Some sayas and alumni used to pay respect annually to Saya U Min Wun in Southern California.
Organizers include Cecil Teoh (C63, SoCal), U Tin Htoon (A60, SoCal) and Dr. San Lin (C62, NorCal)
Dr. San Lin invited us to join him in June 2019.
June 2019
Co-organizers : U Tin Htoon and Dr. San Lin
Attendees :
Saya U Min Wun (C, GBNF)
Saya U Tin Htut (M60)
U Tin Htoon (A60, co-organizer)
Saya Dr. Tin Win (M62)
Dr. San Lin (C62, co-organizer)
Cecil Teoh (C63)
Saya Dr. K Chiu (ChE63)
Saya U Tauk Lin / Henry Lam (C63)
U Aung Khin (EP68)
U Tin Nwe (C68)
Tom Chan
U Hla Min (EC69) and spouse
U Min Wun 1U Min Wun 2U Min Wun 3U Min Wun 4U Min Wun 5
Saya is physically and mentally fit.
We had to wait for a while before Saya finished his morning meditation session.
Civil graduates (mostly from Southern California) used to meet at least once a year and pay respect to their saya.
Dr. San Lin (co-organizer from Northern California) invited us to join the gathering. He also offered us transportation to Southern California. We stayed at U Aung Khin (EP68)’s house. He drove us to the gathering.
Tom is the elder brother of Reggie, who was active in BAPS.
One attendee had a medical problem, but he did not want to miss the gathering.
Sayagadaw greeted us, but gently declined to join the lunch gathering.
Bilingual author Wrote numerous books in Burmese and English.
Sayama is a happy mother, grand mother and great grand mother.
Mother : Daw Khin Saw Mu wrote poems and articles in Burmese. Her work was featured in a TEDx talk by U Nay Oke Tint (St. Paul’s), younger brother of Sayama.
TEDx Inya Lake
Sayama comes from a lineage of scholars and statesmen.
Her uncles
U Tin Tut First Burmese ICS by invitation, …
U Tin Tut
U Kyaw Myint Head of the Tribunal to try Galon U Saw, former Dean of Law at the University of Rangoon, …
U Kyaw Myint
U Myint Thein “MMT”, author, translator, former Chief Justice and Ambassador, Victim of the Revolutionary Council
Dr. Htin Aung Former Rector and Vice Chancellor of RU, Distinguished writer, Historian, Folklorist
Dr. Htin Aung
Her aunts
Daw Khin Mya Mu Translator of Kyauk Sar, Thamadi Myowun, …
Daw Tin Saw Mu Lecturer in English
Mai Khin Nyunt (Rosie, ChE71) added :
Congratulations Mama
Ah Ko Hla Min,
I always have been in touch with Sayama as I take responsibility regarding 64-65 Intake RIT Students activity. Due to her Dhamma and kind heart, though she had some operations she is in good health.
One guy supposedly approached the Twins and gave them both a copy of his “Yee Sar Sar”.
Both found their soul mates : Ko Myint Swe (for Ma Nge), Ko Myint Zaw (for Judy)
Ma Nge
Ma Nge 1
Nge Ma Ma Than (Ma Nge, Theresa Aung Than, GBNF) Attended MEHS and Rangoon University
Studied and taught at UCC
Spouse : U Myint Swe (UCC)
Ma Nge 2
During the Adhamma Era, Ma Nge, her brother and Ko Myint Swe were detained by higher authorities. They became Prisoners of Conscience.
Despite having medical problems, Ma Nge has a strong will, and showed metta and karuna to her fellow prisoners (even in her final days).
Ma Nge 3
Father : U Aung Than
Uncles : Arzani U Ba Win, Bogyoke Aung San
Nwe Nwe Win
Also known as Judy
Represented RASU in Track and Field
At UCC, she was often the sixth player of the men’s volley ball team.
Taught at UCC, DCS, and ICST. Traveled overseas for studies, training and conferences.
Judy & Sweetie
Judy found her soul mate Myint Zaw, who takes care of his “Ah Ma Gyi”.
Retired after heading the Department of Computer Science at RASU
Young ones would address her as “Ah Ma Gyi” and “Teacher”
Still looks young (especially when attending conferences)
Comments
U Khin Maung Zaw wrote :
Those good old halcyon days!!!!!! There actually was the third member, three musketeers if you will, who used to hang out together in the very early days of UCC. She is Sweetie Tin Moe We [UN Retiree].
