- Prospect Burma

PROSPECT BURMA
KEEPING THE FLAME OF EDUCATION ALIVE
ISSUE 28
SUMMER 2014
PROSPECT BURMA’S SILVER JUBILEE
In This Issue:
“Prospect Burma
celebrates 25 years …
So much achieved yet
much more to be done.”
Pages:
2
Chairman’s Editorial

Burma Watch

Burma Timeline
5 -6
PB’s Beginnings
7 – 12
PB Alumni Stories
13 - 14
Overview of Adopt A
Scholarship (AAS)
Programme

PB in India

Celebrating PB
Alumni Authors

PB in Burma

News & Events

PB’s Legacy in Pictures

How to Help
PB’s first grantee Pwint Htun and her husband with Aung San Suu Kyi
In this issue we celebrate Prospect Burma’s rich history and honour all who
have, and continue to make our existence possible. WE THANK YOU. We
hope you particularly enjoy reading some of the stories of our crowning
achievement; the Prospect Burma alumni.
“We need educated young people, we need skilled young people, and
we need people not just with knowledge and education but with the
breadth of mind that will enable them to take our country into the wide
world. There is so much to be done and Prospect Burma has already
done so much.” Aung San Suu Kyi, 2013
Prospect Burma was founded in 1989 following the military regime’s closure
of all universities and schools in response to mass pro-democracy
demonstrations. Thousands of students were forced to flee to Burma/
Myanmar’s borders and neighbouring countries, or face lengthy prison
sentences. The most iconic figure of this period in history is Aung San Suu
Kyi. We are honoured to call her one of our longest supporters and are
grateful to receive some funds from her Nobel Peace Prize and other
awards.
Our charity’s genesis was through the efforts of a few empathetic individuals
who came together initially to raise funds for books and classes in refugee
schools, and also awarded an annual university scholarship to an exiled
student. We have expanded our scholarship programme dramatically in the
last 25 years thanks to grants from organisations, trusts and the generous
donations of individuals. We currently make approximately 110 awards per
year.
2
Chairman's Editorial
PROSPECT BURMA
Keeping the flame of education alive
Prospect Burma’s Chairman, Robert Gordon, reflects
THE BEGINNING
In this edition, we celebrate the growth of
Prospect Burma from a tiny seed planted a
quarter of a century ago to the flourishing tree
it is today.
I first came across the charity in 1995 when it
was still a sapling. In September that year, I
was posted as British Ambassador to Burma.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had been released
from six years of house arrest a few weeks
beforehand. Among our first visitors were two
remarkable ladies: Patricia Gore-Booth and
Evelyn Aris. One had introduced Daw Suu
to her future husband Michael Aris; the other was Michael’s stepmother.
These two Fulham neighbours were the charity’s driving force in the early
years. They were largely responsible for giving the charity the impetus and
profile it needed to grow. Their mixture of charm and perseverance proved
formidably effective in overcoming the many early obstacles. Sadly both these
ladies have since died, but their energy and commitment have provided a
lasting inspiration to all those involved in Prospect Burma.
Many others have since contributed to Prospect Burma’s development and
professionalisation, not least my predecessor as chairman for 18 years,
Martin Morland.
AT 25 YEARS
As a 25 year old, we can say that Prospect Burma has reached a certain
maturity. From its very modest beginnings, it is now able to provide
scholarships to over 100 young Burmese a year to study at universities
abroad. Increasing numbers of our students are now able to return to their
home country and are starting to make a real impact in their chosen fields.
Some of their stories feature in this edition.
Patron:
The Viscount Slim OBE DL
Vice-Patron: Martin Morland CMG
Chairman:
Robert Gordon CMG OBE
Vice-Chair: Patricia Herbert
Trustees:
Anna Allott OBE
David Colvin CMG
Daw Kyi Kyi May
Guy Slater
Sir Robin Christopher KBE CMG
Lindy Ambrose
Caroline Courtauld MBE
Dr Michael Marett-Crosby
Dominic Hammond
Acting Director:
Fraser Wilson MBE
Scholarships Administrator:
Josh Bowsher
Communications & Fundraising
Officer:
Audrey Ngozo
Prospect Burma
We are delighted that, at long last, a growing proportion of our students (over
80% of the most recent cohort) are now able to use their skills for the
betterment of their country. But we should not underestimate the challenges
they and Burma face. As the 2015 elections approach, the political climate is
likely to get tenser. Some elements are abusing the newly won freedom of
expression to spread racial and religious hatred. Reforms in many areas have
still to be completed and – for many poor Burmese – life has not changed
much, if at all.
