My saya at RIT. He taught Mechanical Drawing and Strength of Materials.
Gave me rides to RIT in his white Zephyr. Several thought I was his nephew.
My cousin. His father is my mom’s elder brother. His mother is my dad’s elder sister.
Had many photo albums. He would show them to me and former students.
Several years ago, he has a Stroke. His family members hired nurses & assistants to speed up his recuperation.
His son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren provided him with tender, loving care.
His physical and mental health declined in his 90s.
He passed away peacefully after his 94th birthday.
Brief Bio
U Ba Than 2
Born on October 2, 1930.
He is the second among nine siblings.
Siblings : U Tin U, U Ba Than (GBNF), Dr. Daw Win Hlaing (Ruby), Daw Myint Thwe (GBNF), Dr. Myo Tint (GBNF), U Tin Htoon, U Myo Min, U Thaung Lwin, Daw Cho Cho Hlaing
Wedding of U Ba Than & Daw Mya Mya
Spouse : Daw Mya Mya
Son : U Ye Than (Winner Inn)
DIL : Daw Lwin Mar Oo
Grandchildren : Aung Myo Myint & Ei Khine
Family members
Matriculated from St. John’s Dio in 1947. Won Collegiate Scholarship.
In 1949, received Gold Medal for Highest Marks in I.Sc (Combined).
Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London University
Joined Faculty of Engineering as Assistant Lecturer
Colombo Plan Scholar to study Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College
Promoted to Lecturer
Retired as Professor
Early supporter of HMEE (History of Myanmar Engineering Education). Hosted inaugural meeting. Donated photos.
Invited former colleagues & students to his Birthday Soon Kyway
Donated almost all of the Garawa money to selected charities.
Passed away shortly after his 94th birthday.
Garawa
Paid respect to Saya U Ba Toke
Paying respect to U Ba Toke
By 69ers
U Aung Min (M69) & team would organize 69ers to pay respect to Saya around his Birthday.
Earlier events were at Winner Inn.
The photo below was taken at Saya’s new house.
69ers visiting Saya
By M75
Maurice Chee, U Win Khaing (GBNF) and several M75 had a reunion. They then visited Winner Inn to pay respect to Saya.
M75
78th Birthday in 2008
78th birthdayMessage
He distributed his Memoirs.
A page from his memoirs
82nd Birthday in 2012
82nd birthday in 2012Birthday Soon Kyway in 2012
90th Birthday in 2020
He received a Photo Album from his younger brother U Tin Htoon (A60).
Photo Album
Double Dana
He donated the Garawa money that he had received from the SPZPs to charities
Provided seed money for designing memorabilia to be given to sayas & sayamas attending SPZP-2000, commemorative T-shirts to the organizers and volunteers, and to raise fund by selling the surplus items.
Attended SPZPs in USA, Singapore and Yangon.
With Steeve Kay (Ko Thaung Sein, EC70)
Around 2019, he had medical problems. He could not travel far, but continued conducting his business & philanthropy from home.
Multiple projects to implement (including writing books), but he finally succumbed to Jara, Byadi & Marana.
May he rest in peace.
Best Friends Forever
69ers meet monthly for breakfast at Taw Win Hnin Sni (Royal Rose).
There was a pause during the pandemic. About 20 members passed away (mostly due to Covid).
Annual Dinner gatherings at Panda, M3 and U Aung Min’s former office in PWD compound
Celebrated Anniversaries in 1999, 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Pu Zaw Pwe in 2019Golden Jubilee of Graduation
They have gatherings to welcome 69ers from overseas. e.g. Daw Myint Myint (C69) hosted a lunch gathering at Kandawgyi Westin Park Hotel to welcome Daw Nyunt Nyunt Wai (Millie, T69).
During my visits, U Ohn Khine (M70) gave me rides to SPZP & HMEE-2012 meetings and selected 69er gatherings.
With 69ers and Ko Ohn Khine (M70)
SPZP-2016
Both the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe and the Alumni Reunion & Entertainment were held at the Gyogone Campus.
Free food was provided for breakfast, lunch and dinner to all attendees.
Kudos to the Organizers, Sponsors, Donors, Volunteers and Supporters for making SPZP-2000 unique & memorable.
At SPZP-2016
All Mech Gathering
U Thant Zin (M82, GBNF, son of Saya U Sein Shan) invited me to All-Mechanical Gathering held at Dolphin.
U Hla Win and Daw Mar Mar Yee were co-emcee at the event.
At All Mech Gathering
Sayas & Sayamas at SPZP
U Tin U, Daw Khin Swe Aye (Emily), Daw Myint Myint Khaing at SPZP
U Tin U matriculated in 1946. He received BSCE from the University of Oregon and MSCE from Yale University. Upon his return, he taught part-time at the Civil Engineering Department at the RU Faculty of Engineering, University of Rangoon. He is the most Senior Past Captain of RUBC. He is the oldest of nine siblings. Two younger brothers Saya U Ba Than (Gold Medalist in 1948) and Dr. Myo Tint (3rd in Burma in 1952 Matric exam) have passed away.
U Ba Than (Leftmost)
Daw Khin Swe Aye graduated with Physics Honors in 1962 along with Daw May Than Nwe (GBNF) and my elder sister Daw Khin Than Nwe. Sad to learn that she had vision impairment.
Daw Myint Myint Khaing is the daughter of Arzani Mahn Ba Khaing. She transcribed the interview tapes recorded by her spouse Saya Dr. Khin Maung Swe (Tekkatho Maung Thin Char, GBNF) for the book on Sayagyi U Ba Toke and his life journey. Sayagyi gave autographed copies of the book to U Ohn Khine and me. Sayagyi is a Phwa Bet Taw of Rangoon University and the First RU Students’ Strike in 1920. Sayagyi passed away on 2nd December 2020 (a few days short of his Centennial birthday).
Co-founded “Myit Ma Kha International Trading Company” with her spouse U Htein Win (M66, GBNF)
Major donor to the 69er HCF
Received Appreciation Award at a 69er gathering
Award
Hosted selected 69er Gatherings
Donated K150 Lakhs to the YTU Library Modernization Project
Nan Khin Nwe, Daw Myint MyintDonation by Daw Myint Myint
Supported selected Charities
Daw Thaung Htwe
Daw Thaung Htwe
Recuperated
U Win Naing (Dicky Tan, GBNF)
Dicky Tan (GBNF)
Represented RIT in Rowing
Coxed the crew of 69ers : Fred, David, Ohn Maung and Sein Tun
Passed away in Singapore
U Myo Tun
U Myo Tun 1n 1979Uzin Bobby Myo Tun
Errol Than Tun, Myo Tun, Bobby, Ashin Pannagavesaka
Studied in UK twice : as a high schooler, and as a postgrad
Itinerant Bhikku
U Htay Aung
Htay Aung Htay Aung
Represented Burma in Water Polo at 5th SEAP Games in 1969
Spouse Than Than : SEAP & Asian Games Gold Medalist Sprinter
Aye Lwin (GBNF)
Mehm Aye Chan, Aye Lwin, Htay Aung
Secretary of RIT Mechanical Engineering Association
Secretary of RIT Annual Magazine.
