U Ba U

On the Way to the 1955 Bandung Conference

The April 1955 Bandung meetings were a testament to Burma's then dynamic international diplomacy. They were also a testament to Mingaladon airport's position as an international aviation hub - everyone had to stop in Rangoon anyway to travel to Indonesia. Many of the leaders attending Bandung stopped in Rangoon and were treated to dinner at Government House by President Dr Ba U. The Bandung Conference was a meeting of 29 Asian and African nations held in Bandung, Indonesia. Its aim...

Ethiopia Emperor in Rangoon

The Emperor Haile Selassie I (Conquering Lion of Judah,k descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, Elect of God) reigned Ethiopia from 1930-1974 and was revered by many Rastafarians as the Messiah.   He is perhaps best known around the world for leading Ethiopia's resistance to the Italian invasion of 1935-36 and his impassioned appeal to the League of Nations. Few in Myanmar today would remember anything of the Emperor's historic visit over November-December 1956, though he was the...

President U Ba U in His Series 62 Cadillac Convertible

President U Ba U waves from his Series 62 Cadillac Convertible whilst driving down Dalhousie Street, Rangoon in January 1956. U Ba U was born in Bassein in 1887 and educated at (Rangoon) Government High School and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was a lawyer and judge and was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court at independence in 1948. He served one term as President (1952-1957). He died in 1963.