HlaMin

Category: RIT

Engineering Schools in Burma

  • Koung Nyunt

    Koung Nyunt

    by Hla Min & Kogyi Koung

    Update : June 2026

    Highlights

    Dr. Koung Nyunt
    • A67
    • Secretary, RIT Photography Association
    • Pen name : Kogyi Koung
    • Doctorate from Japan. Found his love life “Moe Moe”.
    • Due to immigration laws in Myanmar & Japan, the family decided to move to Auckland, New Zealand.
    • Organizer for RIT events in New Zealand.
    • Wrote articles for RIT Alumni International Newsletter

    Articles

    • Two Forgotten Songs from RIT. One is a favorite of Saya U Tha Tun (Head of Department).
      Another is about Ma Ma Q & her fans (sayas and alumni).
    • Photo essay on Kyaik Hti Yo Development. Saya U Min Wun wrote a supplement article for the Project.
    • Letter to Thagyar Min to second his favorable opinion on Naw Louisa Benson (Miss Burma & movie actress).
    • About some paintings
    • Quoted Reverend F Lutvig (Ashin Ananda, Laureate Poet) in his articles.

    Contact

    • He passed away, but Moe Moe kept contact with Daw Phyu Phyu Latt (Christine, A70) and other alumni in Australia.

    (1) Forgotten Songs of RIT

    by Kogyi Koung

    First Song

    It was one afternoon in the early May of 1963. Someone was singing a prewar semi-classic song from the second floor of RIT main building. In 1963, RIT buildings were relatively new and that semi-classic song caused a little bit of discomfort for the freshmen [equivalent to 3rd BE] located on the first floor. The song continued as,
    (. hmain: njou. njou. sain: lou. je . njou pja ji hmaung che . to: dan: kalei: nanbei: ga swe . e:di jwa be: kwe…)

    The meaning is: Dull and gloomy cloud override at the horizon; Indistinct brown and dim bluish vision of a wood jetting out from that end is my village … *Note: The title of the song is ‘Htamin: mjein mjein sa: me’ i.e., “ထမင်းမြိန်မြိန်စားမယ် Enjoying the meal with relish”. The duet song was first performed by prewar famous singers Ou’ O: Ba Thaung and Sein Party. Later many other singers have rendered their own versions of the song.

    We saw an old man singing the song while he was painting watercolor on a huge art paper. He was painting the landscape described in the song. Amazingly the picture was full of life and the song was telling the story. Everybody stopped in front of his office on the second floor and looking with wonder and singing with him.

    After a while we asked him, “Sayagyi, who are you and which department do you belong to?”
    He replied, “I am U Tha Tun, Head of the Department of Architecture”. Oh, my God! How stupid that we, the freshmen of Architecture, don’t even know the head of our department. As time passed, we learned more about ‘The Great U Tha Tun’.

    When we became senior students, U Tha Tun’s health deteriorated so much that Saya U Myo Myint Sein (Raymond, A58) stepped up as a ‘Kagemusha’ [Japanese for “shadow-warrior”]. UMMS, as acting head, took care of everything about the department. Young and energetic Saya UMMS found that it was not easy to steer the department as Captain of Architecture’s Flag Ship. There were lots of problems for a relatively young department in RIT.

    One such problem occurred during our final year. Two of the most experienced Sayas of architecture left the department and went abroad [for enhancing their careers]. They were (a) Saya U Sein Maung (with elegant moustache) has long experience in Rangoon City Development Corporation. He taught each and every detail of the development of Rangoon. (b) Saya M.B. Raschid (son of U Raschid, minister of many affairs under Prime Minister U Nu). He taught with all his professional experience and perfect pronunciation of King’s Burmese with ‘zagaboun စကားပုံ’ proverbs. Sometimes he corrected our broken Burmese.

    Saya UMMS, Head of the department, not only had lost his right and left hand men, but also there was a danger that the notorious Koung Nyunt and Kyaw Thein (both A67) might not finish their Architecture degrees.

    After a long struggle, Saya UMMS stabilized the flagship of Architecture and its direction. A pioneer of the Architecture of RIT, Professor U Myo Myint Sein handed over the headship to Dr. Maung Kyaw in early 80’s. In the late 80’s Dr. Lwin Aung (A59) took over.

    Second Song

    For creative and original works, Architects cannot design during the office hours. It is also true [to a lesser degree] for the students of architecture. During the lectures and tutorial hours we [as students] have to follow what they have taught. After school hours [mostly after 4 or 5 pm], we start to create and test our design ideas. Note that for other students and staff of RIT, such periods are the pleasure and relaxation time.

    There were only a few girls in Architecture, but the one in our studio is especially alluring beauty and glamorous face. She was so popular that she became known as the queen of the student-architects. We called her Ma Ma Q.

    Most of the evenings many senior students and young eligible bachelors and/or sayas visit our studio. Some stay late into the evenings. At that time we sang a song named ‘Saga: ta’ kathou’ i.e., Language University, by Khin Yu May.

    Because in the song, one part said ‘dage lar te. Ko Ko. kwe ja hmar ba lou lou’ i.e., really coming Ko Ko, out of sight he is sth in the air.

    Ma Ma Q didn’t know the meaning, but the visiting Ko Kos were annoyed by our song. They politely requested us to stop singing. At that time the notorious KN and KT asked ‘hse’ kjei:’ i.e., extortion money about 2-3 kyats from the Ko Kos and went to U Chit tea shop. This continued for days and weeks.

    When the Ko Kos are not visiting our studio, we sang the following song, instead of Ma Ma Q. i.e., Third Song. (Note. Extract from Shwe Kyi: nyo song by Daw Ngwe Myaing)
    ‘Diga nei. nya hpjin. lar ma te. so: joun ya hmar lar: akou Kja.ma ne. ne: te. Shwe kyi: nyo Shwe kyi: nyo Shwe kyi: nyo’
    “To-night coming you said so, may I believe Ako.. Near the blessed golden crow, golden crow, golden crow…”

    (2) Article (Sept/Nov 2000)

    With all of those excellent works and flying colours for Saya Pu Zaw Pwe, your organizing committee is a living history of RIT. Our Sayas, Sayamas and Saya-Gyis have contributed their unlimited knowledge to affect and benefit our lives. Many of our Sayas and colleagues have sent their thanksgiving letters to your web site.