Attended the 2015 RIT Alumni Reunion in Los Angeles.
U Myint Soe
Recovered from a Stroke
Myint SoeTin Maung Aye, Aung Min, Myint Soe
U Kyaw Nyunt (GBNF)
Kyaw Nyunt & Than HtayObituaryKyaw Nyunt & Han Sein
Represented RIT in Tennis along with Than Htay
Won the Inter-Institute Tournament
U Myo Nyunt
Saya U Kaung & Myo NyuntMyo Nyunt
Represented RIT in Soccer
Joint Secretary, RIT Track & Field Association
Mehm Ye Win
Ye Win & Han Tha Myint (PTC)
Secretary, RIT EE Association
U Myat Soe Lwin
Myat Soe Lwin
Alias : Sai Hwet (Dawei)
Spouse : sister of Yi Pinn (Maung Maung Kaung, GBNF)
U Tint Lwin (Danny)
Danny in SF
Retired Associate Professor of NTU
Attended SPZP-2000
Guitarist and Vocalist
Tin Myint (John, GBNF)
Tin Myint
RIT Luyechun for 4th BE
Represented RIT in Table Tennis
Showed Danny around SF Bay Area
Passed away in California
Badminton
RIT Badminton 1RIT Badminton 2
Saya U Thein Lwin (GBNF) : Manager
Sai Kham Pan : Burma Selected
Myint Sein (GBNF)
Bishnu Shahi (GBNF)
Basketball
Han Sein
Han Sein (GBNF)
Lyo Kyin Sein
Soe Win (Captain, GBNF)
Tommy (GBNF)
Hiking and Mountaineering
Win Lwin
Win Lwin
Rowing
Chit Po Po (GBNF)
Chit Po Po
Dicky Tan / Win Naing (GBNF)
Hla Min
Sein Myint
Sein Myint
Win Maung
Soccer
Aung Gyi Shwe (GBNF)
Aung Gyi Shwe (3rd from Left)
Myo Nyunt
Swimming
RIT Cross Lake Swimmers
Han Sein (GBNF)
Hla Kyaing
Htay Aung : Burma Selected
Jimmy Kyin (GBNF)
Moe Hein / Ajala
Sein Myint
Win Maung
Table Tennis
Tin Myint (GBNF)
Tennis
Kyaw Nyunt (GBNF)
Than Htay
Thaing
Tin Tun (GBNF)
Tin Tun
Tun Aung Gyaw
Tun Aung Gyaw
Track and Field
Aung Gyi Shwe (GBNF)
Khin Than Myint Tin
Myo Nyunt
Volleyball
Aye Thein
Edison, Saw
Khin Kyaw Nyein (GBNF)
Khin Kyaw Nyein
Maung Maung
Maung Maung
Myint Maung
Weightlifting
Aung Gyi Shwe (GBNF)
Jimmy Kyin (GBNF)
Khin Win (GBNF)
69er Health Care Fund
Aung Min (Chair)
Aung Min
Ko Shwe (Treasurer)
Ko Shwe
EC : Lower Burma, Upper Burma, Overseas
Donors : Large and Small
Major Donors : Daw Myint Myint, Ivan Lee (Khin Maung Oo), K K Wong (Sein Myint)
Sein Myint (4th from Left)Ivan (Left)
Photos from 69er Gatherings
Major Gatherings : 30th Anniversary in 1999, 40th Anniversary in 2009, Golden Jubilee of Admission to RIT in 2014, Golden Jubilee of Graduation in 2019
M69ers in 2009EE69ers in 2009C69ers in 2009T69ers & ChE69ers in 2009
Annual Dinner & Entertainment at M3 and Panda
Welcome parties at Shwe Bei, Western Park and Crystal Jade
Monthly Breakfast Gatherings : mostly at Taw Win Hnin Si (Royal Rose Restaurant)
Entertainers include Danny, Albert, Robert, 69ers & family, Guests
Over 40% of 69ers are GBNF. The GBNF list is maintained by Ko Aung Min and team.
Dreams Jules Verne was a dreamer. Many of his dreams became reality.
Oral & Written History Several sayas have passed away. A few have memory loss. We should at least have Oral History.
Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife After submitting sample articles, I was accepted as a contributing author.
Blog It stands for a web log. There are platforms for posting blogs.
Contributors Several sayas, alumni & friends submitted news, photos and articles for my Newsletter and Website.
Dreams
Jules Verne
He dreamed of traveling
to the Moon and back
in a hot air balloon
in a submarine 20000 leagues under the sea
to the center of the earth
around the world in 80 days (a remarkable feat for his time)
He inspired people to transform most of his dreams into reality.
Apollo
In his book, Jules Verne sent three men from a Cape in Florida to orbit the moon, return safely to earth. He used a powerful cannon to achieve the velocity to escape the earth’s atmosphere.
A century later — in December 1968 — Apollo 8 with Frank Borman, James Lovell and Bill Anders made Verne’s dream a reality. The space ship was launched from Cape Canaveral (later renamed Cape Kennedy), which is within striking distance of the spot chosen by Jules Verne.
In July 1969, Apollo 11 with Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin landed in Tranquility Bay on the Moon.
When President John F. Kennedy proclaimed, “Before this decade is out, we will send men to the moon and then bring them back safely to earth”, there was no substantial plan to support his dream.
Verner von Braun, a German rocket scientist (who was captured by the Allied Forces as a Prisoner of War), and his team were given a “level of trust” to work on the NASA project.
It would need baby steps : Mercury, Gemini and Apollo projects to have one, two and three astronauts to man the space ships.
For the Apollo project, it was not clear how to implement the important phase of bringing the astronauts safely back to the earth. e.g. How can a direct hit to the moon cause a safe return to earth?
Folklore said that one engineer scribbled on his lunch bag a “spider” landing on the moon and returning. His dream resulted in the design of the “Lunar Module”. The rest is history.
Book
Take away
If you can dream, others can fulfill [your dream].
My dream two decades ago
I dreamed that I would be able to get the sayas and alumni get reconnected electronically and physically.
In 1999, we established the RIT Alumni Newsletter and the RIT web site (with the expertise of U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76, web master)).
In October 2000, with the help of sponsors and volunteers, the First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe was held in San Francisco, California, USA.
SPZP-2000 Organizers
Seven SPZPs (Saya Pu Zaw Pwe’s) have been held : SPZP-2000 (in the US), SPZP-2002 (in Singapore), SPZP-2004 (in Yangon), SPZP-2007 and SPZP-2010 (in Singapore), SPZP-2012 and SPZP-2016 (in Yangon). Due to pandemic, SPZP-2000 was canceled.
