[Tibeto-burman-linguistics] Who's Who in Burma (1961)

[Nathan Straub 曹內森]

Dear colleagues,

Here's a book that may contain the names of some old friends if you're a
long-time Burma hand. In any case, it's worth keeping for reference.

Anon. 1961. *Who's who in Burma 1961*. Rangoon, Burma: People's Literature
Committee and House. (220 pp.)


  Who's Who in Burma 1961.pdf
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H0g4Pa599DvtGXjNk2J1At2redskKtZS/view?usp=drivesdk>



This copy is scanned from a facsimile edition purchased at TAB Books & Arts
at Hledan Center in Yangon, with the curious number 99 on the spine. There
is no stated author. There are six pages of errata at the beginning, and I
have only used them to pencil in corrections for the first few pages; the
other ones will have to be checked against the errata individually.

Entries are ordered alphabetically by the last word of each name, since
Burmese names typically don't have surnames. Note, however, that most of
the alphabetized "last" names still come last in the name rather than being
pre-posed with a comma. (Western and Indian names are the exception.)

Pages 215-220 contain a "supplement", i.e., probably entries that made it
in after the main body of the book was already typeset.

The front matter states that the editors planned to do a new edition every
three years,with the next one being in 1964, but I'm not sure whether they
did or not, since the government changed in 1962, after which there were
more restrictions on printing.

Highlights include:
- Saw Butler (p.16), Karen who commanded the Kachin Levees in Putao during
WWII in 1942-43 and later became a government official
- U Vum Ko Hau (p.43), a Chin diplomat who later wrote lengthy memoirs
entitled *Profile of a Burma Frontier Man*.
- Daw Mi Mi Khaing (p.60), an educator who wrote books such as *Burmese
Family*, *The People of the Golden Land*, and *Men and Women in Burma*
- Duwa Zau Lawn (p.75), another Kachin politician, who signed the Panglong
Agreement in 1947 and was head of Kachin State in 1953 and 1958
- Dagon Khin Khin Lay (p.76), a female writer of over 500 novels and short
stories
- U Shan Lone (p.78), Secretary of the Ministry of Kachin State in the 1960s
- Sama Duwa Sinwa Nawng (p.115), a Kachin politician who was the first head
of Kachin State after independence in 1948
- U Nu (p.117), first Prime Minister of Burma
- Sao Saimöng (p.138), a Shan government official who wrote "Shan Folk
Tales" (Burma Research Society Journal) and was married to Daw Mi Mi Khaing
- U Zan Hta Sin [Zv́rtaq Søn] (p.155), a Rawang politician who became
Kachin State Minister and Head of Kachin State in 1956
- U Thant (p.169), a diplomat who became UN Secretary-General in 1961, and
grandfather of historian Thant Myint-U
- U Pe Maung Tin (p.184), professor of Burmese, Pali, and Far Eastern
Studies at the University of Rangoon, and chairman of the Burma Historical
Research Commission
- Dr. Ba U (p.196), president and chief justice of Burma
- General Ne Win (p.202), later the leader of the military government from
1962 onward

I have a facsimile of another book, also entitled *Who's Who in Burma*, but
published in 1927 during British colonial days, which even has photos, but
I need to find time to scan it in.

Hope someone finds this useful!

Nathan Straub
Secondary Teacher and Moonlight Linguist
Promise - An International School, Yangon
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