HlaMin

Category: Family

  • Birthday Party in 2016

    Birthday Party in 2016

    by Hla Min

    Updated : September 2026

    Maurice Chee (M75) organized the party

    Dear Alumni (far and near)

    We are organizing a milestone birthday (soonkway) and appreciation celebration for our alumni icon U Hla Min at Theravada Buddhist Society of America (TBSA), Half Moon Bay on August 20, 2016 from 9:00AM to 3:00 PM.

    I will be sponsoring my signature Indian (Chicken) and Chinese (baby back spare rib ) Dan Pauk, Benny (Mohingar), Saya Maung Maung (samosa), Daw San San Swe (Chin-Paung-Kyaw), Ko Hla Kyi (Bannana Dessert), Ko Gordon Kaung and Lillian Kaung (a tray of desserts).

    You are welcome to sponsor, contribute and volunteer to help with the event.

    To provide adequate foods, please send in your RSVP to mcmauchee@gmail.com by August 7, 2016.

    Please come and join us to celebrate this special day with a mindful and cheerful party and we look forward to seeing you all to show our appreciation to U Hla Min for taking care of RIT newsletter as Chief Editor for the past seventeen years.

    Saya U Tin Htut will be flying in from Los Angeles to attend the RIT mini-gathering. Saya was a member of the Organizing Committee for SPZP-2000. He is a co-founder and Past President of BASES.

    Event address

    Theravada Buddhist Society of America (TBSA)
    17450 S. Cabrillo Highway, CA 94019
    Half Moon Bay
    CA 94019
    U.S.A
    Phone: 650-712-9165

    I have been asked whether they can bring friends and family members to Ko Hla Min’s birthday celebration at TBSA, Half Moon bay, on August 20, 2016. The answer is Yes, per the Myanmar tradition any ah hlu ah tan is open to all well beings (alumni, non-alumni, friends and dhamma friends of Ko Hla Min).

    With metta,
    Maurice Chee, M75

    Appreciation

    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 Salim 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 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 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)

    From Saya U Tin Htut (M60, Los Angeles)

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

    Tin Htut

    From Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE66) and 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 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 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 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

    U Myint Soe (M79)

    He emailed me three photos.

    U Soe Thu (C98)

    He e-mailed me the Group Photo taken in front of U Silananda Hall at Dhammananda Vihara, Half Moon Bay.

    U Chan Min, who rowed for the Institute of Economics, became a monk at Dhammananda Vihara after his retirement. His crew members include U Htin Kyaw (Peter) and U Soe Thinn. He also attended the computer classes at UCC in Rangoon.

    From U Tha Aung (M79) & Daw Kinsa Maw-Naing (ChE79)

    Dear Ko Hla Min,

    Happy Birthday and to say thank you for all your efforts in keeping RIT alumni connected globally. Even though we don’t have much to say, we always follow your updates.

    May you have a happy healthy long life and lots of ku-tho.

    With metta from Tha Aung & Kinsa

    Editor’s notes :

    Appreciate your work hosting mini reunions in Canada and for volunteering as SPZP2016 representatives. Sayamagyi Daw Tinsa Maw-Naing was my English teacher in I Sc(A).

    From Saya U Htun Aung Kyaw (ChE67)

    Happy Birthday Ko Hla Min and cutie pie!

    I appreciate all you hard work and dedication to RIT Alumni newsletter.

    Sorry I cannot attend the event.

    Thanks for your appreciation

    Dear Sayas and Colleagues,

    It is truly amazing to be appreciated by sayas and alumni. The following are examples.

    Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi & Daw Emma called from Canada to wish my Cutie Pie and me. They also sponsored “Tohu Thoke တို့ဟူးသုတ်” for the attendees. Sayagyi sent Maurice his congratulatory message for me to be read at the soon kyway gathering. See the following section for details.

    Saya U Tin Htut flew in from Southern California.

    Ko San Lin (M 87, “Maung Lu Pay”) took time off from work to attend the soon kyway.

