Started by Ko Myint Pe (M72) and team with the Patronage of Saya U Khin Maung Phone Ko (“Phone Ko”, C65) and Saya U Aung Myint (“Kyant Ba Hone”, Pet69)
“Phone Ko” was known for his “Vietnam cartoon”
“Kyant Ba Hone” superficially looked like “Nick Kelly”, but the contents are different.
Maintained by three (or more) generations of Cartoon Boxers
Cartoon Box was “ordered close” after 1988
History is published in the Commemorative Issue of Swel Daw Yeik Magazine for SPZP-2012
Collection of RIT Cartoons published in time for SPZP-2012
Pamphlet of RIT Cartoons distributed at Shwe YaDu and SPZP-2016
Some (e.g. “Aw Pi Kye”) became professional cartoonists Exhibited in Myanmar and beyond (e.g. Asian Cartoon Exhibition)
Early Cartoonists
Shwe Ta Lay
U Ba Gyan
U Heng Soon
U Aung Shein
U Pe Thein
U Than Kywe
U Ba Htwe
U Kyaw San (“Ka Sa”)
Published in Burmese and English newspapers, magazines and books.
The “Cartoon Festival” was held in U Ba Gyan Street (around Tazaung Daing).
Comics
During our times, we read
Beano
Dandy
Topper
Beezer
Film Fun
Joke and Humor books D. S. Saluja collected 200 books including Annual / Special Issues
U Myo Myint (M73)
Designed covers for the RIT Annual Magazines and the commemorative Swel Daw Yeik Magazines.
Expert in “Pon Tu” (Portrait) and “Oil Paintings”.
Also draw cartoons. U Myint Pe (M72) has posted some of them.
They remind me of three female friends who were fondly known as Half Size, Full Size and Double Size.
Miscellaneous
Ko Win Thein (M67, GBNF) suggested to name RIT Main Gate as “U Lu Paw Gate”.
Ko Myint Soe (C68, GBNF) and Ko Myint Thein (M69, GBNF) are fondly called Maung Kabar (or Kabar for short)
About a decade ago, my spouse paid K10,000 for a copy of “old” cartoons published in the Rangoon Times. Some are political satire.
In 1958, there was a rift between the two factions of AFPFL. Some cartoonists took sides and a “price war” started. The cartoons, which sold for 60 pyas, were then given away at bargain prices (any where between 10 and 50 pyas).
We have seen private shops like Smart & Mookerdam gave way to the government owned stationery and book stores.
After the tragic death of Daj Hammarskjold, the United Nations Security Council selected U Thant (Permanent Representative of the Union of Burma, which co-founded the Non-aligned Movement) to succeed Hammarskjold as the Third UNSG and the first Asian UNSG.
USSR vetoed USA’s nominee for UNSG.
USA vetoed USSR’s proposal for Trioka (a three member committee from each of the Three Blocs).
U Thant retired after serving two terms as UNSG.
Post retirement
After retirement, U Thant started writing his memoirs but was interrupted by failing health.
His younger brother U Thaung was by his side in the final days, and helped bring U Thant’s body home.
The higher authorities were told explicitly or implicitly not to pay respect to U Thant’s body.
The Deputy Minister who paid respect to U Thant was dismissed effective immediately.
Most people expected a decent ceremony (if not a State Funeral befitting the Head of the World Organization), but they learned that U Thant’s body was to be placed at the Kyandaw Cemetery.
This led students to take U Thant’s body to the Main Campus and …
There were three dissenting votes by the student representatives for the higher authorities’ proposal to have U Thant buried in the Mausoleum (in Cantonment Park), and they lost by 8-3 margin.
The dark moments resulted in students being jailed or debarred, and some having to wait more months for their graduation ceremony.
One participant had already distributed invitation for the wedding, but ended with the loss of his freedom (for a few years) and his love.
Book
Htein Win Sar Pay published a book about the “U Thant Ah Yay Ah Khin”.
