Glimpses of Myanmar and Myanmar-related Personages III

 

This is the third book by Dr Myint Zan, who profiled or ‘glimpsed’ Myanmar personages. This book is significant since out of 30 personages glimpsed, five personages were of foreign origin. Three foreign scholars have made significant contributions to the Myanmar language and literature. They were the linguist and literati, namely Anna Allott, John Okell and Onoturu. All three have passed away in recent years.
The rest of the 25 personages are Myanmar-born. Dr Myint Zan mentioned them in rough chronological order based on the birth years of the personages. The first essay discussed the debate or discourse between Buddhist monks, Manle Sayadaw and Ledi Sayadaw, on the disadvantages and benefits of drinking tea. The last essay discussed the four books authored by Dr Aung Myint Oo, retired Professor of Myanmar at the University of Yangon. Among the 30 personages discussed, there are short notes on five Myanmar women, namely four medical doctors, Dr Daw Yin May, Dr Kyu Kyu Swe, Daw Khin Kyi (OG), Dr Thein Thein Myint and historian Daw Kyan. Others discussed in the book are P Moe Nin, Dr Ba Han (jurist and lexicographer), U Tha Hto (Economics), Dr Khin Maung Win (Philosophy), Thakin Soe, Minthuwun (new, two articles), Thein Pe Myint, Dr San Baw (new and appendix of his ivory prostheses paper first prepared in October 1968), Dr Khin Maung Aye (psychiatrist and Vipassana meditation teacher), Maung Swan Yi (poet), Dr Myo Nyunt (Economist), Maung Khin Min (Danubyu, five articles), Mya Myint Moh (poet, U Hla Myint), Maung Tha Cho (Dr Myint Thaung).
A few of the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, with those of Shwe U Daung (U Pe Thein), are discussed. Shwe U Daung adapted (not translated) Sherlock Holmes detective stories into ‘Maung San Shar’ stories. Sir Arthur devoted the last one-and-a-half decades or so of his life to ‘spiritualism’, including communicating with the dead. Dr Myint Zan referred to and commented on the late polymath Martin Gardner’s essay on ‘The Irrelevance of Conan Doyle’, first published in 1976 and revised and updated till 1995. The creator of the rational Sherlock Holmes believed the trick and shenanigans played by then 11-year-old and 15-year-old girls who cut board boxes of fairies and took photos of these ‘fairies’ coming out of flowers. Conan Doyle believed them and stated that fairies exist! Nearly sixty years after their hoax, the old ladies in a 1983 interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation admitted their hoax, which Conan Doyle took ‘hook, line and sinker’ so to speak.
Most Burmese would know about independent Burma’s first Prime Minister, U Nu. Very few would have heard of former Greek Prime Minister and President Constantin Karamanlis. In almost 14 pages, Dr Myint Zan compared the ‘home return’ of Constantin Karamanlis to Greece in July 1974 and the very different ‘home return’ of former Prime Minister U Nu to Burma in July 1980.
Every Chapter of the book contains photos and illustrations. For those interested in varied subjects of poetry, literature, medicine, politics and biographies, the book is a worthwhile read.

gnlm