Porters' Lodge
Prospect Burma’s mission is still far from accomplished. We look forward to
supporting and strengthening Burma’s democratic and social transition
through our educational work abroad and, increasingly, our activities incountry. Burma has just started its long and bumpy road towards a freer and
more equal society. It will need committed long-term partners such as
Prospect Burma for quite a while yet.
E: [email protected]
Rivermead Court
Ranelagh Gardens
London SW6 3SF
Registered Charity No: 802615
Tel: 020 7371 0887
Fax: 020 7371 0547
Facebook.com/prospectburma
Twitter.com/prospectburma
3
Burma Watch
As Prospect Burma reaches its 25th birthday, these are challenging times. Although regression to the repressive isolationism
of the recent past seems unlikely, the future political and economic path is far from clear. After decades of internal conflict, it
will take many years for substantive change to reach out to the
whole country in such essential fields as education, health, poverty alleviation and ethnic peace.
On a positive note, it is important to acknowledge how many
long taboo rights – including freedom of expression and assembly – are publicly discussed and, quite frequently, allowed in the
country today. Equally significant is the re-energisation of community life and civil society. These are welcome developments that Prospect Burma has long worked towards.
Many of the people and causes that Prospect Burma has supported over the years are active in different walks
of life in the country today.
Given Burma’s troubled history, however, caution is still needed in assessing the shape of future reform. Many
difficulties remain in the political landscape, and tensions are once again rising in the countdown to a general
election scheduled for next year.
Firstly, it is still far from clear who will lead the next government.
The same military-backed elite remains in power from the SPDC
era, but there is no indication as to how they will address the challenges of succession. Speculation concerns whether the armed
forces will continue to back the “reformist” Thein Sein as president.
Equally uncertain is the future of the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party, which is considered unlikely to win a
majority again if the 2015 polls are truly free and fair.
This leads to a second source of tension: the question of constitutional reform. Opposition groups are very aware that, without constitutional amendments, the next election is
unlikely to deliver the kind of victory for the National League for Democracy that they regard as essential. Not
only is Aung San Suu Kyi presently unable to become president but the armed forces also continue to have a
block on constitutional reform through reserved seats in the legislatures.
Equally difficult is a third looming crisis: that of ethnic politics. As the general election approaches, the issue of
ethnic ceasefires is once again reaching a critical moment. Government operations have continued against
Kachin, Palaung and Shan groups in northeast Burma, causing over 100,000 villagers to flee their homes during the past three years. Meanwhile, ethnic antipathies have been aroused further by land-grabbing and economic projects in the borderlands that do not benefit local peoples. Equally serious, no end appears in sight to
Buddhist-Muslim tensions and violence that have spread from the
Rakhine State, seeing over 250 civilians killed, 140,000 lose their
homes, and international humanitarian groups forced from the northwest borderlands.
Clearly, these remain vital but uncertain times. After decades of dictatorship, there are grounds for optimism. But many of the most important challenges – from building peace and democracy to social
justice and educational opportunities for all – are still to be completed.