The book contains rare photos (most of them recovered from an archive overseas). Many photos (that were in Burma) were destroyed “out of fear” for harassment / punishment.
Met Ko Htain Win at the 5th ILF (Irrawaddy Literary Festival) in Mandalay in November, 2019. He was promoting another book 8-8-88.
U Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) wrote :
The sad thing I discovered at my last visit to Myanmar in Nov/Dec 2018 was that the tomb of U Thant has been closed and in disrepair. The entrance was padlocked, the compound was unkempt.
He had excellent communication skills (reading, writing, speaking).
He won essay and translation contests.
His mother requested him to study only for two years at the University of Rangoon and then return home and work.
He became a Saya at the Pantanaw National School. For accreditation requirements of the school, he requested help from U Nu (who was a Principal)
Later, U Nu (leader of AFPFL and Prime Minister) asked U Thant to help the party and the government in various capacities.
U Thant succeeded Mr. James Barrington (ICS, RUBC Gold) as the Permanent Secretary of the Burmese Delegation to the United Nations. The post would later be called “Myanmar Ambassador to the United Nations”.
UNSG (United Nations Secretary General)
Daj Hammerjold, the second United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) perished in an air crash during a UN mission.
In trying to find a successor to Hammerjold, the two super powers USA and USSR could not agree.
USSR refused to accept USA’s candidate.
USA refused to accept USSR’s proposal of Troika (a three member committee from each of the Three Blocs).
They agreed to have U Thant (who hailed from Burma, a co-founder of the Non-Aligned Movement) as the Interim UNSG.
The General Assembly later ratified him as the third UNSG.
U Thant became the first Asian UNSG.
U Thant retired after serving two terms as UNSG.
Post retirement
After retirement, U Thant started writing his memoirs but was interrupted by failing health.
His younger brother U Thaung was by his side in the final days, and helped bring U Thant’s body home.
The higher authorities were told explicitly or implicitly not to pay respect to U Thant’s body.
The Deputy Minister who paid respect to U Thant was dismissed effective immediately.
Most people expected a decent ceremony (if not a State Funeral befitting the Head of the World Organization), but they learned that U Thant’s body was to be placed at the Kyandaw Cemetery.
This led students to take U Thant’s body to the Main Campus and and make it a temporary (may be final) resting place for U Thant.
Details can be read in the book by Htein Win (Dat Pone).
There were three dissenting votes by the student representatives for the higher authorities’ proposal to have U Thant buried in the Mausoleum (in Cantonment Park), and they lost by 8-3 margin.
The dark moments resulted in students being jailed or debarred, and some having to wait more months for their graduation ceremony. A few never had a chance to graduate.
One participant had already distributed invitation for the wedding, but ended with the loss of his freedom for a few years and his love.
Book
Htein Win Sar Pay published a book about the “U Thant Ah Yay Ah Khin”.
The book contains rare photos (most of them recovered from an archive overseas). Many photos (that were in Burma) were destroyed “out of fear” for harassment / punishment.
Met Ko Htain Win at the 5th ILF (Irrawaddy Literary Festival) in Mandalay in November, 2019. He was promoting another book 8-8-88.
U Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) wrote :
The sad thing I discovered at my last visit to Myanmar in Nov/Dec 2018 was that the tomb of U Thant has been closed and in disrepair. The entrance was padlocked, the compound was unkempt.
Ko Tin Maung Thant
Ko Tin Maung Thant (“Ah Pho Gyi”, U Thant’s son) was my sister’s classmate at the Private Primary Boundary Road School (PPBRS).
He left the school to join his father (then Permanent Secretary of the Burmese Delegation to the United Nations).
Sadly, he passed away unexpectedly during his visit to Burma in 1962.
His funeral service was grander than that of Commodore Than Pe (Minister of Health and Education), the first member of the 17-man Revolutionary Council to pass away.
Centennial Birthday
At the Centennial Birthday Celebration for U Thant held a few years back in the San Francisco Bay Area a few years back, I was a guest speaker.
