U Maung Maung Than (M79) and the numerous sponsors.

    Hello Ko Hla Min,

    We all are expecting and waiting for the up coming celebration of your birthday at Half Moon Bay Monastery this Saturday [August 20, 2016]. It’s going to be one of its kind in our RIT alumni community, and surely on the day of the celebration you will be overwhelmed by all the alums, sayas, sayamas, friends and well wishers. I’d like to wish you beforehand a very happy birthday and looking forward to seeing you at the celebration party.

    Warmest regards,
    [Saya Dr.] Nyo Win (ME 65)

    From Saya Dr. Kyaw Sein (M65)

    Dear U Hla Min,

    Best wishes for your Birthday and many happy returns of the day from this day onwards and far beyond.May good health, happiness, prosperity and success be always with your whole family.

    With warm and sincere regards
    Kyaw Sein. Prof. Dr.
    University of Malaysia
    Mechatronics

    From Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE66) & spouse

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    See you at the Half Moon Bay Monastery this Saturday.

    Thanks for your dedication and untiring effort in keeping us all in touch with alumni all around the world.

    Also wishing you the very best on your Birthday and many more to come.

    Best regards.
    George & Eng Eng Chan

    From King Wong (Victor, C66)

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    All good and kind words are spoken by others.

    My tongue is tied and twisted.
    All I can say ” Happy Birthday to You “

    BTW, also Happy Birthday to adorable Grace.

    Best Regards
    King Wong (Victor)

    From Daw Khin Khin Kyu (Ann, A67)

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    Thank you so much for keeping RIT spirit well and healthy all the time.

    Appreciate all your hard work and time well spent. I regret that I can’t come to your BD celebration since I will be out of town that day.

    Wishing you many many more returns. Enjoy yourself and be healthy every day.

    Best regards
    Ann K K Kyu

    Editor’s Note:
    Daw KKK sent a birthday gift with Maurice.

    From U Saim Mayet (M67)

    Dear U Hla Min,

    Wish you a very happy birthday. I admire you for all the hard work you have been doing for more than a decade to keep us informed about RIT sayagyis, sayamas and other members. Thank you.

    Salim Mayet (M 67)

    From Saya U Myat Htoo (C 68)

    Dear U Hla Min,

    I would like to thank you for your dedication towards our alma mater by sacrificing your precious time and your tireless work over a decade and a half to connect all alumni around the world. Your work is unbelievably amazing and you are the inspiration for all of us.

    I am very happy that I will be joining you to celebrate your birthday at Half Moon Bay Monastery where you and I among other Board of Directors helped Sayadaw U Silananda successfully develop TBSA Meditation Center to propagate Theravada Buddhism in the western world and beyond.

    With ananda metta,
    [Saya U] Myat Htoo

    Editor’s notes:
    Saya served for a decade or so as President of TBSA. He supervised the Last Journey for Sayadaw U Silananda. He scattered Sayadaw’s ashes into the San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate Bridge.
    He plays the ukelele well. He enjoys golf & tennis. He is a Past President of BADA.

    Sayadaw U Okkantha (C69)

    Happy happy birthday.

    Ashin Oakkantha (Victor Aung Chaw).

    Editor’s notes:
    Sayadaw was my classmate at SPHS and RIT.

    From Benny Tan (Yu Beng, M70) and Angelina

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    You’ve spent years sharing your amazing memories and wonderful writing ability with all of us from RIT, YIT, etc.

    I like to thank you for sharing your wonderful RIT spirit and making a positive difference for so many people. Time is the most precious thing and you have generously shared your time and talents with all of us year after amazing year.

    Congratulations and all the best to you on your milestone birthday. May you live long, happy and healthy and may all your dreams and wishes come true.

    All the best,
    Benny and Angelina Tan

    From Daw Mai Khin Nyunt (Rosie, ChE71)

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    (a) May I wish to your beloved grand daughter “Grace”. HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY AND MANY MORE TO COME

    No doubt that she will become a smart little adorable girl. My grandson will be two years in coming Sept. He gives us hope and happiness. Each and every movement is interesting and adorable for us. I’m sure you and Ma Sein feel the same.

    (b) Many Happy Returns of the Day. Wish you could spend your life per your wish with Dhamma, family and friends.

    Have a nice and memorable gathering.

    With Metta,
    Rosie

    From U San Lin (Robert, EC73, Texas)

    Grace is brilliant.

    I can imagine how proud and happy you are.

    Wishing you a happy birthday too.

    Robert [San Lin]

    From Maurice Chee (M75)

    • Past President of BAPS
    • Founding member & Treasurer of RIT Alumni International
    • Chaired Working Committee (with Benny) for SPZP-2000
    • Financial Controller & Publisher of RIT Alumni Newsletter for SPZP-2000
    • Great organizer.