    I feel guilty in staying quietly at a corner of the Southern Hemisphere. Actually I am busy, because of my article ‘Wanna Migrate to New Zealand, 3/15/00’ that you published on the ex-rit web site. After that article, I got many inquires/contacts by e-mail and direct phone calls, especially from SE Asia. In July there are 133 migrants and in September 28 migrants are now in Auckland, and expecting another over 50 in November 2000. All speak the common language “Burmese” with their own native accents. Now I know our Sayas and colleagues speak “King’s Burmese” in RIT.

    I would like to honor my Sayas with a poem from our forefathers-cum-engineers how they had built a city.


    Title: ‘SHWE PYI GYI’ (Golden Capital City)

    Sweet sound of drums and silver bells
    Coming from the Palace
    Can be heard reverberating in the air
    And I can see the palace roofs,
    The graduated turrets and buildings
    Encompassed by haze.
    And, my dear girl, I can still faintly see
    The silhouettes of a high pagoda
    Reaching nearly to the clouds
    And of super-imposed roofs (i.e., pyathat)
    Oh my dear, don’t you hear
    A melodious sound of small bells
    Coming from the golden monastery?
    Our golden capital city must be near.
    (By U Ku: 1827-1895 Translated by Rev. Friedrich V. Lustig)

    Dear Sayas and colleagues,

    We see not only the Panoramic Photo of golden capital city of our ancient time, but can hear the sound-scape with audio-visual scene. Silhouettes effect of high pagoda in the haze has shown the air perspective of city skyline. We try to sketch the imaginary scene of ancient city in the architectural studios of RIT in the middle of 60’s. The discussion topic of ‘Ancient City Skyline’ is not only interested by the architectural students, but also from various students of other departments from RIT.

    This is the starting point to form the ‘RIT Photographic Club’. According to my diary, first general meeting was chaired by Saya U Myo Myint Sein on Saturday, 1 May 1965 at the Department of Architecture. The general meeting selected Professor U Myo Myint Sein as President of RIT Photographic Club and the author as the secretary.

    After forming the executive committee, the club took part in various activities and many outstanding photographers from the club took major prizes from Burma Photographic Society and Myawadi Magazine. e.g., Ko San Aung, M74 is the owner of the famous ‘Photo Lab USA’, (i.e., initials for U San Aung) in Yangon is originally from this club. Kjei: zu: tin: bar-de, many thanks for my Sayas and colleagues

    Koung Nyunt (Auckland, New Zealand).

    (3) Letter to Tha-gyar-min

    by Kogyi Koung

    Date: Thursday, 14 April 2011 (3:40pm. Thin-gyan Akya-ne.)
    P.O. Box; Top of the never used RIT water tower
    Ashe. Jo. Koun (East Gyogone): RIT Compound, Insein, Rangoon, Burma

    Dear Your Majesty the Sovereign of Tawadein dha တာဝတိံသာ

    As from the beginning of 1960’s our RIT is like the last paradise on earth, with all enjoyments, teachings, preaching, learning, playing sports and friendship never sails away. Kogyi Koung recollects the stories at the time of 60’s RIT and retold the fairy-tales to our Bushido-Burmans at gatherings in Auckland, NZ. However, the young generations of Maha Bandoola do not believe the stories, and they whispered by themselves that Kogyi Koung is now ‘Yin yin galay Yuu-nay-pyi-de’ ယဉ်ယဉ်ကလေး ရူးနေ ပြီတဲ့

    Your Majesty the Tha-gyar-min-gyi please take this message to Tawadein dha and explain to my late Sayas and colleagues there, that my stories are not fabricated.

    I have the evidences. For example, I have sent a message to RIT alumni update (February 6, 2010) as follows,

    Dear U Hla Min,

    It is sad news for our elder brothers at RIT, especially those who reside at E and F block during the beginning of 60’s.

    A term called “Ma-pyo: mashi.ja ne he.” မပြောမရှိကြနဲ့ဟေ့ was coined at that time. When I visited my elder brother [U Than Soe, M63] at E block (when I was at Leik-khone I.Sc). I heard somebody shout “Ma-pyo: mashi.ja ne he.” Then I looked outside. Everybody lined up at corridor and they were looking at a far side on top of the entrance hall that is attached to a two story house.

    I could not believe my eyes. She was a beauty queen, who had Miss Burma two times excising physical training on the porch. I noted down in my diary and the rallying cry “Ma-pyo: mashi.ja ne he.” She is Naw Louisa Benson Craig. Now she has left our brothers’ heart at age 69.

    Yours etc. (“Ma-pyo: mashi.ja ne he.”)

    When I retold that story here at Auckland, everybody laughed like ‘Wa:lone kwe:aung ye kya de”. I said it is not a joke. I have evidence.

    Also, Kogyi Koung explained about the following, written by Maung Maung Hla, a Karen pastor in Rangoon who was close to Naw Louisa during her youth, remembered her aloud : “She had a little mole on her cheek and she had a kind heart. She was also a very good singer.”

    This statement has no evidence.

    However, Tha-gyar-min-gyi if you find Naw Louisa at Tawadein dha, please ask if what I wrote is true?

    (4) Architecture Students and Staff

    I have an old group photo taken about the end of 1963, and all the known information are printed. Inside the brackets are where about of the person [at the time of the post].