    Ko Kyaw Myint (M 83) delegated his “Flower shop” to his assistant to attend the soon kyway.

    Ko Myint Soe (M79), who recently had knee surgery, requested Ko Aung Myint Oo (EC 84) to give him and his spouse a ride to the soon kyway.

    Due to tight multiple schedules, Angelina & Benny Tan (M 70) came in separate cars so that Benny can have more time with his sayas and colleagues.

    Saya U Tin Maung Nyunt (M 60) will celebrate his 80th birthday in December. Saya only drive local short distance, so he asked Ko Thein Naing (Patrick) to give him a ride.

    Daw Mu Mu Kin, spouse of Saya Allen Htay, had tears in her eyes. She said that Saya would wish to be at the RIT mini-gatherings. She gave me silk neck ties that were bought (but never worn) by Saya. She shares the birthday on August 18 with my Cutie Pie.

    Maurice ordered a genericcake to celebrate Daw Mu Mu Kin, Ko Myint Swe (EP 74) and other August born.

    Maurice hand crafted a custom “birthday greetings” card with extracts from the birthday greetings from the RIT updates. The messages from Saya Dr. San Hla Aung, Ko Tha Aung & Ma Kinsa Maw-Naing came in too late to be incorporated into the gigantic card.

    Maurice spent countless days organizing the event. Following the tradition of his late father Uncle U Wah Kyu, he also prepared custom birayani (dan bauk ဒန်ပေါက်).

    Charlie Tseng (EC70) and Diana Tseng (ChE71) ordered two large birthday cakes.

    The full list of food donors and sponsors is maintained by Maurice.

    Johnson Lim (cousin of Robert San Lin) needs a human walking “cane” (his beloved spouse). They are regular food donors at most events.

    Daw Kyu Kyu Lin (T75) rarely attends gatherings. She made an exception this time. She brought “Kyee Oh See Kyet ကြေးအိုးဆီချက်”. She also gave a ride to two Textile grads: Ko Than Htay (T75) and Ma Bibsu (T76).

    Sayama Daw Khin Khin Chit Maung rarely attends gatherings. She made an exception this time. She and Saya U Myo Min fetched Saya U Tin Htut (her elder brother) at the air port and also brought him to the Half Moon Bay monastery.

    Gordon Kaung (M 83) and Lillian Kaung (EC 83) drove close to 3 hours from Napa. They also brought a bottle of iNapa Premium wine and desserts.

    Saya U Myat Htoo (C68) spent a decade or so as President of TBSA (Theravada Buddhist Society of America) at Half Moon Bay monastery. Today was a sort of “welcome back” for him and Ma Ku (Daw Hnin Maung Maung).

    Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE 66) is a Past President of NorCal RIT Alumni Association and a founding member of RIT Alumni International. He and Daw Eng Eng (sister of Saya U Myat Thwin, ChE 66) brought samoosa.

    There were a few young and not so young alumni at the event. They include Ko Soe Thu (C98) and Ma Thandar.

    Saya U Nyo Win (M65) and spouse were caught in the traffic.

    Saya U Thein Aung (Met72) and Sandra (M76) brought their daughter.

    Dr. Myint Thein (M73) talked about his “Htaik Htar ထိပ်ထား” Daw Nyo Nyo Win (T73) and provide examples of “Applied English” (e.g. “air cut” for stroke).

    Award

    This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 637-a.jpg
    Award

    Received appreciation award for helping the sayas and alumni to get connected via the RIT Alumni International Newsletter and Updates since 1999.

    It was the second award from the RIT Community.

    I received the first award at SPZP-2000 along with Maurice and KMZ.