My recent dream
My recent dream was to get as many contributors and volunteers to compile an informal story of
Our beloved land
Our ancestors
Our mentors
Pioneers and prime movers (e.g. those who helped build the “Rice Bowl of Asia”)
Laggards and culprits (e.g. those who dragged Burma into the Least Developing Country status)
Unsung heroes (e.g. who tried to overcome the “Adhamma Era” and rebuild the nation into former glory)
U Khin Maung Zaw (KMZ, EC76) wrote :
Dreaming and creating inspiration for others to be able to fulfill your dreams are two different animals, if you will, by themselves.
I, like many others, have dreams but we do not have your dedication. perseverance and drive to inspire others.
As I have said many times here, my hats off to you, I am very proud to be considered your friend, and informal pupil.
And to your significant other to take care of you/look after you and your sons while you would be deep into these projects. Please convey my regards to Ma Sein Yie.
Oral and Written History
There were some Sayas that were over 90. H Num Kok (C), U Soe Khaw (Mining), U Ba Toke (Maths), U Min Wun (C) and U Ba Than (M) have passed away.
The leading Thet Kyee sayas include U Tin U (C), U Aung Khin (M), Dr. Aung Gyi (Rector, C) and U Myo Myint Sein (A).
Many of our sayas are in their 80s.
While they still have high energy and keen memory, we need volunteers to either formally interview them or to record the conversations.
They can become the artifacts of the Oral History section of an engineering library (preferably the YTU Library).
There can also be a section to archive the Written History.
H Num Kok (GBNF)
Saya H Num Kok
He taught Engineering Drawing to Dr. Aung Gyi and U Min Wun.
He taught Soil Mechanics to the younger Sayas.
He served as President of the RIT Track & Field Association with U Khin Maung Lay (Henry, T68) as Secretary and U Myo Nyunt (C69) as Joint Secretary.
He served as Line Judge at the RUBC Regattas along with Saya U Sein Win (GBNF) and Saya Dr. San Hla Aung.
He was loved by his former students. They showed up at the Welcome Party in Yangon for Saya a few years ago. Saya took home the banner of the event to his home in Portland, Oregon, USA.
He worked full-time until he turned 80.
He was reasonably healthy in his early 90s.
He passed away at the age of 98.
U Soe Khaw (GBNF)
U Soe Khaw
He was Part-time Lecturer & Head of Mining Engineering at BOC College.
U Soon Sein succeeded him as full-time saya and Head of the Department.
He worked for the Ministry of Mining before heading out for overseas assignment.
After retirement from the United Nations, he migrated to the USA.
He was actively involved in selected monasteries in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Saya Allen Htay (C58, GBNF), Saya Dr. San Lin (C62) and I had a Lunch gathering with him. The gathering ended near to a Dinner gathering. The three sayas shared their memories.
He was healthy physically and mentally before his beloved spouse’s demise.
A few years later, he passed away.
He is a cousin of Dr. Htut Saing (Harry, Past Captain and Gold of RUBC, GBNF).
U Ba Toke (GBNF)
U Ba Toke
He is a Phwa Bet Taw of the University of Rangoon and the First RU Students’ Strike in December 1920.
Book
His life journey had been recorded and published by his former student Saya Dr. Khin Maung Swe (Maung Thin Char) with the help of Sayama Daw Myint Myint Khine (daughter of Arzani Mahn Ba Khine).
During my visits to Yangon, I paid respect to Saya. He gave me autographed copy of the book.
He was an athlete. He played soccer in his younger days. He headed the Burmese team to Tokyo Olympics.
He used to walk every weekend with his younger Dhamma friends to Shwe Dagon Pagoda.
At the subsequent visits, I found the decline of his health but not his mental acumen.
Saya passed away on December 2, 2020 the day after the RU Centennial, and several days short of his birthday on December 26.
U Tin U
U Tin U
He gave an interview for HMEE-2012 Project.
When the Rangoon University reopened in 1946 (after the war), he attended RU along with Dr. Pe Nyun & Dr. Pe Thein.
Most of his former classmates are GBNF.
He is the Oldest & Most Senior Past Captain of RUBC.
He represented RUBC in the 1948 Independence Day Regatta at Kandawgyi along with Dr. Pe Nyun, Dr. Pe Thein & U Khin Maung Wint.
He opened the RUBC Centennial Celebrations in December 2023.
He is Past Captain of Rangoon Golf Club. He played golf until his early 80s.
He still enjoys the evenings sitting in the lawn and enjoying Scotch Whiskey.
U Ba Than (GBNF)
U Ba Than
He passed away in early 2024.
His elder brother Saya U Tin U (96 years) is still strong and active.
Some thought that their longevity is due to their genes. Sadly, their father passed away in his 60s after raising nine successful sons and daughters.
Until a period before his demise, Saya remembered most of his former students well.
Several students have seen his photo albums. Many photos were given to MES for display and to HMEE (History of Myanmar Engineering Education) for display in the book and the supplemental CD.
He is a proud sponsor of the History project along with U Soe Paing (EE, UCC) and U Thaw Kaung (former Chief Librarian of the Rangoon University Central Library).
He donated almost all of the Garawa money that he received from the SPZPs and his former students.
U Aung Khin
U Aung Khin 1U Aung Khin 2
After retirement as Professor & Head of Mechanical Engineering, he moved to Canada.
He still plays Tennis & Golf.
He does not want to fly long distances.
He is spending quality time with his children and grand children.
Ivan Lee (M69) organized two trips to visit Windsor, Canada and pay respect to Saya.
Dr. Aung Gyi, U Min Wun & U Maung Maung Than
Saya U Min Wun & Saya Dr. Aung Gyi
Dr. Aung Gyi is healthy except for some hearing loss. He attended most SPZPs and Reunions held in the USA, Singapore and Myanmar. He wrote several articles for the RIT Alumni International Newsletter.
Dr. Aung Gyi, U Min Wun (GBNF) and U Maung Maung Than (GBNF) were the initial group of Engineering students sent to study at the prestigious Universities in the USA under the “Twinning Program”.
For some time, U Min Wun (GBNF) could not travel far as he has to take care of his beloved spouse with some health problems. His former students from Myanmar paid respect to Saya in Los Angeles. They also brought Garawa money from the various Civil gatherings in Myanmar. Sadly, he passed away a year ago.
U Maung Maung Than (GBNF) served as Chair of the RIT Sports Council during our days. He played Chinlon. He is also a musician.
HMEE Projects
For the HMEE-2012 Project, we requested the former Heads of the Engineering Departments to write about the history of their departments. The book was published in December 2012.
HMEE 1HMEE 2
The HMEE-2018 Project was established to revise the book published by HMEE-2012 and to provide additional material for the planned two-volume book. However, it did not run into completion partly because of the demise of Saya U Aung Hla Tun and partly because of the calamities.
Sense of urgency
Several sayas have passed away and some sayas have declining physical and mental heath.
We sense that the window for having a comprehensive Written History and Oral History is shrinking.
There is still some time to learn from our sayas and their contemporaries about the different facets of Myanmar Engineering Education.
Their stories can become gems for the Archives.
MEC, MES and RIT Alumni Association can help with the project.