    The following is an update [as of August 12, 2016] on alumni members attending and bringing yummy authentic Burmese cuisines:

    • Ko Hla Min and family of 5
    • Dhamma friends of Ko Hla Min 10 to 15
    • Dr Aung Gyi – Tohu Toke (Sayegyi cannot make it but he will send me his speech to be read on his behalf).
    • Saya U Tin Htut & Mrs
    • U Myo Min & Daw Khin Khin Chit Maung
    • U Tin Maung Nyunt
    • Saya Myat Htoo & spouse – Ohn-no Kyauk Chau
    • Benny & Angelina Tan – Monhinga
    • Saya Nyo Win & spouse – Si Tha min
    • Saya Maung Maung & Eng Eng- samosa
    • Sayalay U Thein Aung & 3 – mango pickle to compliment the Dan Pauk plus curry dishes
    • Maurice & Mary Chee – Dan Pauk
    • Gordon & Lillian Kaung – Dessert
    • Ko Myint Swe & Daw San San Swe – Chin Baung Gyaw to compliment the Dan Pauk
    • Walter Tan & Angela – Naan-Gyi-Toke
    • Charlie & Diana Tseng – Birthday Cake
    • Edward Saw – Chinese egg custard
    • Alex Khoo – Sa-nwin-ma-kin and “Mont-Kywe-thee
    • Ko Kyaw Myint & 1 – falooda
    • Daw Khin Mya Yee – Pe Pyoke (Salad or Fry TBD and maybe Thee Song Hin)
    • Ko Hla Kyi & 3 – Nga Pyaw Baung (Banana dessert) ;
    • Ko Hla Kyi & company is kind enough to sponsor forks, spoons, napkins, plates and bowls as well as volunteering for erecting the tents, tables, chairs and cleanup.
    • Ko Thaung Nyunt
    • Daw Mu Mu Kin Htay – Let Phet Toke
    • Patrick Naing & Mimi
    • Ko Mya Thwin & spouse – fried small dried shrimp sesame noodle
    • Ma Thandar Aye & spouse
    • Dr Myint Thein aka Maung Ba Thein, nickname: Insein Zay Kaung
    • Daw Khin Khin Win & spouse
    • Ko Myint Soe
    • U Yu Ket (Edward Saw)
    • Stan & Lu Lu Liou
    • Ko Soe Thu & spouse
    • Ko San Lin & family

    Daw Kyu Kyu Lin (T75)

    Her nickname is “Baw Lone”. She represented RIT in volleyball. She will bring Si Kyet (may be Kyee Oh Si Kyet). Thanks.

    From U Myint Soe (M79)

    Three photos

    From Gordon Kaung (M83) and Lillian Kaung (EC83)

    Hello Saya Hla Min:

    We wish you the happiest of B-days, and many many more to come!

    We will bring a bottle of premium iNapaWine for you and ama to enjoy at your B-day (we know ama will definitely enjoy our premium wine to stay healthy, and take good care of you).

    With lots of metta,
    Gordon and Lillian Kaung
    Wine Maker

    From Saya U Khin (Lucien Chen, RIT English, Taipei)

    Dear Hla Min,

    I have been an ardent “fan” of your RIT Newsletter updates ever since you included me in your mailing list at the suggestion of Des Rodgers many many years ago.

    You have made a great contribution to the RIT community by bringing the RIT alumni, sayas and sayamas together through your reports, messages, photos, etc. in the RIT Newsletter and also through your persistent efforts in carrying on the good work against all odds. Who is going to fill your shoes after you retire?

    I spent the best years of my life (1964 ~ 1968) at the RIT and I cherish the good old days I had at the RIT with my former colleagues at the English Department such as Saya Desmond Rodgers, Saya U Win Mra, Saya U Joe Ba Maung, Saya Sao Kangyi (deceased), Saya U Kyaw Lwin Hla, Sayama Daw Yin Yin Mya (Terry), Sayama Daw Charity Sein U, Sayama Daw Khin May Lwin (Muriel), Sayama Daw Tin Tin Oo (Toni), Sayama Daw Khin Saw Tint (Anne), among others; my former colleagues at other engineering departments and non-engineering departments such as Saya U Tin Maung (Civil), Saya U Christopher Maung (Civil), Saya Allen Htay (civil), Saya Dr K.C. Khoo (Chemical), among others; and my former students Tin Tin Myint (Emma), Khin Phyu Latt (Christine), Tin Tin Hla (Su Tin), Sai Kham Sang, Pamela Myo Min, George Lim, among others.

    I hope you will have a great time at the birthday party that will be hosted in your honor on August 20th at Half Moon Bay, California, by your former classmates, colleagues, sayas and sayamas.

    I shall also be wishing you a happy birthday in absentia from this part of the world, and hope you will have many happy and healthy returns of the day in the years to come.

    Sincerely yours,
    Lucian Chen (Saya U Khin)