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Maurice Collis was born in Dublin in 1889, the son of an Irish solicitor, and went to Rugby in 1903 and then in 1907 to Oxford.  He was posted to Burma  in 1912. He had postings at Sagaing  and elsewhere in Burma. In 1917, the British army raised a Burmese brigade with which Collis went to Palestine. In 1919, he went on leave and travelled in Europe. In the 1920s he was district commissioner in Arakan State.  In 1929–1930, a period when relations between Burmese, Indians and British became particularly difficult, he was district magistrate in Rangoon and much of the book deals with that period  and three particular cases;  the political trial of J.M Sen Gupta, the mayor Calcutta and two criminal trials.   My particular interest however is in the sections dealing with the Peasants' Rebellion in 1930 and Collis' deep understanding of the Burmese and the failings on the British Government.  He left Burma in 1931 and wrote a number of books on the country and died in 1973.The book can be purchased as an ebook from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com.au/Trials-Burma-Maurice-Collis-ebook/dp/B00Z4M9N3E - and possibly other ebook sellers.The photo of Collis is from the National Portrait Gallery, London

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai. Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families after that coup she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is now known by most people as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474.This chapter deals with the disastrous long term consequences for the Shan people following what has become known as  Martyrs Day when,  on 19 July 1947,  a number leading Burmese and ethnic leaders in pre independent Burma were assassinated.  This included U Aung San (the father of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi) and a Shan leader, Sao Sam Htun, the Sawbwa of Mongpawn.

U Win Htein is an elder politician of the National League for Democracy, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's right hand man, a former parliamentarian, army captain and businessman.U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.It is extremely hard to believe that at the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February, 2021 U Win Htein was sentenced in late October 2021 for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.This Episode deals with Martyrs' Day which occurred 75 years ago today on 19 July 1947 when assassins entered a room in the Secretariat where the Governor's Executive Council was meeting and shot dead 9 prominent men, including U Aung San and a number of ethnic leaders, who would all have played a prominent role in an independent Burma.  The modern history of Burma might well have been a very different if these assassinations had not taken place.   19 July has been called "Martyrs' Day" ever since.

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai. Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families after that coup she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is now known by most people as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474.Nel firmly believes the fate of the Shan as an independent country was sealed by the signing of the Panglong Agreement on 14 February, 1947.   According to the Agreement the Shan State was bound to be part of the Union of Myanmar but would have the right to secede after 10 years if the Union failed.  This right was also embedded in the 1948 Constitution but which was effectively "torn up"  following the 1962 coup by General Ne Win.

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai. Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families after that coup she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is now known by most people as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474In the episodes covering her life, various sections of My Vanished World will be read.   We are honoured that three episodes 4, 5 and 6 covering excerpts from Chapter 10 dealing with the escape from the Japanese have been read by  Daw Tin Htar Swe OBE, the former Head of the Burmese Section of the BBC World Service and whose voice is possibly well known to many of you.  She also took the initiative, for which I am very thankful, of adding some delightful music which has certainly added to the experience.  

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai. Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families after that coup she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is now known by most people as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474In the episodes covering her life, various sections of My Vanished World will be read.   We are honoured that three episodes 4, 5 and 6 covering excerpts from Chapter 10 dealing with the escape from the Japanese have been read by  Daw Tin Htar Swe OBE, the former Head of the Burmese Section of the BBC World Service and whose voice is possibly well known to many of you.  She also took the initiative, for which I am very thankful, of adding some delightful music which has certainly added to the experience.  

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai. Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families after that coup she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is now known by most people as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474In the episodes covering her life, various sections of My Vanished World will be read.   We are honoured that three episodes 4, 5 and 6 covering excerpts from Chapter 10 dealing with the escape from the Japanese have been read by  Daw Tin Htar Swe OBE, the former Head of the Burmese Section of the BBC World Service and whose voice is possibly well known to many of you.  She also took the initiative, for which I am very thankful, of adding some delightful music which has certainly added to the experience.  

U Win Htein is an elder politician of the National League for Democracy, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's right hand man, a former parliamentarian, army captain and businessman.U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.It is extremely hard to believe that at the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February, 2021 U Win Htein was sentenced in late October last year for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.  