4
Burma Timeline
Social and Education Landscape
Political Landscape
1988
Democracy protests end 26 years of Burma
Socialist Programme Party rule
1987
State Law and Order Restoration Council
1988
seizes power, crushing demonstrations
1989
Aung San Suu Kyi and other democracy leaders
arrested
1990
National League for Democracy wins general
election but SLORC rule continues
1989
1993
SLORC-backed National Convention starts to
draw up a new constitution
1991
1995
Aung San Suu Kyi released from house arrest
1997
SLORC renamed State Peace and
Development Council in military reshuffle
2000
Aung San Suu Kyi placed under house arrest
2002
Aung San Suu Kyi briefly released
2003
Aung San Suu Kyi re-arrested after escaping
injury in Depayin attack
2004
Prime minister Gen Khin Nyunt arrested in
purge by Snr-Gen Than Shwe
2006
Than Shwe moves the capital from Rangoon to
new town of Nay Pyi Taw
2007
Thousands arrested and 31 killed in SPDC
repression of “Saffron Revolution”
2008
138,000 people killed or missing during Cyclone
Nargis. One week later, a stage-managed
referendum endorses new constitution
2010
1991-2
1992-6
1996-9
2000
2004
2007
2008
2012
Pro-military Union Solidarity and Development
Party wins general election
Aung San Suu Kyi released after total of over 14
years under house arrest
2011
President Thein Sein assumes office, backed by
armed forces and USDP
Political, economic, media and social
liberalisations begin
2012
Aung San Suu Kyi and 42 other NLD MPs
elected in parliament by-election
Ethnic ceasefires spread but conflict increases
in Kachin and north Shan states
Loss of life in Buddhist-Muslim violence that
begins in Rakhine state.
2014
Popular support builds for constitutional
change and a nationwide ceasefire
2013-4
Burma classified with Least Developed Country
status as one of world’s poorest countries
Unknown number of student demonstrators killed
or arrested in SLORC coup
All universities closed under martial law
10,000 students flee into the borderlands, starting
an intellectual exodus
Min Ko Naing and other student leaders
sentenced to long jail terms
7,000 teachers and several hundred lecturers
sacked in political purge
Refugee numbers pass 250,000 mark
Universities re-open but closed again for nine
months when students celebrate Aung San Suu
Kyi’s Nobel Peace Prize award
Academic year shortened to only five months
Universities shut for another three years following
pro-democracy protests
Failure to achieve ethnic ceasefires nationwide
Rangoon Institute of Technology and other urban
campuses closed down. SPDC moves university
campuses to out-of-town districts
Student leader Min Ko Naing released from prison
Hundreds of students and monks arrested during
Saffron Revolution
Min Ko Naing and 88 Generation leaders receive
jail terms up to 65 years
Burma ranked below Bangladesh and Cambodia
at 149th out of 187 countries in the UN Human
Development Index.
Average of just 3.9 years of schooling for children
Among the highest incidence of malaria, HIV and
TB in Asia, but just US$12 per capita spent on
health annually
Min Ko Naing and other political prisoners
released in general amnesty
Educational reforms discussed, many exiles
permitted to return, and restrictions loosened on
international institutions and academics
25 per cent increase in illicit opium production,
confirming Burma as world’s second largest
producer after Afghanistan
Over 650,000 civilians remain internallydisplaced, 150,000 refugees and over 2 million
migrants (many of them illegal) in neighbouring
countries
5
Prospect Burma - 25 Years in Action
Prospect Burma has travelled a long way during the past 25
years. Sadly, several of the key founders have passed away.
These include Alan Hall, Dr Michael Aris, Evelyn Aris and Lady
Patricia Gore-Booth. B u t t h ei r m em o r y h as l i v ed o n i n PB ’s
continued support to Burma ’s education and youth through
many difficult years of repression and malaise. Despite the
bleak backdrop, theirs was always a forward -looking and optimistic vision, which was reflected in the choice of the Prospect
Burma name.
Prospect Burma’s early years were frequently overshadowed
by crisis as volunteers sought to help the thousands of students that had fled the cities into the borderlands following a
Lady Gore-Booth with Daw Suu, 1995
brutal military crackdown. These were challenges of survival as
much as education, and Prospect Burma initially concentrated
on emergency aid and teaching materials for students in refugee camps around the country ’s borders. Indeed one grant was to buy boats so that students could escape across the river into Thailand
in the event of attack.
Conflict and suppression continued, and circumstances often changed. But from the turn of the
1990s, a new phase began with the development of structured educational programmes under an outreach philosophy to the most vulnerable and needy that continues until the present day. Prospect
Burma quickly recognised that this also meant responding to
the educational needs of ethnic nationality peoples in the
poverty-stricken borderlands where many students had taken
sanctuary.