    Top of the photo:

    Department of Architecture
    Rangoon Institute of Technology
    1963 ~ 64

    Bottom of the photo:

    Front row, L to R

    • Jim Lim (3rd. Year) [?]
    • Ma Khin Khin Kyu (Ann, 1st.Year) [San Francisco, California, US]
    • U Myo Myint Sein B.Arch (Rgn) M. Arch (Mch) [Los Angeles, California, US]
    • U Tha Tun B.Sc, F.R.I.B.A. (Fellowship of Royal Institute of British Architects), A.A. Dip (Lond.), A.M.T.P.I.(Associate Member of Town Planning Institute), F.I.B.A., Head of Department [Deceased on 13 September 1974]
    • U Yone Mo B.Sc (Hon) Rgn, B.Sc (Engg)Lond, A.C.G.I, A.M.I. Mech.E, A.M.I.Loco.E, Principal [Deceased]
    • Mr. S. Ozhegov, Cand. Of Arch, Master of Fine Arts, UZBEK, U.S.S.R [Moscow]
    • Miss Rosalind Maung (Ma Pyi Aye, 2nd Year) [Rangoon]
    • Htin Myaing (Ben, 2nd Year) [New York, US]

    2nd. Row, L to R

    • Tun Thein (1st Year) [Los Angeles, California, US]
    • Tin Aung (2nd Year) [Melbourne, Australia]
    • Yaco B.E. Mayet (3rd Year) [?]
    • Than Tun (3rd Year) [Rangoon]
    • Sonny Chin (2nd Year) [?]
    • Hla Thein (1st Year) [New York, US]
    • E. I. Jeewa (3rd Year) [?]
    • Aung Pa Win (1st Year) [Chicago, Illinois, US]

    Back Row, L to R

    • Aung Kyaw Min (3rd Year) [Rangoon]
    • M. (Ku?) hlgh (2nd Year) [?]
    • Than Htike (3rd Year) [Warsaw, Poland]
    • William Chen (2nd Year) [?]
    • C. E. Munnee (1st Year) [?]
    • Koung Nyunt (1st Year) [Auckland, New Zealand, GBNF]
    • Kyaw Thein (1st Year) [Deceased 22 April 2001]

    Absentees:

    • Win Myint (1st Year) [Rangoon]
    • Win Naing (1st Year) [?]

    Note:

    1st Year B. Arch, 10 students (8 passed and 2 failed)
    2nd Year B. Arch, 5 students (3 passed and 2 failed)
    3rd Year B. Arch, 6 students (3 passed and 3 failed)
    Several Architecture students failed in of a subject from other departments. There was no moderation. If one gets 49% or less of the grade, the student has to repeat all subjects next year.

    Editor’s Note

    I cannot find the photo mentioned by Kogyi Koung.

    The early sayas and sayamas of the Architecture Department include :

    • U Thar Tun (GBNF)
    • Pi-thu-kar Kyaw Min (GBNF)
    • U Myo Myint Sein (USA)
    • U Bilal Raschid (USA)
    • Dr. Maung Kyaw (GBNF)
    • Dr. Lwin Aung (Retired as Pro-Rector)
    • Artist/Bagyee Aung Soe
    • U Maung Maung
    • U Sein Maung (Stanley Ba Pe)
    • U Maung Maung Phone Myint
    • Dr. Koung Nyunt (GBNF)
    • U Hla Than (Retired as Rector)
    • Daw Min Thet Mon (Pamela Myo Min, Retired Professor)
    • Daw Swe Swe Aye
    • U Maung Hlaing
    • Sai Yee Leik (GBNF)

    Posts

    • Architecture
    • By Saya U Myo Myint Sein
    • By U Tin Htoon
    • By U Thet Win
    • U Bo Gyi
    • U Kin Maung Yin
  • Donors

    Donors

    by Hla Min

    Updated : June 2026

    Daw Myint Myint (C69)

    Myint Myint
    • Co-founder of Myit Ma Kha Co. Ltd with spouse U Htein Win (M66, GBNF)
    • Philanthropist : donations in memory of U Htein Win
    • Major Donor of 69er Health Care Fund
    Award from 69ers
    69er HCF
    • YTU Library Modernization
    YTU Library
    • Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
    SDYF
    • Hunger Eradication
    • Selected religious and social organizations

    အလှူ Donation of K 1111

    • ဒေါ်မြင့်မြင့် Daw Myint Myint — K 1000 Lakhs (SDYF)
    • ဒေါ်မြင့်မြင့် Daw Myint Myint — K 100 Lakhs (Starvation Eradication)
    • ဦးတင့်ကြိုင် U Tint Kyaing  — K 10 Lakhs
    • မှော်ဆြာကြီး Hmaw Sayagyi — K 1 Lakh

    ——

    * စုစုပေါင်း Total — K 1111 Lakhs

    သာဓု၊ သာဓု၊ သာဓု၊
    Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu

    Donation for Swel Daw Yeik Foundation

    သိန်း၁၀၀၀အလှု

    Wynn Htain Oo’s post :

    အကိုဦးထိန်၀င်း(Mech66)ရဲ့အသက်၈၁နှစ်ပြည့်တဲ့ဒိီနေ့မှာမွေးနေ့အလှုအဖြစ်ဇနီးဖြစ်သူအမဒေါ်မြင့်မြင့်(civil69)မှစွယ်တော်ရိပ်ဖောင်ဒေးရှင်းသို့သိန်းတစ်ထောင်လှုဒါန်းပါတယ်

    SDYF

    အတိုးများများရမှဆရာ​တွေကိုပိုမိုအကျိုးပြုနိုင်မှာဖြစ်လို့အရင်းတိုးပွားဖို့ဒီ​လောက်ပမာဏလှုတဲ့အမကိုစွယ်​တောိရိပ်ကိုယ်စားအထူး​ကျေးဇူးတင်ရပါတယ်

    ဒိ​နေ့အခန်းအနားကို​မောင်မာဃနဲ့အတူလက်လှမ်းမီရာကိုစိုးမြင့်၊ကိုစန်းကြူ၊ကိုတင့်ကြိုင်၊ကိုတင်ဦး၊နန်းခင်နွဲ့နဲ့ကို​အောင်ခိုင်တို့ကစွယ်တော်ရိပ်ကိုယ်စားလက်ခံယူခဲ့ပါတယ်