Written History
Several sayas wrote articles and/or notes for
“RIT Alumni International Newsletter” & updates
Swel Daw Yeik Sar Sarsaung for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007 & SPZP-2010
The articles can become artifacts of the Written History section of an engineering library (preferably the YTU Library).
Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife
Encyclopedia
Nine of my articles appear in the Encyclopedia.
The three-volume book was published by ABC-CLIO in 2011. The book was sold for $275.
I received a book for completing eight articles according to the agreement and $10 (for the additional article).
Burmese Americans are covered in Pages 127 to 178 of Volume One.
The Editors decided to merge two of my articles with other authors. Unfortunately, an error introduced by my co-author. On page 150, he mentioned July 22 (instead of July 19) as Martyrs’ Day. The merged article unfortunately was not sent to me for review. The Editors promise to correct the error in subsequent editions.
Folk tales (as told by Saya Dr. Htin Aung and Ludu U Hla) are part of the Folklore.
To read my articles on-line, you should go to “Google Books” and then search “Hla Min“.
Blog
Diary, journal, log, and blog (web log) are ways and means to record one’s experience and thoughts.
Blogging is fun. One can just write down one’s thoughts without caring for academic integrity or historical precision. One does not have to write comprehensive reports. Several readers (mostly SMEs or Subject Matter Experts) point out errors (typos, discrepancies).
Not all media and social media are created equal. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, Facebook is a great way to get connected and reconnected (with long lost friends), but it requires time and energy to navigate the “rolling” and “revolving” posts.
I blog in my Facebook page and then share it with one or more FB pages (mainly “RIT Update”). As time and energy permit, I archive the posts along with the relevant feedback to
hlamin.com (my paid web site)
One does not need an account to read my posts on the web sites.
If you search “Hla Min” on the web, it will return (a) a former colonel (b) a former minister (c) an educator (d) some medical tests & results on HLA (e) some of my works
If you specify “RIT” or “TBSA”, the search engine will return my writings in the Newsletters.
If you go to “Google Books”, then you can find my articles for “Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife”.
On the long run, I hope to post “more complete treatment” of topics. As Dr. Nyunt Wai commented, it is a necessary, important and time consuming step to transform my raw materials into a form presentable as an e-book or printed book. I need volunteers to realize my dream and wishes (of an amateur historian, story teller and life long learner) before my reasonably good memory starts to fade away.
Compiled for the HMEE Book with အုန်းခိုင် (M70) Ohn Khine
CD
HMEE စာအုပ် ကို RU စာကြည့်တိုက် မှာလှူ Donated HMEE book to Universities Central Library & YTU Library
Book Donation
Highlights
1964 မှာ 2nd BE တက်ခဲ့ Admitted to 2nd BE as Top student (Roll Number One)
2nd BE
လူရည်ချွန် — 1965 Summer (အင်းလေး) Selected Luyechun (Outstanding Student) to the Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in the Summer of 1965
Luyechun
Organizer, SPZP-2000 First RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe Received “Alumni Appreciation Award”
SPZP-2000 Organizers
Received three Alumni Appreciation Awards (a) at SPZP-2000 (b) from worldwide alumni in Aug 2016 (c) from Northern California RIT Alumni Association in Sep 2016
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
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.
The photos were taken by several 69ers : Aung Min, Bobby Myo Tun (Ashin Pannagavesaka), Han Sein (Ah Pho Gyi, GBNF), Kyaw Min (Albert), Kyaw Nyunt (GBNF), Myo Nyunt, Sein Myint, Tin Aung Win (Oscar), Tin Maung Aye, Tin Htut (Harry), Tint Lwin (Danny), Zau Lai (Duwa) …
Types of Gatherings
Monthly Breakfast Gathering
Ad hoc Lunch Gathering to welcome alumni from overseas
Annual Dinner and Entertainment
Anniversaries : 30th Anniversary of Graduation in 1999, 40th Anniversary of Graduation in 2019, 50th Anniversary (Golden Jubilee) of Admission in 2014, 50th Anniversary (Golden Jubilee) of Graduation in 2019
New and Old — Now and Then
Lately
9 Sponsors — Record
Photographer — Tin Aung Win (Oscar)
Earlier
Some are no longer with us.
A Pho Gyi — Han Sein
Chit Pe
Thein Maung
Garawa to U Ba Than
Graduation
Time flies
Chit Pe, Kyaw Nyunt, Aung Gyi Shwe … are GBNF (Gone But Not Forgotten)
2014
2015
2017
2018
2019
Graduation Golden Jubilee
Dec 2022
August 2023
September အလှူရှင်
ဦးငွေထွန်း၊
ဦးတင်ရှိန်၊
ဦးသန်းဝင်း၊
ဦးချမ်းငြိမ်း၊
ဒေါ်ခင်သန်းမြင့်တင်၊
ဦးစောမြင့်နိုင်၊
ဦးဖေဟန်ထွန်း
U Zaw Win (Thailand)
Albert Kyaw Min
Dear RIT 69++friends
ဖိတ်ကြားအပ်ပါတယ်
September breakfast gathering သို့ မပျက်မကွက် ကြွရောက်ကြပါခင်ဗျား။
M69ers meet at Royal Rose Restaurant (Taw Win Hnin Si). The restaurant is owned by U Soe Nyunt (Old Paulian, GBNF).
They are joined by classmates from other disciplines. They include Civil (e.g. Ko Han Sein), Chemical (e.g. Ko Albert Kyaw Min), Electrical (e.g. Ko Shwe), Textile (e.g. Saw Yu Tint), Architecture (e.g. Uzin Bobby Myo Tun), …
There are hosts to celebrate events (Birthday, Anniversary, …).
Meeting for 69er Health Care Fund
I was invited to a meeting held at U Aung Min’s house. We had Mohinga.
Welcome gathering
Some gatherings took place at Kandawgyi Western Park. I attended a gathering hosted by Daw Myint Myint (C69) to welcome Daw Nyunt Nyunt Wai (Millie, T69).
Some gatherings take place the Royal Rose Restaurant. Daw Lin Lin Aung (T69, Singapore) hosted the Breakfast gathering to welcome her former classmates.
Anniversary gathering
In 1999, there was a gathering and mini-SPZP to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Graduation. U Tint Lwin (Daniel, M69) and Daw Saw Yu Tint (Alice, T69) e-mailed me about the event. I informed the sayas and alumni in a Newsletter (which became known as RIT Alumni International Newsletter).
Sad to note that some organizers for that event (U Kyaw Than, U “NarYi” Sein Win …) are GBNF
In 2009, the group celebrated the 40th Anniversary.
In 2014, the group celebrated the Golden Jubilee (GJ) of Admission to the first ever 2nd BE in November 1964.
The true Golden Jubilee (50th Anniversary of Graduation) is planned for 2019)
Class of 70 and 71
The group is known as the Combined 1st BE Intake of 64 and 65.
The group has held monthly breakfast gathering (usually at Sein Hlyan) for two decades.