U Win Htein is an elder politician of the National League for Democracy, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's right hand man, a former parliamentarian, army captain and businessman.U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.It is extremely hard to believe that at the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February, 2021 U Win Htein was sentenced in late October last year for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.  

U Win Htein is an elder politician of the National League for Democracy, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's right hand man, a former parliamentarian, army captain and businessman.U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.It is extremely hard to believe that at the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February, 2021 U Win Htein was sentenced in late October last year for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.  

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai. Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families after that coup she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is now known by most people as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474In the episodes covering her life, various sections of My Vanished World will be read.  In this third episode I will read the eighth chapter of her book where Nel talks about her school days at St Agnes' Convent in Kalaw.

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai. Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families after that coup she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is now known by most people as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474In the episodes covering her life, various sections of My Vanished World will be read.  In this second episode I will read the second chapter where Nel talks about her parents and grandparents.  I hope in subsequent episodes Nel and others will read key parts of her book.

U Hpone Thant (commonly known as Harry) born 1945 talks about what it was like to own a car in the 60s and 70s in Myanmar.For those who are interested in stories like this, there is a Old Burma Hands group on Facebook 

U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.At the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February 2021, U Win Htein was sentenced in late October last year for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.  In this third episode U Win Htein's daughter, Chit Suu reads the chapter of her father's autobiography - Fuze which deals with the three demonitizations brought in by U Ne Win during his 26 year reign.

U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.At the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February 2021, U Win Htein was sentenced in late October last year for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.  In this third episode U Win Htein's daughter, Chit Suu reads the chapter of her father's autobiography - Eaglet.

Sao Noan Oo was born in 1931 in Shan State as a princess, being the daughter of the Sawbwa or Sao Hpa of Lawksawk, a state in the Federated Shan States or Mong Tai ; an area of approximately 62,000 square miles occupying a quarter of Burma, Before the military coup in 1962, the Shan State was divided into thirty-three and each area (also called a state or mong), had a number of towns and villages; the main town in each state carrying the same name.  The Sawbwas were hereditary princes, one of whom ruled each of the thirty-three states. The Burmans, and later the British used this title which was a corrupt pronunciation of the Shan title, 'Sao Hpa', meaning ' Lord of the Sky'.  When the British had advanced into Burma in 1886, the Sawbwas, not only willingly accepted the British administration, but some of them, like her grand-father who was then heir to the sawbwaship, joined the British army to overthrow the last of the Burmese Kings.  Once in complete control, the British Government applied direct rule over Central Burma, where the majority of the population were Burmans. The Shan State and the other 'Hill States' Kachin, Chin and Karenni were allowed to remain autonomous. Thus, although geographically in Burma, the Shan State was politically independent of Burma until 1948.   The situation for the Shan changed dramatically after the coup by General Ne Win in 1962 and many Shan princes and leaders were killed, jailed or fled abroad.Sao Noan Oo was studying in England at the time of the 1962 coup and her scholarship was cancelled.   Given what happened to her family and other Shan families she has never returned to Myanmar but has tirelessly fought for the rights of the Shan people.  She married an Englishman and is known by most people these days as Nel Adams.Nel has written her life story entitled "My Vanished World".  The book is currently out of print but some second hand copies can be found in ebook sites like Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/My-Vanished-World-Story-Princess/dp/189931024XShe has also written a history of the Tai (or Shan) people which is available at Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unravelling-History-Tai-Yai-Noan/dp/1527209474In the episodes covering her life, various sections of My Vanished World will be read.  In this first episode I will read the first chapter explaining the history and social customs of the Shan and I hope in subsequent episodes Nel and others will read key parts of her book.

U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.At the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February 2021, U Win Htein was sentenced in late October last year for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.  In this second episode U Win Htein's daughter, Chit Suu reads two chapters of her father's autobiography - Elephant and Caged Bird.