Early PB training project in borderlands
Projects supported or developed by Prospect Burma in the
1990s included health, language and vocational programmes
for students at such places as the Federal University on the
Thai border, the establishment of a refugee school on the
Indo-Bangladesh border, media -training in Thailand, the English Language school for refugees in Delhi, teacher -training
programmes for Karen and Karenni communities, and carpentry, computer and women’s vocational schools in conflict affected areas of Kachin State.
Another important initiative began in 1994 with the setup of Prospect Burma’s Scholarship Programme. This was generously started with a grant from Aung San Suu Kyi’s Trust for Health and Education, established with Nobel Peace Prize funds. Such funding allowed Prospect Burma to help
support students at universities worldwide, such as the Asian Institute of Technology, with a special
emphasis on education, health, law, environment and subjects essential for Burma ’s future. By the
turn of the century, the Scholarship Programme had secured more donors and increased to over 100
students annually. To date, the Scholarship Fund has supported over 1,300 students with a total of
2,310 grants, and today many recipients are back home in Burma making important contributions in
different walks of life.
At the same time, Prospect Burma has always been keen to support educational initiatives by
Burma’s communities and teachers themselves. Outstanding in this regard have been the Teacher
Training for Burmese Teachers Centre in Thailand and
the Thinking Classroom Foundation initiated by the PB
alumnus Dr Thein Lwin; Health & Hope d ev el o p ed b y
another PB alumnus Dr Sa Sa on the Chin State-India
border; the Thabyay Education Foundation; and the Intensive English Programme i n K ac h i n St at e. Al l s u c h
projects have had to develop in difficult and often restricted circumstances. But the commitment, ingenuity
and focus on progress and opportunity for Burma ’s
young people confirm that the future will be bright as
long as political and educational freedoms are allowed.
Dr Thein Lwin and Vice-Chair Patricia Herbert
(extreme right) at his centre in Chiang Mai, 2004.
6
Prospect Burma - 25 Years in Action
Deep thanks, too, should be given to the many donors,
both institutional and individual, who have helped
Prospect Burma in providing educational outreach along
the way. Some have requested anonymity, and there is
not enough space to name all. But important funding has
come at different times from, among others, such
institutional donors as The Aung San Suu Kyi Trust for
Health and Education, US State Department, UK
Overseas
Development
Assistance,
Camellia
Foundation, Clothworkers Foundation and HSBC, while
moral support and publicity have been provided by such
well-known figures as HRH The Prince of Wales and
George Soros. BBC Radio Four Appeals by Joanna
Lumley and Maureen Lipman also proved timely and
successful.
A particular highlight was the 2012 hosting of Aung San
Suu Kyi’s meeting with the Burmese community at
London’s Royal Festival Hall. The list is too long to
mention all the supporters and volunteers who have
helped Prospect Burma through 25 years of crisis and
change. At PB’s core has been the long-standing
stability provided by its veteran patron, Viscount John
Slim; just three chairpersons, Alan Hall,
Martin Morland and Robert Gordon; and the
vice-chairperson Patricia Herbert. But nothing
would have been possible without the common
ethos and belief in continuing to provide
educational opportunity during a grave time of
need. The flame of education has been kept
alive, and the hope now is that Burma’s peoples
do indeed have a better future.
(Martin Smith)
Prospect Burma team and Board of Trustees with Daw Suu, 2012
Prospect Burma Timeline
1989
1989-90
1990-94
1994
1995-99
2000-05
2006-10
2011-14
Formed in London, UK
Emergency aid for student refugees, teaching materials, library funds
Health, language and vocational training projects for student refugees
Teacher training programmes for Karen and Karenni communities
Support to establish refugee school on the Indo-Bangladesh border
PB Scholarship Programme started with grant from Aung San Suu Kyi’s Trust for Health and
Education, established with Nobel Peace Prize funds.