    ကိုစိုးမြင့်ကစွယ်​တော်ရိပ်ကိုယ်စား​ကျေးဇူးတင်စကား​ပြောကြားခဲ့ပါတယ်

    အမတို့​စေတနာထက်သန်စွာလှုသလိုထိ​ရောက်စွာသုံးစွဲပါ့မယ်

    အမလဲသက်ရှည်ကျန်းမာလိုရာပြည့်ပါ​စေ

    Donation for Eradication of Starvation

    by Daw Myint Myint

    Myint Myint 8

    Dr. Win Thein (C58, GBNF)

    Dr. Win Thein

    Dr. Myo Khin & Daw Mya Nwe

    Dr. Myo Khin & Daw Mya Nwe

    Benny Tan

    Benny Tan

    U Maung Maung Lay & Daw Khin Nyunt Yi

    U Maung Maung Lay & Daw Khin Nyunt Yi
  • SPHS Sayas

    SPHS Sayas

    by Hla Min

    Updated : June 2026

    Brothers, Sayas & Sayamas

    SPHS Staff
    High School Sayas
    Bro Henry Peter
    Mr. George Chapman
    Mr. Tims

    Mr. Beatson
    Mr. Cecil D’Cruz
    U Nyunt Maung
    Mr. Johnny Myo
    U Aye
    U Kyaw Sein
    U San Thein
    U Nge
    U Kyaw Oo
    U Htwe
    U Pe Tin
    Bro Anthony
  • Maurice Chee

    Maurice Chee

    by Hla Min

    Updated : June 2026

    RIT Days

    • Matriculated from MEHS in 1969.
    • During his RIT days, he was known as Hla Myint Thein.
    • Per advice from his paternal uncle Saya U Win Kyaing, he took Mechanical Engineering.
    • Graduated in 1975.

    Singapore & USA

    Worked in Singapore before moving to USA.

    Activities

    • Founding member of RIT Alumni International, which organized the First RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP.
    • Wore multiple hats at SPZP-2000
    • Co-Chair of the Working Committee (with Benny Tan)
    • Financial Controller
    • Logistics Chief
    • Publisher of commemorative issue of RIT Alumni Newsletter
    • Past President of BAPS. During his tenure, he used his culinary skills to host lunch meetings. His ancestors ran a top rated restaurant. He learned the recipe for Dan Bauk from his father, and has improved it. He would use different meat for his Dan Bauk.
    • Founding member & Past VP of NorCal RIT Alumni Association
    • Gave a seminar (e.g. on PE) at Mechanical Engineering Department, YTU
    • Donated books. Helped others (Daw Mu Mu Kin & Victor Wong) to donate books to YTU
    • With the help of some YTU sayas, he helped find eligible recipients for the scholarship offered by Daw Mu Mu Kin.

    Mg Mar Ga wrote:

    တကယ်အားကိုးရတဲ့​ကျောင်း​တော်သားပါ

    Updates

    • Lost his father in September 2015
    • Lost his mother-in-law in September 2019

    Memories

    SF Bay Area Alumni

    • Meetings & Gatherings at Benny’s house
    • Welcome Sayas & Alumni to the SF Bay Area
    SF Bay Area Alumni
    Gathering at Benny’s house
    Gathering 2
    Gathering 3
    Gathering 4

    SPZP-2000

    • Co-Chair, Working Committee
    • Several Subcommittees
    SPZP-2000

    M75

    • Reunion & fundraiser in Yangon
    M75

    Saya U Ba Than

    • Paid respect to Saya at Winner Inn
    With Saya U Ba Than

    Reunion of SPZP Organizers

    • KMZ visiting from Washington State
    • Benny enjoying retirement after three successful careers
    Sea Food Restaurant

    SF Bay Area Soon Kwyay

    • Hayward Kyaung (picture)
    • Also, Half Moon Bay Kyaung (for Maurice’s retirement, Kuto dana for Maurice’s dad)
    Soon Kyway

    Retirees’ Lunch Gathering

    • Selected restaurants & malls

    Posts

    • BAPS
    • NorCal RITAA
    • RIT Alumni International
    • SF Bay Area Alumni
    • SPZP
  • 69er Grads Reunion in 1999

    69er Grads Reunion in 1999

    by Tint Lwin & Hla Min

    Update : June 2026

    69ers

    • Most 69ers matriculated in 1963
    • Attended last ever I.Sc (A)
    • Admitted to first ever 2nd BE in November 1964
    • Graduated in 1969

    1969

    EE69ers

    EE69ers in 1969

    69ers Reunion in 1999

    30th Anniversary

    The 1969 RIT Graduates Reunion was held in Rangoon/Yangon, Burma/Myanmar on Saturday, 20 February 1999 at Sait-Teng-Kya Restaurant near Kandawgyi lake.

    Idea

    The idea was mooted three years ago when a few of us were having dinner together and thought of having a gathering in 1999. After that most of us have forgotten about the idea until around the end of November 1998 when a group of our friends led by Ko Yee Pinn (Tavoy), Ko Myint Maung (aka “Bu”, RIT Volleyball selected), Ko Shwe, Ko Win Lwin, etc. decided to have a grand re-union in February 1999. They also decided that to be more meaningful we should invite our Sayas to pay them respect as well and, hence, it became the reunion cum Saya-ga-daw-pwe.

    Attendees

    On that very day the guest trickled in starting from about 4.00 p.m at the restaurant. The guests were required to fill in their names and contact numbers. The organizers promised to compile the name list and send to everybody who attended. By 6.00 p.m. about 30 Sayas and about 120 of our graduates were in the restaurant. The master-of-ceremony, Ko Win Lwin, announced the start of the ceremony.

    Speeches

    The programme started off with a few speeches, led by Nyi Hla Nge, representing the graduates in Rangoon, followed by Danny, representing the graduates overseas, Sai Aung Win, representing graduates outside Rangoon and last but not the least, by Saya U Kyin Soe, representing all the Sayas.

