Sao Shwe Thaik

Shan Chiefs at 1903 Delhi Durbar

The 1903 Delhi Durbar marked the accession of King Edward and Queen Alexandra as the Emperor and Empress of India and was presided by the then Viceroy Lord Curzon and attended by hundreds of Indian princes. The Saophas of Mongpawn and Yawnghwe are to the left. The Saopha of Mongpawn, Hkun Ti had been a prime mover behind the Limbin Confederacy (which had rebelled against King Thibaw). He was the father of Sao Sam Htun (Counselor for the Frontier Areas,...

Myth of Burma Independence

On 4 January 1948, at 4:20 am, Burma became an independent republic outside the British Commonwealth. The Union Jack was lowered for the final time at Government House in Rangoon and the last Governor Sir Hubert Rance formally handed over power to the Union of Burma's first president the Yawnghwe Sawbwa Sao Shwe Thaik. (U Thant was at Government House that morning too, escorting an elderly J.S. Furnivall). There is a myth that Burma at independence had all the attributes...