The Sein Hlyan restaurant was run by U Han Tun Maung (Old Paulian, GBNF), who was a multi-sports athlete. UHTM was active in Old Paulian’s Association (OPA), Kokkine Swimming Club, Archery, and Equestrian.
Class of 72
M72
M72 group is the most active in the Class of 72. It used to have lots of mini-gatherings.
The group decided to have less mini-gatherings and donate more to the RIT-related projects (such as Library Modernization).
The Group holds an annual Reunion and SPZP, where they invite all the eligible sayas and sayamas who have taught them. The Group also has honorary members from the other disciplines.
Mini-gathering in Southern California
U Ohn Kyaw (EP73) is a friend and disciple of his former classmate U Jotika. He visited Southern California and a side trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to hold Abhidhamma classes and discussion.
Mini-gathering in Los Angeles
The photo was taken at a mini-gathering. Attendees include U Win Htay (Walter, M70), Daw Thida Swe (Met72), U Ohn Kyaw (EP73) & spouse, Saya U Tin Htut (M60) and U Than Saung (M72).
There are now 280+ confirmed attendees (of which 250+ have paid and the rest saying that the “check is on the way”). The list is growing. Although we posted the invitations on the web, e-mailed to alumni that we know, and even sent invitation packages to several alumni by snail mail, almost every day, I get a message saying “I’ve just learnt that there is an ex-rit web site” or “I just got a fax from a friend about the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe and I’d like to know if there are any tickets left”.
There are some people who do not have Internet access. There are several who switch their ISPs and their e-mail addresses. There are a few people who do have computers but rarely open their e-mail box; if you send e-mail to them you’ll get “Mail Box Quota Exceeded”. For whatever reason, there are still people who are unaware that alumni from five decades will meet at the Embassy Suites hotel in Gateway Boulevard, South San Francisco on the evening of October 28, 2000. The family members will join the alumni in a picnic on October 29, 2000.
Our webmaster, KMZ, will come to the Bay Area on October 27, 2000. There will probably be lots of pre- and post- Reunion gatherings.
Will I be able to remember the 400 – 500 names (some alumni have 2 or even 3 names) of the attendees? Or as Myint Myint Sein (a) Diana (M70) says, “Will we be able to recognize our friends?” Our teachers used to say that they first recognize the best and the restless/energetic in the class. Then, gradually they focus on the quiet and the timid students.
It’s easier to remember people as a group. So, here we go:
CLASS OF 68
Ko Aung Khin (EP 68), formerly of EPC [spent most of his time at the Lawpita Hydro-electric Power Station], recently became a PE and a proud grandfather. He was known as the “LA Tha-gyee” (village head) since he knew a lot of people in the Los Angeles area. He was an EC member of the RIT Electrical Engineering Association, and a past Vice-President of BAPS.
His seating preference: We (Ko Aung Khin and Ma Win May) would like to sit together with our 1968 batch, Ko Tun Aung (a) Jeffrey (EC68) and his wife from LA, Ko Min Maung (EP68) and his wife from Seattle, and Saya U San Tint if it is possible.
Ko Tun Aung was EC1 [the roll numbers then were given in honor of merit]. His wife Ma Thuza was a well known movie actor.
When Saya U Chin Way (EE) first came to the US, Ko Tun Aung asked him to apply for a job at his department. As the story goes, the interviewer(s) asked if Saya knew anyone there. Saya said that he only knew Ko Tun Aung, who used to be student back home. The interview ended there and then.
Congratulations, Ko Tun Aung for paying back the metta and cetana of his saya(s). Sad to say, Saya U Chin Way had passed away.
Ko Myat Htoo (C68), co-chair, Steering Committee, wrote:
Thank you so much for sending me Krishna Rao’s phone no. I spoke with him in length yesterday and gave him my other classmates’ phone nos. He left Burma right after graduation in ’68. My last night’s phone call to him was our first contact in 32 years. I found out that he got divorced from his wife of 18 years recently and just had a heart bypass surgery a month ago and he is still recuperating.
Ko Myat Htoo (Civ 68) joined the Civil department upon graduation. He is now a Branch Chief with CalTrans (California Transportation). He is serving his second term as President of TBSA. He will be hosting Saya Dr. Aung Gyi and Saya Dr. San Hla Aung (C58).
CLASS OF 70
Ko Zaw Min Nawaday (EP 70) writes: Will it be possible to seat Ko Ye Myint (EP72) and spouse, Ko Myo Khin (C70) and spouse, with me and my wife?
Ko Zaw Min was Roll No. 1 for the ’64 intake of the first ever 1st BE and was a “Luyechun” (Outstanding Student). The “Luyechun” project started the year before for middle school and high school. It was extended to the University students in the Inlay Khaung Daing summer camp in 1965.
Ko Zaw Min was a top student in EP. Ko Thaung Sein (a) Steeve Kay and Charlie Tseng were the top of the EC class.
After relocating to the US, Ko Zaw Min switched to Electronics specializing in Component Design. He has relocated from New York to the Bay Area.
Ko Ye Myint is Saya U Ba Toke’s son. One of Ko Ye Myint’s sons is an EE working in Singapore. Another is expected to graduate from AU [formerly ABAC] also with a degree in EE.
Saya U Ba Toke retired from AU last year. He will be attending the Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. His sponsors include Ko Zaw Min, Ko Maung Maung Than (M79), Ko Mya Thwin (Philip, EE75), Saya Allen Htay (C58) and Saya U Tin Htut (M60).
Ko Myo Khin (C70) and Ma Mya Mya Nwe (C73) will attend. They will be staying at the Embassy Suites. Ko Myo Khin, along with the late Ko Win Thein (M67), were among the top organizers at RIT. Ko Myo Khin joined the Civil department upon graduation. He later taught at the Japanese universities.
The following is a message forwarded by Ko Zaw Win (C70) who will not be able to attend the Reunion:
Dear Ko Myo Khin
How are you and your family? I think both of you must be counting your days for the trip to US for the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. It’s a rare and a great occasion for all the graduates of RIT who were out of the mother country for different reasons to meet at this ‘Pwe” and for a reunion.
Unfortunately circumstances do not allow me to participate in the grand occasion. Please send my greetings to all our friends when you meet them.
At present in Sydney, Australia the whole town is bubbling with Olympic activities while I am trying to finish the three project reports which were due last month. Sometimes I really long for those old times where we can simply lay on our backs and enjoy the slow flow of events with ample of free time. I really now understand that “Life is a struggle” everywhere. Life is also short and enjoy it while you can, with metta towards others.
CLASS OF 74
Ma San San Swe (San San Nwe, EC 74) wrote:
Would there be any seating arrangements? Is it possible to ask for seating with a few of our friends in one table? They are :-
1. Yee Yee Win; San Francisco 2. Ko Tin Aung Win & Dorothy; Sydney, Australia 3. Suzie, husband [Saya U Myat Thwin] & son [Raymond]; Houston, Texas 4. Ko Myint Swe & San San; Cupertino
Thanks, Sansan
For the 1st BE intake of ’68 (mostly graduated in ’74), Ko Htay Lwin Nyo was No. 1 followed by Ma San San, Ko Ne Win Maw, Ko Myint Swe, Sai Aung Thurein in the top of the class.