    Paying respect

    After that we gave respect to the Sayas. All the Sayas were seated on the stage and all of us sat on the floor. Some gifts were distributed to the Sayas followed by photo taking session and then the sumptuous dinner began.

    Dinner & Entertainment

    About 9 to 10 dishes were served but, most of us were too excited to notice what we were eating. Halfway through the dinner some of us went up the stage and sang some songs for entertainment. Even all the ladies, led by Alice and Naw Mu Mu Aye were on the stage as well. The crowd went wild.

    Vow

    The party ended at about 9.30 p.m. with some of the graduates not so sober. It was indeed a memorable gathering and we all vowed to meet again in December 2000 at place and date to be announced early next year. Three cheers to the organizers and those who have one way or the other help in making this event a great success.

    1969

    Updates

    • How time flies.
    • The Class of 69 celebrated the 30th anniversary reunion in 1999. The correspondence (Ko Daniel Tint Lwin, Ma Alice Saw Yu Tint, …) was partly responsible for the establishment of the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” and the first ex-RIT web site.
    • 40th Anniversary Reunion in 2009
    2009
    • Golden Jubilee of Admission in 2014
    2014
    • Golden Jubilee of Graduation in 2019
    2019
    • U Aung Min (M69) is Chair of 69er Health Care Fund. He and his team maintain the GBNF list.
    GBNF
    • Several Octogenarians — U Tin Maung, Harry Tin Htut, Uzin Bobby, Uzin Aung Chaw, U Ngwe Tun, U Win Thein Zaw, U Ngwe Soe, Albert Kyaw Min, Mehm Aye Chan, U Kyaw Zin, Robert Win Boh, U Tin Aung Win …

  • EE Sayagyis & senior sayas

    by U Myo Kyi & Hla Min

    Updated : June 2026

    Source : Saya U Myo Kyi (EE59)

    EE sayas
    • U Kyaw Tun 1950 – 1971
      (started teaching at BOC College)
    • U C Ping Lee 1950 – 1952
    C Ping Lee
    • U Sein Hlaing 1954 – 1986
    • U Tin Swe 1954 – 1998
    • Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (Part time) 1959
    Dr. F Ba Hli
    • U Htin Paw 1958 – 1959
    • U Ba Nyunt 1958 – 1959
    • Dr. A. E. Guile (Colombo Plan) 1959 – 1960
    • U Myo Kyi 1959 – 2002
    • Dr. Ba Lwin 1959 – 1994
    • U L. Tin Htun 1959 – 1960
    • Teoh Chin Koon 1959 – 1960
    • U Sein Win 1960 – 1994
    • Dr. San Tint 1961 – 2002
    • Mr. Zagarosky (Russian) 1962 – 1963
    • Dr. Ba Myint 1963 – 2000
    • U Sein Maung 1963 – 1994
    • U Khine Oo 1963 – 1996
    • Dr. Win Tin 1963 – 1990
    • U Moe Aung 1963 – 1990
    • U Chin Way 1963 – 1968
    • U Soe Min 1963 – 1965
    • U Nyi Nyi 1963 – 1965
    • U Thein Lwin 1964 – 1972
    • U Soe Paing 1964 – 1971
    • U Tin Maung Thein 1965 – 1990
    • U Tin Shwe (Ashin Wi thu ta) 1966 – 1996
    • Daw Mya Mya Than 1968 – 2003
    • U Than Lwin 1970 – 1994
    • U Kyaw Lwin 1970 – 1991
    • U Kyaw Naing (Sin Gwan, GBNF)
    • U Tin Win 1973 – 1980
    • U Ko Ko Kyi 1973 –
      later worked in Malaysia and Canada
    • U Thein Dan 1973 – 1997
    • U Khin Soe 1973 – 1982
    • Daw Khin Aye Win 1973 – 2009
    • Daw Nyunt Nyunt Yee 1973 – 2000
    • U Kyaw Aung (U Kyin Phyuu) 1973 –
    • U Aung Than (U Ah Chun) 1973 – 2004
    • Daw Khin Swe Oo 1974 – 2002
    • U Clement Sadhana 1976 – 2010
    • Daw Than Than Win 1976 – 2012
    • Daw Khin Tint 1981 – 2008
    • U Myint Oo 1982 – 1990
    • Daw Khin Ma Ma Soe 1982 – 2008
    EE 1
    EE 2
    EE 3

    Ovada

    U Sein Hlaing
    U Sein Win, U Tin Swe
    U Ba Lwin, Dr. San Tint
    U Myo Kyi, Dr. Win Tin
    U Kyaw Lwin, U Tin Maung Thein

    More EE Sayas (Electronics and Power)

    • U Win Khaing Moe
    • U Maung Maung Latt
    • Daw Lei Lei Yee
    • Daw Khin Sandar Tun
    • Daw Khin Lay Wai
    • Daw Zin Mar Oo
    • Daw Khaing Khaing Kyaw
    • Daw Thazin Phyu
    • Daw Myint Myint Lwin
    • Daw Lei Lei Win
    • Daw Thidar Than (1)
    • Daw Mya Mya Aye
    • Daw Myint Myint Than
    • Daw Tin Tin Naing
    • Daw Sint Sint Win
    • Daw Thandar Naing
    • Daw Khin Swe Lwin
    • Daw Myint Myint Mon
    • Daw Nilar Aung
    • U Zaw Min Naing
    • Daw Moe Nilar
    • Daw Khin Moe Yee
    • Daw Kaythi Khaing
    • Daw Ah Tar Mon
    • ီDaw Ni Ni Thein Htay Pe
    • Daw Thidar Than (2)
    • U Thein Htay
    • U Tun Oo
    • Daw Aye Aye Mar
    • Daw Ni Ni Win
    • Daw San Myint Yee
    • U Aung Naing
    • Daw Naing Naing Maw
    • U Ananda
    • Daw Lei Lei Sein
    • Daw Min Min Myat
    • Daw Thi Thi Soe
    • Daw Mar Mar Lwin
    • Daw Su Myat Htut
    • Daw Win Lein Aye
    • Daw Han Thu Lwin
    • Daw Yin Yin Htwe
    • Daw Naing Naing Win
    • Daw Khin Kyu Kyu Win
    • Daw Cho Cho Aung
    • Daw Tin Tin Aye
    • Daw Ni Mar Nwe Aung
    • Daw Ei Ei Khin
    • Daw Kyaaw Khin
    • U Zaw Min Aung
    • Daw Aye Thinn Naing
    • Daw Nwe Ni Aye
    • U Soe Naing
    • Daw Phyu Phyu Moe
    • Daw Marlar Kyaw
    • Daw Aye Aye Thinn
  • Winner Inn