    Posts

    • Alumni
    • Gatherings
    • Kye Zuu
    • Memories
  • Poems

    Poems

    by Hla Min

    Updated : September 2026

    To the Fallen Warrior

    To the Fallen Warrior
    • Independence Movement & the Warriors
    • “Taw Hlan Yay Nay” (တော်လှန်ရေးနေ့ Resistance Day) is celebrated in March. The resistance officially started on March 27, 1945. Bohmu Ba Htoo had started the resistance earlier, but it was made to look like a random sporadic act of defiance. The town which housed the early military training school was named “Ba Htoo Myo ဗထူးမြို့”
    • “Lut Latt Yay Nay” (လွတ်လပ်ရေးနေ့ Independence Day) is celebrated in January. The Union Jack was lowered and the Union Flag was flown on January 4, 1948. The time 4:20 AM may have been suggested by an astrologer.
    • Many civilians and armed personnel put their lives on the line in their support for a Democratic and Independent Union of Burma.
    • Saying “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

    Forward Magazine

    • My poem “To the fallen warrior” was published in Forward Magazine.
    • Bohmu Ba Thaw (Maung Thaw Ka) was Chief Editor.
    • U Sein Hla was Assistant Editor.
    • I received Fifteen Kyats for my poem.
    • The artist who illustrated my poem received Fifty Kyats.

    The Phaundaw-u Festival

    Phaungdaw-u Festival
    • I wrote a poem “The Phaungdaw-u Festival” for the Thadinkyut Supplement of Working People’s Daily (WPD).
    • I visited Inlay Lake four times.
    • My first visit was in the summer of 1965 as Tekkatho Luyechun for the Inlay Khaung Daing Camp.
    • My second visit was in October, 1965. I accompanied Ko Aung Kyaw (Peter Pe, SPHS, Movie Star) and Ko Maung Maung Aye (SPHS, IM1, GBNF) to Inlay and Taunggyi. Peter’s cousins (including a medical doctor) live in In Paw Khone in Inlay. Peter’s uncle U Maung Maung Latt was Ah Mat Choke (အမတ်ချုပ်) in Taunggyi. We saw first hand the famous Phaungdaw-u Festival.
    • My third visit was in the mid 2010s. We took a tour package (air travel, hotel, car & boat) to Inlay. We stayed at a hotel in Inlay and then visited selected places in a chartered boat. We were sad to see the declining state of Inlay (e.g. water level). We spent some time in Taunggyi and the nearby cave in Ho Pone.
    • My fourth visit was in January 2020 as the final leg of the Professional Speakers Association’s tour.

    The Ngapali Beach

    The Ngapali Beach
    • My poem “The Ngapali Beach” was published in the Forward Magazine on March 2, 1970.
    • I received fifteen kyats for my poem.
    • The illustrator received fifty kyats.
    • Bohmu Ba Thaw (Maung Thaw Kha) was Chief Editor.
    • U Sein Hla was Assistant Editor.

    Visits

    • My first visit was during my student days. My cousin and friends stayed at the Bungalow owned by U Tha Gyaw Wai and managed by my uncle. At a nearby bungalow was a movie crew by Amyotha Yoke Shin အမျိုးသားရုပ်ရှင် with U San Maung (Gerald, RUBC Gold and Coach). Ko Gerald asked me if I would be interested to join them on the way back via Taung Goke. We were hosted by a cinema owner. He offered the movie audience a free show if they could translate the Burmese titles into English. One submission was “Fly away bitter bird” (Pyan Lay dei Nget Khar ပျံလေတဲ့ငှက်ခါး)
    • My second visit was with my beloved spouse and two young sons. We stayed at the Bungalow owned by Amyotha Yoke Shin and managed by U Mya Maung (elder brother of Saya U Tin Htut).
    • My third visit was as Guest Lecturer for the Ngapali Luyechun Camp. I spent some time chatting with other Guest Lecturers including Saya U Kyaw Myint (Director of Higher Education, former Professor of Physics at Mandalay).
    • Hantha Aye Nylon — the parents of Than Than Yee (T71) and Sann Aung (M74) — also owned a Bungalow.
    • The Hotel and Tourist Corporation built the first hotel in Ngapali.
    • I know a few people who have taken almost yearly trips to Ngapali.