Annual Scholarship Programme launched for study at universities worldwide
Support to media training programmes for Burmese in Thailand
First English language classes in India: New Delhi school established (1998)
Funding for computer, women’s and vocational programmes in Kachin State
International scholarships expand to over 100 students annually
Support to Teacher Training for Burmese Teachers in Thailand
Funding starts for Intensive English Programme for teachers, Kachin State
PB Partners, Institutional Partners and Adopt-A-Scholarship schemes launch
Grants begin to English language students at the British Council, Rangoon
New project initiated with Teacher Training for Burmese Teachers Centre
Increased funding to English programmes in India and Kachin State
Launch of American Friends of Prospect Burma
Scholarships pass 1,300 total for Burmese students with total of 2,310 grants
Hosting of Aung San Suu Kyi’s meeting with Burmese community at London’s Royal Festival Hall
Support to education and training programmes for former political prisoners
Funding to Thinking Classroom Foundation
Support to Health & Hope in Chin State and for students at colleges in Shillong
7
The Spirit of Prospect Burma - Our Alumni
Prospect Burma’s founding principle was, and remains, the need to invest long-term in the education of
the next generation, those upon whom the country’s future and hopes for positive change depend. At this
pivotal moment in the country’s development, we are especially proud of how our alumni have evolved
and are giving back at home and abroad. Congratulations, you are an inspiration to the next generation.
Pwint Htun holds a special
place in PB’s history as the
first ever scholarship grantee. A telecommunications
professional, she and her
family continue to actively
support their Burmese and
other communities through
Kiva, an online lending platform. In her words: “I am so
honoured to have been selected as the very first recipient
of a Prospect Burma Scholarship. After graduation, I
joined the wireless telecommunications industry as I get
so much personal satisfaction from being able to connect
loved ones together. In conjunction with enabling mobile
financial services, I advocate for benefits of communitybased village savings and loans groups. Prospect Burma
can be proud of the investment made in my education two
decades ago. I am a proud donor of Prospect Burma because I know that my funds will be educating someone
and changing more lives than I would ever know.” 1994:
USA, University of Washington, Seattle
Dr Thein Lwin is a former PB Trustee and a dedicated
educationalist. An ex-political prisoner, after completing
his Newcastle University studies, Thein Lwin in 2001 set
up a Teacher Training for Burmese Teachers Centre in
Chiang Mai, and, later, a Migrant Workers Training Centre.
In 2007 Prospect Burma, thanks to dedicated funding from
a supportive Trust, was able to increase its support to Thein Lwin’s Centre to develop and implement a significant
expansion of its work through a four component programme of Teacher Professional Development, Education
Leadership & School Management, Skills Development for
Refugees and Migrant Workers, and Education Policy &
Curriculum Development, implemented through a series of
workshops in different locations, including inside Burma.
With his Centre now reconstituted as the Thinking Classroom Foundation (www.thinkingclassroom.org) and relocated to Burma, Dr Thein Lwin has, after years of exile,
been able to return to Burma to continue his pioneering
work. We pay tribute to his dedication and all he has
achieved and share his belief that: ”Democracy cannot
move forward in Burma without education reform”. 1996 &
1997: UK, Newcastle University, MEd, PhD
Dr Nwe Nwe Aye is another of our early and illustrious alumni, who has recently retired from her post as
Senior Adviser at UNAIDS, China, to return home. She
reflects: “I went to London 20 years ago to study at the
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Towards
the end of the course, I missed my family so much so that
I decided to return home and continue my thesis there.
PB provided me with funds that enabled me to complete
the data collection and thesis from home. Even more valuable than this funding support was the moral support,
counsel and friendship that I received in abundance from
PB ladies - Evelyn Aris, Lady Gorebooth and Kyi Kyi
May, throughout my time in the UK. I had seen them work
relentlessly to keep supporting students from Burma,
never once giving up hope despite many hardships.