    Winner Inn

    by Hla Min

    Updated : June 2026

    • Winner Inn is run by Saya U Ba Than’s family : son Ye Than, daughter-in-law Win Mar Oo, grandson Aung Myo Myint and granddaughter Ei Khine.
    U Ba Than
    • Before the family moved to a new residential home (a little bit further down Than Lwin Road), Saya would entertain his relatives (visiting from abroad), former colleagues and students at Winner Inn.

    Gatherings

    • An informal gathering took place at Winner Inn in January 2017.
      Attendees include Dr. Khin Tun (Peter, GBNF) & Daw Win Mar, U Hla Win, U Aung Moung (GBNF), my spouse and me
    • U Aung Moung came to see Saya U Ba Than and Daw Win Mar.
      It’s a small world. Win Mar’s older brother was a childhood friend of U Aung Moung.
    • Sadly, U Aung Moung passed away in 2018.
      He was active in HMEE, SDYF and several social and religious organizations.
      Several monks arranged their own transportation to attend U Aung Moung’s last journey at Yay Way.

    Dr. Peter Khin Tun (GBNF)

    • Peter would usually come back to Yangon before January 12 to celebrate his mother Dr. Kyi Kyi Nyunt’s birthday. His father U Tin U is the elder brother of Saya U Ba Than.
    • Peter would host some celebrations (e.g. engagement party of his elder son Min Ko) at Winner Inn.
    • Sad to report that Peter was an early victim of Covid and lax UK Hospital policies about PPE. He passed away on April 13, 2020 (which was Easter Monday & start of Thingyan). The sad news is covered in BBC and some UK newspapers.
    • His spouse Win Mar recovered after two weeks of treatment at the hospital.
    • On a bright note, Peter was given awards posthumously and the UK hospital systems adopted better procedures.
  • Htay Lwin Nyo

    Htay Lwin Nyo

    by Hla Min

    Updated : June 2026

    Highlights

    • Matriculated from St. Paul’s High School in 1968
    • Admitted as a Top Student to Rangoon Institute of Technology
    • Selected RIT Luyechun (Outstanding Student)
    • Graduated with B.E (Electrical Power) in 1974
    • Studied M.Sc (Computer Science) at UCC
    • Received Doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, USA
    • Last job was Part-time Teacher at EE Dept, San Jose State University
    • Passed away at his home (See Newspaper)
    • Per request from SJSU, the Burmese Community in the SF Bay Area helped with the Last Journey of HLN
    • I wrote a Tribute to HLN. (See Poem)
    • I had the honor to start the Incinerator, and later help scatter HLN’s ashes at Santa Cruz. (See my posts in BAPS Newsletter and ex-RIT web site).

    LYC

    Sad News

    News

    My Tribute

    Tribute to Dr. HTAY LWIN NYO (EP74, ex-ucc)

    Part-time Professor, EE, SJSU

    (1951 July – 2000 April)

    H e was a genius, a researcher, a friend

    T eaching was his passion to the very end

    A jack of all trades, a doctorate of one

    Y ou name it, he knows it! there’s a lot he has done

    L ong ago he gave away a patent for a dollar

    W ith a heart so big and true, real worthy of a scholar

    I nvest, movie script, cook, paint, car repair, …

    N ever showed off wealth and prizes; he’s a gem so rare

    N ews of his death — alone at home — rocked throughout the land

    Y oung, old were shocked, but they all flocked to give a helping hand

    O n this day in May of Y2K we pray from the bottom of our heart

    “Htay Lwin Nyo, we’re proud to say

    that though you’ve passed away

    you’ve done a huge part

    to unite kindred spirits

    your legacy is here to stay.”

    Memories

    BAPS Newsletter
    HLN 1
    HLN 2

  • RIT Days (1965 – 70)

    by Zaw Min & Ohn Khine

    Updated : June 2026

    Editor : Hla Min

    Ko Zaw Min (EP70)

    Zaw Min (Standing 2nd from Right)
    • Matriculated from St. Albert’s High School, Maymyo in 1964.
    • Had a very high ILA (Intelligence Level Aggregate)
    • Admitted to the first ever 1st BE as Roll Number One.
    • Selected RIT Luyechun for the 1965 Summer Camp at Inlay.
    • His outspoken remarks about the Camp drew the ire of higher authorities.
    • Graduated with Electrical Power in 1970.
    • After working in the industry, he moved to the USA.
    • Studied Electronics in the USA
    • Added “Nawaday” to his name.
    • Shared his memories of RIT to the Google group of “the Combined Intake of 1st BE for 1964 and 1965”.

    Ko Ohn Khine (M70)

    Ohn Khine
    • Matriculated from St. Peter’s High School, Mandalay in 1964.
    • Took a combination of Science and Arts subjects
    • Had good ILA score to be admitted to RIT.
    • Graduated with Mechanical Engineering in 1970
    • Worked for Heavy Industries Corporation
    • Created and maintained the the Google group of “the Combined Intake of 1st BE for 1964 and 1965”.
    • Volunteer for SPZP-2012, SPZP-2016, HMEE-2012, HMEE-2018, Swel Daw Yeik Foundation and several RIT-related activities.
    • Gave me rides during my visits to Yangon.
    • Co-author
    • Filled the “missing pieces” in Ko Zaw Min’s accounts.