    Our Unity

    Our Unity
    • My poem “Our Unity” was published in WPD (Working People’s Daily) for Pyidaung Su Nay (Union Day). It was written as a dream.
    • Hlaing Phyo is one of my pen names.
    • I received fifteen kyats for my poem.
    • G Ko Lay (RUBC Gold) was Chief Editor of WPD. His spouse : Daw Nyunt Nyunt Win (Physics, RASU Registrar)
    • Former Chief Editors of WPD include U Khin Maung Latt (father of Saya Dr. Khin Maung Win, grand father of Maung Yit and Junior Win) and U Than Saw (grand father of KMZ’s spouse).

    Tekkatho Moe War wrote : This is really an amazing verse to read, especially for a poetry lover, be it in any language, so to speak.

    Related Posts

    • Apostle of Non-violence
    • AUNG SAN
    • HTAY LWIN NYO
    • SAYA PU ZAW PWE
    • Shwe YaDu Lann
    • The United Nations
  • Doctor & Patient

    Doctor & Patient

    by Hla Min & Sein Yie

    Update : September 2026

    Neikban Zaw
    • My spouse wrote articles for Dhammanda Newsletter ဓမ္မာနန္ဒစာစောင် with the pen name Neikban Zaw.
    • The newsletter was published by TBSA (Theravada Buddhist Society of America).

    Translation of my spouse’s article

    In Burma, our beloved land, we treasure “Say Mee Toh” ဆေးမီးတို (Quick remedy). In fact, our forebears used easily available fruits, flowers, and leaves as traditional medicine. Some are taken raw, some are prepared according to a recipe.

    Doctor turned Patient

    I did private practice at Barr Street (Maha Bandoola Pann Chan Lann မဟာဗန္ဓုလပန်းခြံလမ်း). There are several clinics and hospitals nearby. It is close to 35th Street which is frequently by the members of Yoke Shin Law Ka (ရုပ်ရှင်လောက Movie Community).

    For a few months, I served as a doctor at the Waziya Pyazat Yone (ဝဇီရာပြဇာတ်ရုံ Theater for live performances). One day, I abruptly fell sick after being caught in the heavy rain. Thankfully, the Theater staff (who were my patients) gave me medicine. For a moment, the patients had treated their doctor. I will always remember and treasure their kind acts.

    Advice

    Some doctors give medical advice to patients, but find it hard to take care of themselves. With sunglasses on, they will advice their patients to quit drinking and smoking and not to chew betel.

    They may drink claiming for example that “a glass of wine is good for the blood circulation”. I did not refuse when iNapa Winery gave me a bottle of Premium Wine for my birthday.

    Mother and My In-laws

    My mother passed away in August several years ago. She was 87. I still remember her preparing “Kun Ywet Pyoat Yay ကွမ်းရွက်ပြုတ်ရေ” for me.

    My father-in-law who learned indigenous medicine from Kadok Sayagyi (ကတုတ်ဆရာကြီး his life saver) and my mother-in-law had a cabinet of Western and Eastern medicine. They also treated me at times.

    A million thanks.

    Posts

    • Dhammananda Newsletter
    • Neikban
    • TBSA
  • Contributing Editor

    Contributing Editor

    by Hla Min

    Updated : September 2026

    RIT Alumni Newsletter

    • In April 1999, I started sharing news of selected Alumni and Gatherings via e-mail.
    • It was called RIT Alumni (Abroad) Newsletter.
    • Several readers suggested a more inclusive name : RIT Alumni International Newsletter.

    Special Issue for SPZP-2000

    Page 1 of Special Issue
    • In October 2000, the First RIT Alumni Reunion & Saya Pu Zaw Pwe (SPZP-2000) was held in the San Francisco Bay Area.
    • We published a Special Issue of RIT Alumni Newsletter for SPZP-2000.

    Editors

    • I was the Chief Editor. Saya U Thein Aung (Met72) and Henry Lim (U Aung Myint) were Editors.
    • I wrote “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” poem and the Editorial.

