by Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

Brief Bio

• Named after his parents Dr. Maung Maung and Daw Kyi Kyi
• Siblings : Dr. Kyi Kyi Hla (BDS, UK), Maung Maung Khant (SPHS67, GBNF), Maung Maung Thant (SPHS68, M74), Maung Maung Myint (GBNF), Maung Maung San, Khin Thitsar (UK), Dr. Khin Sabai (UK)
• Spouse : Daw Khin May Than (ChE72)

• Sons : Dr. Rimon Than (GBNF), Dr. Khemar Than

• My Classmate for VIII(A), IX(A), X(A) and I.Sc.(A)

• My Crew mate at RUBC
• Best Man at my Wedding

Guinea Pigs

• Our elders entered Rangoon University after passing the combined HSF & Matric examination
• Had to take first ever HSF Only exam in 1962. All subjects except English were taken in Burmese.
• Had to take the Matric Only exam in 1963
• Kamma probably decided that we would not be in the RU Campus on the fateful 7th July, 1962.

HSF in 1962

• Scored the highest marks in Chemistry in the first ever HSF Only exam in 1962

Matric in 1963

• Gained distinctions in Chemistry & Maths, and barely missed in Physics.
• Was a natural in Chemistry. Badly wanted to have distinction in Physics. Had to take some time during the Physics test to go to the rest room due to a minor illness.
• Nevertheless, he stood 11th in the whole of Burma and won the Collegiate Scholarship of 75 Kyats a month.

I.Sc. (A) / RUBC

• Rowed as Bow in our SPHS Novice Crew. Willie Soe Maung (Myint Soe, first batch BDS, GBNF) was Stroke. Kyaw Wynn was No. (3). I was No. (2). Myint Thein (SPHS62, GBNF) was Cox.
• We were Senior Novice Runner-up
• Awarded Full Green

School Closure

• Studied at Leik Khone College for a few months before the Revolutionary Council & Government shut down most Universities and Colleges except Engineering and Medicine.
• The government wanted to quash the protests of the 7th July Anniversary.
• Kamma probably decided that we should lose some more precious years of our lives and graduate 2.5 years later than those who were a year senior to us in High School.

Study in GDR

• No one knew when the Universities would reopen.
• Taking no chances, he & Kyaw Wynn accepted admission to study at Dresden University, GDR.
• Studied Chemical Engineering with specialization in Pulp & Paper Technology.

Return to Burma

• Was a Best Man at our Wedding in June, 1973.
• Joined PPIC and worked on “Pulp and Paper” related projects.
• Met Daw Khin May Than (ChE72), raised a family and later moved to Wales, UK.

Wales

• Both sons became Medical doctors.
• Rimon, the elder son, became a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He led Rescue Teams.
• Rimon perished in an avalanche. RAF notified Maung Maung Kyi & Khin May Than who were on the way to visit Myanmar. They received the sad news a short time after landing in Yangon. They had to hurry back to UK for their son’s last journey.

• After that, he rarely spoke and smiled. Khin May Than painted and took walks twice a day to ease the aches and pains. They decided to move to Ogmore-by-the-sea.
• Gave their old house to their second son, a medical doctor who had spent time in Japan and had come back to see the parents.

Trip to England and Wales

• In September 2017, we visited the UK. My previous visit was in 1972.
• My cousin nephew Dr. Khin Tun (Peter, GBNF) and his spouse Daw Win Mar hosted us with sumptuous dinner almost every day. Both loved cooking. Also drove us to Southern Wales to visit Maung Maung Kyi and Khin May Than at Ogmore-by-the-sea
• The short but memorable reunion brought back smiles to Maung Maung Kyi.

Updates

SPHS63

• Three of the Collegiate Scholarship winners from SPHS63 are GBNF. Myo San (Freddie, 3rd in Burma), Maung Maung Kyi (11th) & Aung Thu Yein (Brownie, 13th).

RUBC Crew

• Three crew mates are GBNF. Myint Soe (Willie Soe Maung, Stroke), Myint Thein (Cox) & Maung Maung Kyi (Bow).

Dr. Peter Tun

• Passed away on April 13, 2020. He succumbed to Covid. See posts about him & Peter Tun Award.