News of our achievements and success always raised
their spirits and kept them going. 25 years on today, Prospect Burma is thriving, so are the generations of people
who have benefited from its visionary investment in education. We must keep this “Prospect Burma” spirit alive
until we reach the time when every student in Burma can
have access to good quality education in their home location within the country.” 1995: UK, London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, MSc Public Health
Mai Ni Ni Aung is well-known for her
innovative weaving project (see:
www.sonetu.com). She writes: “The
education I received and the contacts
I made as a result of my Prospect
Burma scholarship gave me opportunities that would not have been possible otherwise. The work at SOAS
gave me a foundation upon which I was able to expand. In
particular, I realized there were many ways that I could contribute to the development of my Chin ethnic group in a remote part of Rakhine State in Myanmar and also preserve
the traditional backstrap weaving skills. This work could
create employment opportunities for Chin women so that
they could meet their basic needs and help support their
families. My education has been essential in the work I do
in Myanmar. I plan to continue to work in Myanmar for the
improvement of the Chin people and to give them the education and skills needed in a modern Myanmar.” 1997 &
1998: UK, Westminster University, Journalism; University
of London, SOAS, MA Development Studies
8
The Spirit of Prospect Burma — Our Alumni
Thein Naing has a very
unique history with Prospect Burma that began
soon after the charity
was founded. After escaping Rangoon as a
young student activist,
he taught ethnic Karenni
on the Thai-Burma border areas in the 1990s. It
was there that in 1992 he received teacher training from Prospect Burma’s then English teacher trainer, Susanne Smith.
He continued teaching ethnic populations for a total of six
years till 1995. Currently, he works as an OUA scholarship
support person, and an education consultant for Mon, Karen
and Kachin communities in Australia. He recounts his journey: “I received PB sponsorship again in 2001 for a Master
degree in Education. My research, “Diversity and Multicultural Education in Burma”, was eventually translated for a Burmese teachers’ training textbook in ethnic areas. PB’s support greatly helped me in many ways: firstly to acquire
knowledge and skills I desired for the marginalized populations; secondly, I became a professional teacher trainer, researcher, and an academic consultant with the exiled National Health and Education Committee, and finally, in 2009 I
set up an education magazine publication house, Maukkha
www.maukkha.org.” 1991-2: Burma, PB teacher training;
2001: Australia, Monash University, MEd
Dr May Myat Win previously worked as Medical officer
with Aide Médicale Internationale (AMI) in Maela refugee
camp for Karen refugees on the Thai-Burma border. Currently she is an MD on emergency mission for the health care of
refugees from Central African Republic in Cameroon, with
MSF Swiss. Her sentiments are: “Receiving the PB scholarship is the turning point in my life. I learnt advanced tropical
medicine and used the knowledge I gained, to save the lives
of not only Myanmar citizens but also people from other parts
of the world. For the future as a
PB scholar, I would continue to
work for the most vulnerable
populations in the world and for
Myanmar. I would like to share
my experience and knowledge
gained from my work in other
parts of the world.” 2009: Thailand, Mahidol University, MSc
Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Hsar Doe Doh Moo,
a former refugee,
has built a career
working for progress
in his native Karen
community. In his
words: “It was charitable organisations
like PB that stepped
in and made great
efforts and commitments to rekindle the hopes of displaced and refugee
students in their pursuits for higher education in university. I came to realise that PB had invested in my
education so that I can be agent of change for my
community and part of the solution for creating a better, prosperous, and democratic country of Burma.
With the education and rich experiences that I had
gained, I began my professional career working with
the Karen Refugee Committee Education Entity
(KRCEE). Three years later I joined the Karen organisation called the Karen Environmental and Social
Action Network (KESAN) www.kesan.asia as the
environmental education coordinator. Thank You to
the Prospect Burma and Happy 25th Anniversary.”