Sayagyi U Ba Hli was the first Dean of Engineering at the University of Rangoon. He also served as Professor of Civil Engineering. He is credited for the “Twinning” with the prestigious universities in the USA.
The commemorative issue of RIT Alumni International Newsletter for the first RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe paid respect to Sayagyi.
Sayagyi U Aung Khin (former Professor of Mechanical Engineering, and the driving force behind SPZP-2000) wrote an introduction to the special article written by Saya Dr. Freddie Ba Hli (the only child of Sayagyi U Ba Hli).
U Ba Hli’s son
Dr. F Ba Hli 1Dr. F Ba Hli 2
Dr. F. Ba Hli received his Sc.D. in Electrical Engineering from MIT. He helped Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi and Sayagyi U Min Wun, who were two of the first undergraduate engineering students from the University of Rangoon to be given State Scholarship as part of the “Twinning” program.
Dr. F. Ba Hli’s spouse is the sister of Sayagyi U Tin U (C), Sayagyi U Ba Than (M), Dr. Myo Tint (father of Ma Kay (EE93)), U Tin Htoon (A60), Saya U Myo Min (UCC) and U Thaung Lwin (EC66). Note that four are Past Captain and Gold of Rangoon University Boat Club.
Dr. F. Ba Hli has a daughter and two sons.
U Ba Hli’s grand children
Dr. F Ba Hli’s birthday in 2008
Daw Tin Tin Hlaing (UCC) is the spouse of U Htay Aung (Victor, EC80, UCC, nephew of Saya U Sein Hlaing (EE)).
U Tha Hlaing (EC83, UCC) stood joint first with Ko Thaung Tin (KMD, former Deputy Minister) in their final year. He, his father and his paternal grandfather form Three Generation of Burmese engineers who are sayas or alumni.
Min Thet Tun (GBNF) did not smoke or drink, but succumbed to lung cancer in mid 30s. He lamented why some people who drink and smoke lived long.
U Tin U is the eldest of nine siblings including Saya U Ba Than (GBNF), Dr. Myo Tint (GBNF), U Tin Tun (A60), U Myo Min (UCC) and U Thaung Lwin (EC66).
He matriculated in 1946 and attended Rangoon University. His classmates include Dr. Pe Nyun (GBNF), Dr. Pe Thein (GBNF) and Saya U Sein Hlaing (GBNF).
RUBC Captain
He is Past Captain and Gold of Rangoon University Boat Club (RUBC).
He is Past Captain of Rangoon Golf Club (RGC).
He received his BSEE from Oregon State University and MSEE from Yale University. Upon his return to Burma, he taught Part-time at the Civil Engineering Department at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Rangoon.
He celebrated his 95th in August 2024.
A miracle happened many years ago.
Dr. Khin Tun (Peter, son of U Tin U) wrote:
He had an experience of being kidnapped by his company driver who hired “insurgents” with criminal records, to do the job. They came to his office at Lewis street, and pretended to be from military intelligence in mufti. They asked him to come along with them for questioning. They ask the office driver to drive the company jeep up to A1 compound near 9th mile and let the driver to get off at a bus stop with a letter to give my mother.
One of them took the driver seat and continued driving out of the city passing Mingaladon airport. When their jeep went past the Mingaladon Military Intelligence Centre (Yay Kyi Ine), my father became suspicious. There was a road block near Hmawbi by luck, and the kidnappers tried and overtook the battle tanks in a convoy on the road. An off duty military police stopped the car, giving my father a chance to ask for help; my father reached the car key from the back seat and threw away. The military police asked my father to drive instead and was later freed, after being taken to the military commander and the police station.
In the mean time my mother, who was doing research at Insein Railway Hospital, received a ransom letter at 11 am to bring 60,000 Kyats in a jute bag, wearing a red longyi to a road corner, near “Ar-lain-nga-sint” pagoda in “Mingaladon”, by 3 pm the same day. The kidnappers’ plan was to torture and kill my father whether they received the ransom or not. The grudge was for sacking the driver who took sick leave, and went to work in another company to get 2 salaries.
Was it a miracle?
Or, was it a series of coincidences?
U Tin U overcame a death threat.
He continued working and enjoying Golf and the 19th hole celebrations. Even to this day, he keeps fit by watering plants in the garden and taking his daily dose of Scotch Whiskey.
He looks healthier than his younger brother Sayagyi U Ba Than.
HlaMin 