An ode to Dr. Htay Lwin Nyo (part-time Professor, SJSU) can be found in the “HLN Memorial Pages”.
Ko Myint Swe (EP74) and Ma San San moved last Thanksgiving to the Bay Area. They have both volunteered for the Organizing Committee of the Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. They hosted a lunch meeting some time back. Ko Myint Swe works for AMD and has to travel frequently to Austin, Texas, and elsewhere. He enjoys playing golf and tennis.
Ko Tin Aung Win is a brother-in-law of Saya U Myo Win (M65). He will be bringing a letter and photos from Saya U Myo Win. Dorothy is an RIT associate. She is the younger daughter of the late Sayagyi U Kyaw Tun (EE).
Daw Yee Yee Win was shocked when he learned about HLN’s untimely death. She was one of the donors to the HLN Memorial Fund along with the Swe(s) and Ma Suzie.
Ma Suzie Lin (formerly Suzie Yea) wrote that she could hear the laughing and talking in the RIT corridors as she browsed the ex-rit web site pages. Her letter to the Editor and Web Master is straight from the heart. Saya U Myat Thwin (Kuesan Lin, ChE66) won several scholastic awards from the US even when he was studying at RIT. Not wishing to miss the big Reunion — thanks in part to the phone call by Saya U Maung Maung7 (George, ChE66) — the Lin(s) decided to buy three tickets to bring along Raymond.
With metta, Hla Min
_____________________________________________ Countdown to the Reunion (2) _____________________________________________
Note : I posted 64 “Countdown to the Reunion” and 36 “Post-Reunion” for SPZP-2000. Countdown (2) was posted on September 19, 2000
Dear Sayas and Colleagues,
Since the alumni attending the Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw span five decades, we need help from representative(s) of each decade to highlight that era and to introduce the alumni. I’ll try my best to give an overall demographics of the alumni attending the first ever Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwe.
Saya H Num Kok
Saya H. Num Kok (Civil) and Saya U Ba Toke (Maths) are the most senior sayas [by age] among those attending the Saya Pu Zaw Pwe. They also taught most of the sayas and senior alumni. Two brothers of Saya U Num Kok are also alumni. H. Num Fatt has not registered for the Reunion, but H. Num Pon (a) Saya U Myint Lwin (C61) will be at the Reunion. For many years, Saya U Num Kok acted as line judge at the RUBC8 regattas. Saya U Myint Lwin rowed for the Faculty of Engineering.
Saya U Ba Toke
Saya U Ba Toke taught mathematics to the engineering students. Saya later served as Professor of Mathematics at the Rangoon University, Rector at MASU, and as Professor of Mathematics at RIT. He retired last year from Assumption University (formerly ABAC), Bangkok, Thailand. While at RIT, Saya U Ba Toke chaired numerous organizations including “Thu-khu-ma a-nu-pyin-nya” (Fine arts) and sports.
The sponsors of Saya U Ba Toke include Saya U Tin Htut (M60), Saya Allen Htay (C58), Ko Zaw Min Nawaday (EP70), Ko Maung Maung Than (M79), and Ko Mya Thwin (Philip, EE75).
E-mail I received earlier from Saya U Myint Lwin
Dear Hla Min:
Thank you for your e-mail and the invitation to the RIT Reunion. It should be a memorable event. I will put the date in my calendar. I taught at RIT as Assistant Lecturer in CE from June 1961 to October 1962.
I visited RIT and the Rangoon University Boat Club in March 1999. RIT was closed at that time, but I was able to visit with Rector of RIT and Head of Civil Engineering Department. I look forward to the event. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
Have a great day!
Myint Lwin Structural Design Engineer FHWA
Engineer Athletes
The engineering students are known for their athletic prowess. Here is a sampling from the attendees of the Reunion:
Saya U Tin Htut (M60, Past RUBC Captain and Gold)
U Tin Htoon (A60, Past RUBC Captain and Gold) won numerous trophies at the RUBC regattas, the National Championships, FEARA (Far East Amateur Rowing Association) and ARAE (Amateur Rowing Association of the East) regattas — Venables Bowls for Coxless Pairs in Calcutta 1958, and Willingdon Trophy for Coxed Fours in Colombo 1960. He won a silver medal for sailing in the SEAP games.
Ko Htein Win (Richard Taw, “Chauk Pay”, M70) tended the shallow end goal for the RIT water polo team. He also represented RIT in rowing.
Ko Htaik San (Henry Kao, M81) and Ko Thura Thant Zin (M76) are RUBC Golds. They won gold medals at FEARA regattas.
Among those who represented RIT include Saya U Myint Lwin (C61), U Than Soe (RUBC Gold, M63), Ko Khin Maung Lay (T 68), Ko Khin Maung Zaw (EC76), …
Saya Dr. San Hla Aung served as timekeeper and/or starter at the RUBC regattas.
Ko Khin Maung Zaw (EC76) and Ko Thura Thant Zin (M76) played as last defender and goalie of the RIT Hockey team. KMZ served as TTZ’s coach in hockey. TTZ served as KMZ’s coach in rowing.
Ko Kyaw Sint (Edward Tai, T70) is a multi-discipline sportsman. He was the Junior National Champion in tennis, a Full Green in rowing, and University First Eleven in soccer.
Ko Jimmy Kyin (GBNF, T69), Ko Thein Aung (Met 72) and Ko Than Htike (M71) represented RIT in the weightlifting and bodybuilding contests. A picture of the youthful “Mr. University” can be seen in the “Photo Gallery”.
Ko Khin Maung Lay (T68) represented RIT in track and field, soccer and rowing. He was a member of the University [Second] Eleven.
Count down to SPZP-2012 (15) __________________________________________________
Saya U Moe Aung wrote :
Dear U Hla Min
This is with reference (Update Sept 5, 2012) to your emotional feelings about not being a Saya at RIT and people being not aware of you as a Post Master and an Editor.
It is very natural that with the generation gap growing wider and wider with each passing decade, the middle-aged or the younger people will definitely not- or not wish to- know who their preceding generations are and how they fared or are faring.
Only with the exception of a few who possess strong desires to master some language (e.g. English, Burmese) and to acquire in-depth knowledge and writing skills to become a writer or poet, I believe that not many wish to take up interest in these fields.
Please correct me if my viewpoint is wrong. Since we are living in a modern hi-tech world, especially in capitalist countries, most people tend to chase after monetary gains first and place others last.
But, people who know you will not hesitate to shower their praise on you, because they acknowledge that you have sacrificed a vast portion of your time and energy throughout the years to get RITians connected and feel at home. If I were sitting near or at the same dinner table as you, I am sure I would have done the same thing like Saya Dr Myo Khin and Saya Dr Soe Thein did.
Since I did not see you at the SPZP 2007 dinner night, I thought that it was my duty to call on you the next day and that was why I saw you off at the Airport with Ko Tin Aung Win at the wheel. I remembered that day because it was raining heavily and I was soaked.