TT advises that the expansion work on the shipyard and building of ships came to a halt in 1988 following the take over by General Saw Maung and General Than Shwe, but TT continued his role as Managing Director until 1991 when he turned 60 and was required to retire.  He then worked as an advisor to the Shipyard Corporation for another two years before moving to Singapore and elsewhere to work in the private sector.  In 1997 General Than Shwe asked him to come back with the freedom to become involved in the private sector.  TT set up two 50% wood processing joint ventures; one with the Ministry of Construction and the other with the Ministry of Transport and Communication.  TT remains as Chairman to this day of the company, Greengold Industrial Company Limited.   It was not a smooth path as, following the "yellow robe" demonstrations in 2007, the company was amongst 100 companies sanctioned by the US.  This led to TT's group taking over the Government's 50%. From 1984 to 2000 he was on the Board of the War Veterans' Association. He has over the years provided his expert mechanical engineering advice on major projects such as the restoration of the Shwedagon Pagoda following the 1979 earthquake. TT talks about his sporting career, including his time as a champion rower (stroke) and sailor and his many years chairing the Rowing and Yachting Federations.   He mentions his experiences of rowing internationally and in the Golden Jubilee of the Rangoon Rowing Club in 1955. TT discusses Government and military pensions and the impossibility to survive on these. Towards the end he gives his views on General Ne Win and why he feels Myanmar is where it is today. 

TT has had a stellar career and even at the age of 91 he continues to chair the wood processing company, Greengold Industrial Company Limited he co-founded in 1997. TT talks about how the country was run by foreigners during his childhood - not just the British - and the years during WW2 when the Japanese were in Myanmar.  For me, one of the most interesting stories from those years is that, when the British left, there were very few technically trained people in the country - the Scottish engineers dealt with the engines on the river craft and at the equipment at the oil producing areas, Indians ran the railways and Bengali ran the river craft.  In TT's view Burma immediately on independence became one of the least developed countries in Asia!He went to high school where the father of one of our other subjects, K T Lwin was the principal.  He takes us through his career since then which involved a scholarship to the Naval College at Dartmouth in England in 1949 to study mechanical engineering.   These scholarships flowed out of the Burma Defence Agreement under which the UK agreed to provide training to young citizens post independence. He returned to Rangoon in 1953 as the only mechanical engineer in the country (!) and spent the next four years training naval servicemen on the basic elements of mechanical engineering - he was, of course, only 22 and far younger than his students.  In 1958 the U Nu civilian government handed power to General Ne Win for 1 1/2 years.  During that time TT was assigned to work in the office of Ne Win but ,when Ne Win handed power back to U Nu in 1960, he returned to his naval responsibilities and by 1961 had been appointed a Chief Engineer, which role he continued until 1965 when he was appointed to develop a shipyard .  TT's late wife, Daw Mya Aye (Polly)  joined the Burmese Navy in 1958 and was one of the first six female officers.  She spent time being trained at Maryland in the US but was required to resign when she married TT in 1963.  She then worked in the Trade Department.  In 1970 General Ne Win asked him to leave the Navy and take over running the shipyard as a commercial operation.  As he was only 39 TT felt it was too early to retire from the Navy and Ne Win allowed him to remain in the navy and for the next 8 years TT was of Commander rank responsible for repairing and building new naval vessels. There were many issues facing the country at that time and in 1980 Ne Win persuaded TT to take over as MD of the shipyard (which was by then a commercial business ) whilst maintaining his Commander rank.  In accordance with the rules after 3 years in a commercial role he was required to retire from the armed forces. In 1983 he was called to a meeting with Ne Win, the heads of the Armed Forces and a number of Ministers.  This led to an exciting new role for TT.He mentions how he played golf with Ne Win a number of times and how early in his career the strange occasions when he made up the fourth so Ne Win could play bridge when he was traveling to visit naval operations.The uprising of 1988 and the takeover by General Saw Maung and General Than Shwe led to all foreign loans to be suspended or terminated.    This brought to an end his Phase 3 project to build ocean going vessels. This first of two interviews with U Thein Tun finishes at that point.

U Win Htein has spent 20 years of his life in prison for his belief in democracy.He has written his autobiography entitled "Win Htein's story for posterity: Burma's odyssey from tyranny to quasi-democracy" which can be purchased as a ebook from many online booksellers such as https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/win-hteins-story-for-posterity-win-htein/1140822639.This first short episode is an interview with his youngest daughter, Chit Suu with her thoughts on her father.   In subsequent episodes Chit Suu and I will read extracts from the book which Chit Suu feels her father would like to be told.It is extremely hard to believe that at the age of 79 for speaking out against the coup of 1 February, 2021 U Win Htein was sentenced in late October last year for sedition and received a 20 year prison sentence.  He is currently serving this sentence at a jail in Mandalay.  Episode 1