    Ko Hla Min (EC69)

    Hla Min
    • Matriculated from St. Paul’s High School in 1963.
    • Stood 7th in the whole of Burma
    • Received Collegiate Scholarship
    • Top in the Science Option of I.Sc.(A) examination
    • Admitted to the first ever 2nd BE in November 1964 as Roll Number One.
    • Selected Luyechun for the Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in the Summer of 1965
    • Graduated with Electrical Communications in 1969.
    • Started the “RIT Alumni International Newsletter” in 1989 and have maintained it for 26 years.
    • Administrator or Moderator of selected Facebook pages.
    • Own web site
      hlamin.com
    • Had the honor to edit the draft version of “Memories by Ko Zaw Min Nawaday & Ko Ohn Khine” which was first posted as Google Docs for the Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65.
    • Published the edited document as a series of articles in “RIT Alumni International Newsletter and Updates”.

    Introduction

    Intakes in 1964

    There were three intakes at the Rangoon Institute of Technology (RIT) when the new education system started in 1964. Eligible students were admitted to the 1st BE, 2nd BE and 3rd BE classes. They are also known as

    • Class of ’70 (1st BE Intake in 1964)
      Matriculates were admitted using the ILA
    • Class of ’69 (2nd BE Intake in 1964)
      Those who had passed I.Sc.(A) with Science Option were admitted in order of merit
    • Class of ’68 (3rd BE Intake in 1964)
      Those who had passed I.Sc.(B) with Science Option were admitted in order of merit

    The RIT Rector was U Yone Mo and the Registrar was U Soe Thein.

    The Class of ’70

    It comprised of the first year intake students in 1964. There were 494 registered students, of which 67 were female. Most graduated in 1970. Some took sabbatical for a year or two. A few left RIT before graduation. The GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten) reached 138 at the end of May 2025.

    Matriculates entered the first ever 1st BE classes. ILA (Intelligence Level Aggregate) was used for the vetting of applicants. In the system, a score of 1 to 20 was assigned to map the marks for each subject. The ILA score (rather than the raw marks) was used to determine the eligibility of the students admitted to an institute.

    Under the old education system, matriculates had to attend I.Sc. (A) classes. There were restrictions on the subjects taken at Inter classes to be eligible for Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, etc. For example, one must pass the I.Sc. with at least 50 marks in Maths, Physics and Chemistry to attend the 1st Year Engineering Classes (3rd BE in the new system).

    Under the new education system, there were no restrictions on the subjects taken in Matric exam. As such, many students who passed Matric with combined Science and Arts subjects and even those with pure Arts subjects were able to attend RIT. For example, Ko Ohn Khine passed the Matric exam with an odd combination of Maths, Chemistry and Geography.

    Posts

    • 1st BE (1964 – 65)
    • 2nd BE (1965 – 66)
    • 3rd BE (1966 – 67)
    • 4th BE (1967 – 68)
    • 5th BE (1968 – 69)
    • 6th BE (1969 – 70)
  • 1963 – Present

    1963 – Present

    by Hla Min

    Updated : June 2026

    Events

    Many events are covered in my posts & Newsletter Updates.

    The following are some highlights for 1963 – 2025.

    • Spent five years studying at RIT.
    • Have spent 26 years paying back to my alma mater and my mentors.
    • Thanks to my family members for their support.

    1963

    Matric Exam

    • Took Matric Only exam in May
    • Stood 7th in the whole of Burma. Honored at a ceremony at St. Paul’s High School.
    7th in Burma
    • Won the Collegiate Scholarship of 75 kyats a month
    Scholarship Winners
    • OPA invited us to the Annual Dinner on June 30.
    OPA Dinner
    • A newspaper clipping describing the Dinner is shown below. From R to L : Khin Maung U, Min Oo, Myo San, Nyunt Wai, Thein Wai, me & Maung Maung Kyi
    • SPHS had five in the Top Five, seven in the Top Ten and ten in the Top Twenty in the Matric exam of 1963. Myo San (Freddie, 3rd), Maung Maung Kyi (11th) and Aung Thu Yein (13th) are now GBNF.
    • All our SPHS teachers except Saya Beatson (Physics, Boy Scout) are GBNF. Saya became a monk.

    Inter A

    • Attended the last ever I.Sc.(A) classes at Leik Khone.

    Rowing

    • Joined Rangoon University Boat Club with fellow Paulians Maung Maung Kyi (GBNF), Kyaw Wynn and Willie Soe Maung (GBNF). Our crew was Runners up for the Senior Novices. We were awarded Full Green.
    • Citing Security Concerns, the RUBC 40th Anniversary Regatta was canceled. Following the 7th July Anniversary protests, the University courses except Medicine & Engineering were suspended. The hostel students were ordered to return to their homes.
    • Sithu U Tin (President, GBNF) decided not to cancel the RUBC 40th Anniversary Dinner at Orient Hotel in Kandawgyi. Several members are now GBNF.

    1964 – 1969

    • The I.Sc(A) exam was held at the High Schools.

    RIT

    2nd BE
    • Attended first ever 2nd BE class at Rangoon Institute of Technology in November 1964.
    • I was admitted as the Top student based on the I.Sc(A) exam marks.
    Luyechun

    Luyechun

    • Selected Luyechun in 2nd BE. Attended the Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in the summer of 1965 along with Ko Sein Shwe, Ma Khin Than Myint Tin and Ko Zaw Min.
    • The Luyechun program was started in the summer of 1964 with students from 7th to 10th Standards. In 1965, the program also included students from Universities & Institutes.
    • Some Luyechuns — Kyaw Sein Koe (IM1), Khin Aye Than (Chemistry), Tun Naung (Dental), Than Sit (Sagaing) and Aung Kyaw Nyunt (Myingyan) — are now GBNF.

    Associations

    • Served as Joint Secretary, Secretary & Magazine Committee member of the RIT EE Association
    RIT EE Association
    • Served as the last ever officially elected Treasurer and Vice Captain of Rangoon University Boat Club. The higher authorities abolished the Bye laws and prevented me from becoming RUBC Captain.