For me, U Hla Min, you deserve to be deemed a writer and a poet, because you don’t need to write hundreds to become one. There were some instances of some famous poets who wrote only a few poems in their lifetime.
My memory doesn’t permit me to recall distinctly but only vaguely the ones you wrote. During that period I myself wrote some poems in English and they got published in “The Guardian” Magazine.
We all know you were a Saya at UCC, DCS and ICST. I would like to take this opportunity to mention that my brother-in-law Ko Hla Min (same name) was your former pupil. The last time when you visited Singapore, I heard Ko Hla Min went to meet you.
Well, U Hla Min, this is Life! and whatever will be, will be (Que Sera Sera).
But as you mentioned, let us share our memories of our beloved Swel Daw Yeik with never ending love and passion.
Let us embrace SPZP 2012 Yangon together!
Regards [Saya U] Moe Aung
Editor’s notes:
Thanks Saya for your kind words.
Saya’s mentors include the famed Sayagyi Daung Nwe Swe. In his student days and later as a faculty member, Saya not only served as the [Chief] Editor, but also supervised the printing of the Sar Saungs and Magazines. Saya has published poems in both Burmese and English. Saya’s recent contributions include Chair of SPZP-2002 and SPZP-2010, and the Chief Editor and/or Publisher of the commemorative issues of the “Swel Daw Yeik Sar Saung” and “Swel Daw Yeik Magazine”.
Sayagyi U Kyaw Tun, Saya U Myo Kyi, and Saya U Moe Aung are some EE sayas, who taught “Principles of Electrical Engineering” to non-EE students.
Countdown to SPZP-2012 (81) ____________________________________________
Attended the SPZP-2012 Main Committee Meeting presided by U Win Khaing.
To minimize traffic congestion and parking problems, attendees to SPZP-2012 are requested to car-pool, take buses or taxis.
3000 – 4000 attendees are expected for the morning event.
There will be four groups of sayas and sayamas for the “paying respect” ceremony.
2500 or more attendees are expected to attend the evening event. Tickets are available at K15000 per person. Dinner buffet and entertainment (by the famed Swel Daw Yeik Troupe) are provided.
Review of the Final Draft for the “History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar” has begun. The printing is scheduled on or around December 16, 2012.
Two Cartoon Boxes will be on display at SPZP-2012. Commemorative “RIT Cartoon Collection” will be on sale at K2000. Several RIT Cartoon Sayas have volunteered to demo their expertise.
The Swel Daw Yeik Magazine committee will have a meeting on or around December 16, 2012. The team is headed by U Saw Linn (C 71) and includes distinguished writers such as Ma Sandar, N. Jar Thaing, and Maung Sein Win (Padeegone).
Copies of 23 vintage “RIT Annual Magazines” will also be on sale. Each magazine costs K3000. The whole set is available at K65000.
Countdown to SPZP-2012 (82) ____________________________________________
Saya U Maung Maung (George, ChE66, President, NorCal RITAA)
Saya U Myat Htoo (C68, Vice President)
Saya Dr. Tin Aung (K. C. Chiu, ChE 63)
U Hla Min (EC69)
U Benny Tan (M70)
Saya U Thein Aung (James, Met72)
U Robert Hla Thein (M72)
Daw San San Nyunt (Sandra, M76)
U Nyunt Than (M86)
Saya U Maung Maung has requested U Win Khaing (M 75, Chair, SPZP-2012; President, MES) to have a meeting at 3:30 p on December 29, 2012.
U Thaung Sein (Steeve Kay, EC70)
He is a Multiple SPZP Sponsor at the highest level).
He will give a 5-minute presentation/announcement at SPZP-2012.
He provided the “seed money” (US$3000+) for SPZP-2000.
He has pledged US$5000 for SPZP-2012.
His other charitable donations include “Relief for Cyclone Nargis victims” (via CABA), “Helen and Steeve Kay Health Care Fund for RIT Sayas and Sayamas”, Golden (and above) sponsorship for all the RIT Grand Reunion and Saya Pu Zaw Pwes,
U Yu Beng (Benny Tan, M70)
He is a Multiple SPZP Sponsor)
He will also attend SPZP-2012
He co-chaired the Working Committee with U Hla Myint Thein (Maurice Chee, M 75) for SPZP-2000.
He designed the SPZP Banner, and the commemorative T-shirt, mug for SPZP-2000.
He is currently enjoying his third career as a proud grandfather taking care of the grand kids.
Sayas and Sayamas
Most sayas and sayamas from overseas and out of town will converge to Yangon around December 26 – 28.
Some have accepted the two-night stay (for December 29 and 30) provided by the SPZP-2012 organizers/committees/sponsors.
Sayagyi U Aung Khin (M) and Saya U Tin Htut (M 60) will stay at Winner Inn. Sayagyi U Ba Than (M) will welcome them personally at the air port before taking them to Winner Inn
Main events
Main events for SPZP-2012 will be held on December 30, 2012.
Morning: Saya Pu Zaw Pwe (paying respect to four tiers/groups of sayas and sayamas) in the RIT/YIT/YTU Gyogone Campus
Lunch (probably Birayani/Danbauk and refreshments) will be provided to all attendees
Some souvenirs will be provided to the “registered” attendees
Exhibition booths: photos, cartoon boxes, vintage RIT magazines, list of sponsors/volunteers, ….
Items on sale:
“History of University Engineering Education in Burma/Myanmar” by Saya U Aung Hla Tun and Ah Phwe,
Commemorative issue of “SWEL DAW YEIK MAGAZINE” by U Saw Linn (C 71) and Ah Phwe,
RIT Cartoons by U Myint Pe (M 72) and Ah Phwe
Souvenirs (ball pens, key chains, calendars, …)
Evening:
Reunion Dinner at Convention Center on Min Dhamma Road
Ticket: K15000 per person
Buffet dinner
Group of 10 sayas/alums may request to be seated at the same table
Entertainment (include the famed SWEL DAW YEIK AH NYEINT, …)
Special request: Please “car-pool” or take public transportation to minimize traffic congestion and parking problems.
Volumes 1 – 3 of the RIT Annual Magazine were published during Sayagyi U Yone Moe’s tenure; Volumes 4 – 7 were published during Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi’s tenure; and Volumes 8 – 16 were published during Sayagyi U Khin Aung Kyi’s tenure.
Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi served as Chief Editor for the first three volumes. Saya U Aung Hla Tun served as Chief Editor for the next four volumes. Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) served as Chief Editor for nine volumes.
Seven years would pass without the publication of RIT Magazine.
The name “SWEL DAW YEIK” first came into prominent use in 1970 as a synonym for RIT and the Engineering Colleges and Institutes. Rangoon University was established in 1920 and the Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1970. I had a minor role as a volunteer on the “Zay Nay Yar Cha Htar Ye Committee”. Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi (then Professor of Civil Engineering) and Saya U Thet Lwin (then teaching Burmese at the Institute of Economics) had major roles on the Main/Preparation Committee. Later, they would rejoin forces as Rector and Registrar of RIT.