    Authors

    • Saya Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (GBNF)
    • Saya U Aung Khin
    • Saya Allen Htay (C58, GBNF)
    • Saya Dr. Nyo Win (M65)
    • Saya U Myo Win (M/Ag65, GBNF)
    • Saya Dr. Koung Nyunt (A67, GBNF)
    • U Hla Min (EC69)
    • Benny Tan (M70)
    • Saya U Thein Aung (Met72)
    • Dr. Myint Thein (M73)
    • Maurice Chee (M75)
    • U Khin Maung Zaw (EC76)

    Contents

    Page 2 of Special Issue
    Page 3 of Special Issue
    Page 4 of Special Issue

    Page 5 of Special Issue
    Page 6 of Special Issue
    Page 7 of Special Issue
    Page 8 of Special Issue
    Page 9 of Special Issue
    Page 10 of Special Issue
    Page 11 of Special Issue
    Page 12 of Special Issue
    Page 13 of Special Issue
    Page 14 of Special Issue
    Page 15 of Special Issue
    Page 16 of Special Issue

    Archives

    U Khin Maung Zaw archived the early newsletters in ex-rit org website.

    U Wunna Ko Ko archived the later newsletters in RitAlumniInfo website.

    Both websites are no longer active.

    Contributing Editor

    I volunteered as a Contributing Editor for the following :

    • RIT English Association Newsletter
    • BAPS (Burmese American Professional Society) Newsletter
    • Dhammananda Newsletter published by TBSA (Theravada Buddhist Society of America)
    • Cetana Thi Thar Kan စေတနာသည်သာကံ — Book by Saya U Aung Zaw (UCC)
    • Paying Homage to Sayadaw U Silanandabhivamsa
    • RUBC 90th Anniversary Souvenir Magazine
    RUBC Magazine
    Hla Min (Contributing Editor)
    Book honoring Sayadaw U Silananda
    Book by U Aung Zaw
  • Life Story

    Life Story

    by Thein Han

    Updated : September 2026

    U Thein Han & Daw Khin Khin Htway

    April 23, 1958

    It is on this day 23rd April 1958 that I got married to my wife Khin Khin Htway (Flora) at the Strand Hotel. We stayed two nights with her parents and left for our honeymoon to Tokyo, Japan.

    April 25, 1958

    We arrived Tokyo 0n the 25th and was met at the airport by Mr Fonseka, Ceylon (now Siri Lanka) Ambassador to Japan. He was was a friend of my wife father when he was Ceylon Ambassador to Burma. He took us to a restaurant for lunch and later dropped us at a Hotel near the Imperial Palace.

    April 26, 1958

    The next day we took the high speed bullet train to Osaka to visit Mr Fukutomi who is a friend and was once an IBM Engineer in Burma. He lived in Takarazuka, a suburb of Osaka. He took us to see the famous Takarazuka Kabuki show performed by women artists only, the men parts were also performed by ladies and not a single men was involved in it.

    Trips

    We stayed one night in Osaka and then left for our trip to Kyoto, Nara,Yokohama, and Kamakura where there is a Huge BUDDHA sitting statue, it is also a popular beach resort and returned to Tokyo.

    Back to Tokyo

    In Tokyo we saw a modern topless show at Asakusa Theatre, did some shopping at Diamaru Department store and took a stroll on GINZA street.

    We left Japan after three weeks of our memorable honeymoon in Japan.

    Hong Kong

    From Tokyo we flew to Hong Kong, we stayed at at the famous Peninsular Hotel on Kowloon side where the airport is.

    One day while shopping in Hong Kong we met four Burmese gentlemen on the street and they were Executive Members of Rangoon Turf Club, they were in Hong Kong at the invitation of Hong Kong Turf Club. One of them, U Chit Khaing saw my wife in her longyi and came to talk to us, he then invited us for a cruise on the Hong Kong Harbour which the Hong Kong Turf Club had arranged for them in the evening. The cruise was during sunset and it was a beautiful ride relaxing on the boat, breathing the fresh air of Hong Kong Harbour and watching the colored lights of Skyscrapers opened one by one, twinkling on the hill. We returned to Rangoon the next day.