    Writing

    • Started free lance writing (article, poem, translation …)
    • Published the poem “Men on the Moon” in Guardian newspaper in July 1969. USIA sent a copy of the poem to NASA and the astronauts.
    Men on the Moon

    Graduation

    • Graduated with B.E (EC).
    • Of the 13 classmates, 12 graduated. Kyaw Soe, Aung Thu Yein, Chit Tin & Oo Kyaw Hla are now GBNF.
    EE69

    1970 – 1998

    Work

    UK
    • Universities’ Computer Center (UCC) : Computer Engineer, Sr. Systems Programmer, Business Application Manager
    UCC Course
    • Department of Computer Science (DCS) : Senior Lecturer
    • Institute of Computer Science and Technology (ICST) : Associate Professor
    • Tech Companies in the Silicon Valley : Member, Senior Member & Principal Member of Technical Staff

    Publications & Projects

    • Articles & translations in Guardian, Working Peoples’ Daily (WPD), Forward Magazine, Veda ဝေဒ Magazine, and Pan ပန် Magazine.
    • Assisted Saya Dr. Chit Swe’s projects including High School Mathematics, Children’s Treasury of Knowledge (CTK), Team of System Specialists (TOSS)
    • Wrote Computer Science, Programming & Lecture guides and UCC manuals with Saya U Soe Paing and Saya U Aung Zaw (GBNF).
    U Soe Paing
    • Per request from U Myint Sein (Principal, BARB), I assigned Ko Win Latt and Ko Zaw Tun Veda projects and supervised them. Their programs are used by Veda sayas, students & practitioners.
    With Veda Sayas

    1999

    Newsletter

    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 in October 2000
    • Commemorative web pages (thanks to KMZ)
    • Commemorative Issue of the RIT Alumni International Newsletter by me and team
    My 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

    2006

    Three Gatherings in Sydney

    • Visited Sydney, Australia to attend three gatherings
    • RIT Alumni Dinner organized by Saya U Hla Myint, Saya U Myo Win (GBNF) & team
    RIT Gathering
    • UCC Alumni Gathering hosted by Saya U Aung Zaw (GBNF) and Daw Kyawt
    UCC Gathering
    • BOB Gathering at Olympic Park organized by Dr. Thann Naing (Bonnie Kywe)

    2007

    SPZP-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”

    UCC Gathering

    • UCC gathering in Yangon hosted by Saya U Soe Paing & Daw Saw Yu Tint
    • Ko Soe Myint & Ma Nge are now GBNF.
    UCC Gathering

    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

    SPZP-2012
    • Sixth RIT Grand Reunion and SPZP in Yangon
    • True “Home Coming” in the Gyogone Campus
    • Special publication : History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar by Saya U Aung Hla Tun & team (Ko Ohn Khine & I compiled the CD supplement for the book)
    • Publication: Selected RIT Cartoons
    • Commemorative Issue of “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine” by U Saw Lin & team
    • Limited reprints of 23 RIT Annual Magazines

    2013

    SDYF

    SDYF
    • Swel Daw Yeik Foundation
    • Contributions for various projects
    • Health care for the sayas and sayamas

    Soon Kyway

    • For Golden Jubilee
    • Gifts from KMZ, Zaw Tun & Kyu Kyu

    2014

    RIT Shwe YaDu

    GJ of Admission
    • 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 & team (Contributed an article : “Recollections of a 69er”)
    • Paved Shwe YaDu lane and set up Swel Daw Yeik benches
    • Translated Saya U Moe Aung’s Shwe YaDu poem

    2016

    SPZP-2016

    • RIT/YIT/YTU Alumni Association
    • 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)

    Appreciation Awards

    • Soonkway at Half Moon Bay Monastery (organized by U Maurice Chee)
    HMB
    • Received Alumni Appreciation Award from alumni worldwide
    Award 1
    • Annual Dinner by Northern California RIT Alumni Association
    NorCal RITAA
    • Received plaque signed by Saya U Myat Htoo (Chair, BOD), U Kaung Kaung Oo (Gordon, President), and U Thaung Nyunt (Secretary)
    Award 2

    Gatherings

    • Attended SPZP-2016 and Platinum Jubilee of the Class of 69
    SPZP-2016

    2017

    Post-SPZP

    • Attended Post-SPZP2016 Gatherings

    DTM

    • Awards : Distinguished Toastmaster

    2018

    UCC & ICST

    • Attended 5th Acariya Pu Zaw Pwe of ICST/UCSY
    • Memories of UCC : 40+ posts
    • Trivia : 2000+ posts
    • Archived and revised posts in hlamin.com

    2019

    69er GJ

    • Golden Jubilee of Graduation of the Class of 69

    ILF

    • Panelist, 5th Irrawaddy Literary Festival

    2020

    • PSA Tour in Jan 2020
    • After announcement of pandemic in Feb 2020, many social activities were paused.

    2021 – 2023

    Visits

    • Short visits (e.g Singapore, Malaysia)

    NorCal RITAA

    • Some social activities were resumed.

    2024

    Visits

    • Short visits to Thailand and Laos
    • Attended EE85 Reunion as Guest of Edward Saw (Yu Ket).

    Celebrations

    • NorCal RITAA celebrated Centennial of Engineering Education in Burma & 60th Anniversary of RIT
    • Saya U Nyunt Htay, Mg Mar Ga & team organized the recording of video messages of some sayas & sayamas. They can be accessed from YouTube channel & website of NorCal RITAA.

    2025 – 2026

    Hla Min
    • Still have good physical & mental health.
    • Updating posts in my website
    • Posts for RIT Updates
    • Posts for Old Paulians
    • Posts for Old Burma Group

    Thanks

    • My ancestors
    My Beloved Father
    My beloved parents
    My parents & Mother-in-law
    • Family members
    • သင်ဆရာ၊ မြင်ဆရာ၊ ကြားဆရာ
    • Benefactors