I was Editor of the Commemorative RIT Alumni International Newsletter for SPZP-2000. Saya U Moe Aung was Editor/Publisher of the Commemorative SWEL DAW YEIK SAR SAUNG for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007, and SPZP-2010. Saya printed my poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” as the back cover for the 2002 Sar Saung and another poem “SWE DAW YEIK” for the 2007 Sar Saung. Saya also renamed my article about “A Short and Sad Clip : EE Sayas” and printed in the 2010 Sar Saung.
Saya suggested the name SWEL DAW YEIK MAGAZINE for SPZP-2012. The 400-page magazine should quench the literary thirst of the sayas, sayamas, and alums. Autographed copies of the magazines will be available on or before SPZP-2012.
Mark your calendars for December 30, 2012 for the grandest SPZP ever.
Countdown to SPZP-2012 (88) _________________________________________________
Volumes 1 – 3 of the RIT Annual Magazine were published during Sayagyi U Yone Moe’s tenure; Volumes 4 – 7 were published during Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi’s tenure; and Volumes 8 – 16 were published during Sayagyi U Khin Aung Kyi’s tenure.
Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi served as Chief Editor for the first three volumes. Saya U Aung Hla Tun served as Chief Editor for the next four volumes. Saya U Moe Aung (Tekkatho Moe War) served as Chief Editor for nine volumes.
Seven years would pass without the publication of RIT Magazine.
The name “SWEL DAW YEIK” first came into prominent use in 1970 as a synonym for RIT and the Engineering Colleges and Institutes. Rangoon University was established in 1920 and the Golden Jubilee was celebrated in 1970. I had a minor role as a volunteer on the “Zay Nay Yar Cha Htar Ye Committee”. Sayagyi Dr. Aung Gyi (then Professor of Civil Engineering) and Saya U Thet Lwin (then teaching Burmese at the Institute of Economics) had major roles on the Main/Preparation Committee. Later, they would rejoin forces as Rector and Registrar of RIT.
I was Editor of the Commemorative RIT Alumni International Newsletter for SPZP-2000. Saya U Moe Aung was Editor/Publisher of the Commemorative SWEL DAW YEIK SAR SAUNG for SPZP-2002, SPZP-2007, and SPZP-2010. Saya printed my poem “SAYA PU ZAW PWE” as the back cover for the 2002 Sar Saung and another poem “SWE DAW YEIK” for the 2007 Sar Saung. Saya also renamed my article about “A Short and Sad Clip : EE Sayas” and printed in the 2010 Sar Saung.
Saya suggested the name SWEL DAW YEIK MAGAZINE for SPZP-2012. The 400-page magazine should quench the literary thirst of the sayas, sayamas, and alums. Autographed copies of the magazines will be available on or before SPZP-2012.
Mark your calendars for December 30, 2012 for the grandest SPZP ever.
RU was founded in December 1920 with Rangoon College and Judson College as Constituent Colleges.
Golden Jubilee in 1970
RIT Ah Nu Pyinnya Shins took part in the Entertainment Program with “Swel Daw Yeik Ah Nyeint စွယ်တော်ရိပ်အငြိမ့်”, “Htee Yein ထီးယိမ်း” and “Ta Bin Daing Ah Ka တပင်တိုင်အက”. Saya U Moe Aung and Saya U Saw Tun headed the Swel Daw Yeik Troupe.
RIT performers at RU GJ
Saya Dr. Aung Gyi and U Thet Lwin were Chair and Secretary of a Committee. They later reunited as Rector and Registrar of RIT.
I was a volunteer member of “Zay Saing Nay Yar Cha Htar Yay” committee.
Diamond Jubilee in 1995
MERB (Myanmar Education Research Bureau) produced a documentary about RU Sports (Soccer, Track & Field, Weightlifting).
U Tin Nyo was the Producer.
Saya U Nyein (RU Soccer Coach) was the Commentator.
Hemar Nay Win shared memories of her father Collegian Nay Win.
Mra Brithers
U Tun Mra was Captain of RU Track & Field Association. He, his brothers Kyaw Mra & Soe Mra, and Tun Naung competed in the First and Second SEAP Games. They won medals.
2nd SEAP Games
U Myo Nyunt represented Burma in Weightlifting.
RU Centennial in 2020
U Aung Mon, Dr. Nyi Thet Lwin and friends created a Facebook group for the Centennial. I was a Moderator and Contributor.
Saya U Moe Aung and former members of RU Ka Laung Shin Ah Phwe published two Kabyar books.
RU Centennial MagazineCentennial MagazineRU Centennial Book Promotion
“Mya Kyun Nyo Nyo” was sung at the opening ceremony.
Composer Maung Ngwe Hlinne (U Thet Lwin)
Due to the pandemic, there were mostly Virtual Presentations.
Rangoon Institute of Technology
Shwe YaDu in 2014
Renovation of Gyogone Campus
Planting of 50 Swel Daw Bin
Shwe YaDu Lann Kabyar by Tekkatho Moe War Translation by Hla Min
Swel Daw Yeik Magazine Cover by Bagyee Myat Myo Myint
RIT69ers
30th Anniversary in 1999
I reported the event and other news in my e-mails (which became known as RIT Alumni Newsletter).
40th Anniversary in 2009
See Post for Group Photos
EE69ersM69ers at 40th Anniversary (2009)
Shwe YaDu (of Admission) in 2014
2014 Shwe YaDu
50th Anniversary (GJ) in 2019
GJ of 69er Graduation 1GJ of 69er Graduation 2
Ma Tin Tin (EC69, USA) had a Homecoming. She donated to the event and 69er HCF.
Ko Aung Min (M69) & team published a magazine
Rangoon University Boat Club
RUBC was founded in 1923 by Law Professor Sir Arthur Eggar, who pledged a third of his salary for the operating costs.
RU Estate built the Club House with the funds provided by U Nyo.
40th Anniversary in 1963
The Annual Regatta was canceled citing Security concerns.
The Anniversary Dinner was held at a hotel in Kandawgyi.
The Souvenir Magazine was compiled by Sithu U Tin, U Po Zon and U Tin Htoon (A60).
The Souvenir Magazine Committee comprised of U Tin Htoon (A60, Chair), U Myo Myint (EC67, Vice Chair), U Htaik San (Henry, M81, Secretary) and members.
I was a Contributing Editor. I wrote three articles and Prelude for each section.
Centennial in 2023
U Tin U, the Oldest and Most Senior Past Captain, presided at the Opening Ceremony.
Universities’ Computer Center
Golden Jubileein 2021
After several years of preparation (starting from the mid-1960s), the UCC project was approved in 1971.
Sayas U Soe Paing, U Myo Min and U Ko Ko Lay (GBNF) helped Sayagyi Dr. Chit Swe (GBNF) found Universities’ Computer Center.
Other Anniversaries
Centennial of First RU Students’ Strike (in 2020)
Centennial of Engineering Education in Burma (in 2024)