    Blessed to be together for a long time

    It is now more than six decades since our honeymoon in Japan and we are fortunate to be still together and is able to take care of each other.

    U Thein Han

    Update

    • U Thein Han passed away peacefully in late 2025. He was 95+ years old. He was Systems Engineer for IBM Burma. He retired as an Accountant for Montgomery County.
    • Daw Khin Khin Htwe passed away peacefully earlier this year. She taught at the Psychology Department at Rangoon University. She retired as Librarian at the Library of Congress. She managed the Burma Collection.

  • Paing Family

    by Hla Min

    Update : September 2026

    U Paing & Siblings

    ဦးပိုင် ညီအကိုမောင်နှမများ

    U Paing & Siblings
    • Daw Ma Ma Tin ဒေါ်မမတင်
    • U Saing ဦးဆိုင်
    • U Hlaing ဦးလှိုင်
    • U Paing ဦးပိုင်
    • Daw Ma Ma Lay ဒေါ်မမလေး
    • U Chan Maung Kun ဦးချမ်းမောင်ကွမ်း
    • Bogyi Hla Maung ဗိုလ်ကြီးလှမောင်
    • U Sein Yoe ဦးစိန်ရိုး
    • U Yan Way ဦးရန်ဝေး

    Family

    Father : ICS U Paing

    Mother : Daw Oo Yin (daughter of Sir Po Tha & Lady Tha)

    Sons : Myo Paing, Soe Paing, Win Paing, Kyaw Paing

    Dr. Myo Paing (SPHS54)

    • Medical doctor & researcher (at BMRI)
    • Early assignment was Malaria Campaign
    • Champion golfer.

    U Soe Paing (SPHS56)

    U Soe Paing
    • In the Matric exam of 1956, he stood 13th in Burma and won a Collegiate Scholarship.
    • In 1958, he received two Gold medals : one for Highest Total Marks for I.Sc (Combined) & another for Joint Highest Marks in Maths for I.Sc (Combined).
    • While attending Engineering classes at RU, he received State Scholarship to study Electrical Engineering at Stanford University in the USA.
    • Received BS and MS in EE (Electrical Engineering) from Stanford University.
    • Upon his return, he joined the EE Department at RIT as Assistant Lecturer. He helped Sayagyi Dr. Chit Swe with the UCC project.
    • Transferred to UCC as Manager of Systems Division.
    • After reorganization, he also managed the Operations Division.
    • Received M.Sc. in Computer Science from University of Southampton, UK.
    • Taught CS courses at UCC. He co-authored Programming Texts, Lecture Guides and Manuals with U Aung Zaw and me.
    • Worked for UN projects in several countries.
    • Wrote “Computer Ah Sa UCC Ga” and his experiences as a States Scholar and UN Advisor. They can be read from SCRIB-D
    • After retirement, Saya spent time playing golf & practicing vipassana meditation.
    • During his UCC days, he served as a Golf Correspondent. I helped him type about the competition at RGC (Rangoon Golf Club) and BGC (Burma Golf Club) and submit to the English newspapers.
    • Visited RUCL. Compiled material for HMEE Project & prepared a Draft. Translated Section 1 of the HMEE book and summarized Section 2.
    • Gave an interview to MASTAA

    U Win Paing (SPHS64)

    U Wara 1
    U Wara 2
    U Wara 3
    • Won Golf Championships with his younger brother U Kyaw Paing.
    • After finishing the finals for ChE (Chemical Engineering) exam in 1970, he became a monk.
    • Served as Taik Oke for about four decades before becoming Chief Resident Monk of Kaba Aye Sunlun Gu Kyaung Sayadaw.
    • Known as Sayadaw U Wara.
    • He is now GBNF.

    U Kyaw Paing (SPHS67)

    • Represented Burma in the Putra Cup.
    • Lawyer and entrepreneur.

    U Khin Maung Zaw (SPHS70, EC76) wrote :

    For number of years, I was the carrier-cum-postman to bring Saya U Soe Paing’s typed golf news to the WPD, Working Peoples’ Daily at Theingbyu Street! Just one of the chores I had in those days.

    I remember jokingly asked Sayadaw U Wara how he felt seeing the (18th??) hole over the fence from the Sunlun Kyaung’s “Thein”. The new golf course was built for VIPs inside Kabaaye, and that particular hole was seen from the “Thein” သိမ် less than 40-50 yards, of course over the fence.

    Updates

    • Nyi Lynn Seck created a family tree for Sir Po Tha
  • SPHS : Photo Collection

    SPHS : Photo Collection

    by Hla Min

    Updated : September 2026

    Std. VIII (A)

    1960 – 61

    • Most continued studying in IX(A) and X(A) and had successful careers
    • Some are GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten)
    Our Class in 1960 – 61
    3rd, 4th and 5th Rows
    1st and 2nd Rows

    SPHS58 Reunion

    • Dr. Soe Win (1st in Burma) and classmates had gatherings
    • Some are now GBNF
    Gathering 1
    Gathering 2

    High School Sayas

    Mathematics

    • Bro Clementian
    • Relieving : Saya Johnny Myo, Saya Kyaw Khin, Saya M Hla Min
    • Early Days : Mr. Dawson
    Bro Clementian

    Burmese

    • Saya Sein
    • Relieving : Saya Nyunt Maung
    Saya U Sein

    English

    • Bro Xavier
    • Bro Austin
    • Ms. Amelia Kyi / Miss Hong Kong
    • Relieving : Mr. C Lewis
    Bro Xavier

    Physics

    • Mr. Beatson
    • Relieving : Saya Hla Myint
    • Lab : Bro Joseph
    • Early Days : Mr. Illife
    Mr. Beatson

    Chemistry

    • Mr. Cecil D’Cruz
    • Lab : Bro Joseph
    • Early Days : Bro Peter
    Mr. Cecil D’Cruz

    Paulian Doctors

    SPHS60 & 63

    • Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint (SPHS60) : 6th in Burma; Pediatrician; Unicef; Book published for 70th birthday
    • Dr. Khin Maung U (SPHS63) : First in Burma; Medical Researcher; FDA
    • Dr. Myo San (SPHS63, GBNF) : 3rd in Burma; Surgeon
    • Dr. Nyunt Wai / Victor (SPHS63) : 4th in Burma; Retired Professor, Physiology at IM (1), IM (2) and Malaysian University
    • Dr. Khin Maung Zaw / Frank (SPHS63) : 17th in Burma; Retired Registrar in UK
    Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint
    Dr. Khin Maung Zaw / Frank, Dr. Myo San / Freddie, Dr. Khin Maung U / George, Dr. Nyunt Nyunt Wai / Amy, Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint / Johnny
    VNW 1

    Notable Young Alumni

    • Dr. Khin Mg Mg (SPHS69) : Professor and Chair, Physics & Astronomy, University of Mississippi
    • Dr. Rafiul Ahad (SPHS69) : Retired VP, Cloud Computing, Oracle USA
    KMM RA 1
    KMM RA 2
    KMM RA 3

    Pioneers of Computing in Burma

    U Soe Paing (SPHS56)

    • Co-founder, UCC
    • Manager, Systems Division
    • UN Retiree
    U Soe Paing

    U Myo Min (SPHS58)

    • Co-founder, UCC
    • Manager, Applications Division
    • Former Senior Lecturer, NTI
    • Retired Principal, Seagate Technologies and Connors
    U Myo Min

    U Ko Ko Lay (SPHS56, GBNF)

    • Co-founder, UCC
    • Manager, Operations Division
    • (later) Manager, Scientific Applications Division
    • Professor, Department of Computer Science, RASU
    • Professor, Information Technology, ICST
    U Ko Ko Lay

    U Hla Min (SPHS63)

    • Member of Gen Zero, UCC
    • Taught at UCC, DCS and ICST
    • Retiree, Silicon Valley
    • Former Docent, Computer History Museum
    Hla Min
  • Photos 1

    Photos 1

    by Hla Min

    Updated : September 2026

    Dr. Chit Swe

    Dr. Chit Swe 1
    Dr. Chit Swe 2
    Dr. Chit Swe 3
    Dr. Chit Swe 4
    Dr. Chit Swe 5

    Relatives

    Rel 1
    Rel 2
    Rel 3
    Rel 4
    Rel 5
    Rel 6
    • Parents
    • Uncles & Aunts
    • Cousins
    • Nephews & Nieces

    Friends

    Dr. Khin Maung Zaw / Frank, Dr. Myo San / Freddie, Dr. Khin Maung U / George, Dr. Nyunt Nyunt Wai / Amy, Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint / Johnny
    Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint
    Dr. Sann Oo, Daw Than Yi / Maubin Ma Shwe Than
    Friends 4
    Friends 5
    Friends 6
    Nyunt Maung San, Tin Tin Myint / Emma
    Norcal 1
    NorCal 2
    NorCal 3
    NorCal 4
    NorCal 5

    Let Oo Sayas

    Three Generations

    • My beloved parents
    • My spouse and I
    • My elder son
    With my beloved parents

    St. Paul’s High School, Rangoon

    • De la Salle Brothers
    • Sayas / Male teachers
    • Sayamas / Female Teachers
    SPHS Staff

    Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor Nyunt)

    • Fourth in Burma in the Matriculation Exam in 1963
    • Retired Professor, Physiology at Institute of Medicine (1) and (2)
    • Taught at Malaysian University
    VNW 1

  • A Life to Remember

    A Life to Remember

    by Hla Min & Oxford Sayadaw

    Update : September 2026

    Dr. Peter Khin Tun (MRCP)

    • He was the first NIH doctor in UK to succumb to Covid.
    • Passed away in UK on April 13, 2020 at the age of 62.
    Peter
    • Early victim of Covid-19 & Lax rules of the Health System.
    • His email warnings to Higher Authorities about the risk of moving PPEs from his hospital were ignored.
    • He served for Four years as Associate Dean at Oxford University.
    • He was a supporter of Oxford Vihara (monastery).
    Dr. Peter Khin Tun and Ma Win Mar
    • Daw Win Mar (spouse) recovered after two weeks of treatment at the hospital.
    • Two sons : Min Ko (Michael) & Ye Aung (William)
    At Min Ko’s wedding
    • Michael presented the case to TV & Newspapers. William prepared the Obituary and also sang at Peter’s service.

    From Oxford Sayadaw

    Dakagyi Dr Peter Khin Tun,

    From now on, it will not be my priority to remember that you lived 62 years, but rather how many thousands of life you have touched and nurtured. People are remembered for what they did for others, not how long they live. Ultimately, it is your exemplary selfless service to the many that will be inscribed in many hearts. Since we came to know each other in London in 1996, you have watched proudly your two boys grow up and achieve some standing of their own. As you always wished, I will take care of them spiritually so they can serve many souls as you have. Have a good rebirth.

    With metta,

    Oxford Sayadaw

    Updates

    • Peter’s demise prompted changes in the Health System.
    • Peter did not live long enough to see the daughters of Min Ko.
  • Apostle of Non-violence

    Apostle of Non-violence

    by Hla Min

    Updated : September 2026

    Gandhi

    • Mohandas K Gandhi was fondly called Gandhiji.
    • His non-violence movement was partly responsible for gaining India’s Independence.
    Gandhi

    Poem

    Poem
    • I wrote a poem for the Centenary of the birth of “The Apostle of Non-violence”.
    • It was published in the Working People’s Daily (WPD) on October 1, 1969.
    • U Ko Lay (RUBC Gold, GBNF) was the Chief Editor of WPD.
    • Daw Khin Swe Hla (GBNF) was Editor.

    Further Reading

    • Celebrations — Anniversaries and Jubilees
    • Publications — Newspaper, Journal, Sar Saung and Magazine
    • Poetry — Poem; Kabyar and Translation; Rhyme; Poetic Art Series