2004-07: Thailand, Mission
College, BA Psychology & Education; 2008-09:
Assumption University, MSc Counselling & Psychology
Saw Blessing is a Karen who describes receiving the PB scholarship as “a stepping stone and
turning point” in his life. His education not only
awakened a thirst for political knowledge and skill
but has also allowed him to contribute to his country’s development back home. He has worked at
Myanmar Institute of Theology as Head of the Social
Studies department and as a lecturer in Political
Science. At present he is an independent political
commentator who writes political articles for magazine and journals and has published two books in
Burmese, titled (in English) “Political Tradition of
Democracy” and “The Exodus: Possibilities of Public
participation in Peace Process”. When asked how
being a PB scholar affected his outlook for the future, he responded with an inspiring Nelson Mandela quote; "Education is the most effective weapon
which you can use to change the world". 2008-10:
Thailand, Ramkhamhaeng University, MA Political Science
9
The Spirit of Prospect Burma — Our Alumni
Kyaw Thu Ra initially worked
as a Researcher for Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative
(EITI) in Burma. At present he is
a Governance Programme Officer for Oxfam GB in Burma. He
says: ‘”My
Prospect Burma
scholarship allowed me to study
Philosophy, Politics and Economics. This gave me a package
of innovative and theoretical knowledge that has been
very supportive to my work with regards to Governance
and Development in Myanmar. As a Chairperson of
Board of Directors at Scholar Institute (formally known as
YDIN), I am directing and reforming the organization with
aims of embracing democracy and human rights, gender
and women empowerment including governance component with home-coming scholars.” 2009-13: Thailand,
Rangsit University, BA Philosophy, Politics & Economics
Phone Myint Maw is a young
visionary who returned home
after graduation last year determined to fulfil his dream of opening a school to, as he describes,
‘..share knowledge and distribute
experience about Social Sciences to the public in Myanmar..’
We are delighted that his dream
has come true and the A Linn
Thit (School of Social Sciences)
will soon open in Rangoon. He
writes: “Everyone has someone or something that has
made an impact on his or her life. After I was awarded a
PB scholarship, my educational goals would be impacted
in many ways. First of all, being chosen as a recipient of
Prospect Burma scholarship was a huge honour. PB aided me for four years in pursuing a stronger future for myself and hopefully others as well. Secondly, I had confidence in myself to reach my goals. Most importantly, I
could have the means to pursue my dream of obtaining a
degree. A more advantaged person might not understand the magnitude of scholarships and financial awards
to secure educational success, but I did. I fulfilled my
dream of becoming a professional in the social sciences
field. The Prospect Burma scholarship changed my life.”
2010 - 13: Thailand, Rangsit University, BA Philosophy,
Politics & Economics.
For Dr Aung Zaw Moe, receiving the PB scholarship
allowed him to complete his studies within a shorter
period of one year. The impact of this assistance was
long lasting. He says: “The scholarship allowed me to
enter the workforce earlier than I expected. I know from
experience how difficult it is to get a degree without
proper financial support. I started a small community
fund to support the kids for primary education since
2011. Although my field of study was Public Health, I
worked more in the field of community development. I
built a small NGO “Kyan-Dyne-Aung” (KDA) in my village (Kamarnut village) that provides education services to children and youths. I also worked with other
PB scholar alumni for Education reform in Myanmar
since 2012. I hope I could
work together with other PB
scholar alumni for development of Myanmar.”
2010: Bangladesh, BRAC
University, MSc Public
Health
Lin Lin Aung is an academic and aid worker with muchtravelled experience. Her jubilee message reads: “Being a
PB scholar has always been a
tremendous honour and inspiration for me. It allowed me to
receive a world-class education in the United States and
gain valuable work experience. My education prepared me for my job at the International Youth Foundation, where I gained valuable
experience working with disadvantaged youth and
communities. I have since worked in 12 countries
throughout Asia and Africa. The moral support of the
PB family also was critical to my survival and growth as
the first young woman from my family to ever study
abroad. I am thrilled to be returning home after 14
years of studying and working abroad. Over the next
few years, I hope to be able to contribute to the nation’s
development in substantive ways as a professional and
educator.” 2001–06: USA, Mary Baldwin College, BA
Economics & Business Administration; Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities, MA SE Asia
Studies, MSc International Development
10
The Spirit of Prospect Burma — Our Alumni
Phyu
Pannu
Khin is another
of
PB’s
bright
young alumni; she
was
recently
awarded the 2014
Norman J. Peterson Award at Montana State University for being the International Student
of The Year. She writes: “Four years ago, I was a Burmese teenager hoping to study in America. I had been
accepted to a U.S university with partial scholarship but I
could not afford the rest of my tuition. Prospect Burma
has made a significant difference in supporting my education from such a difficult position. As a PB recipient,
this experience has opened up doors for me to the world
where you no longer see borders and limitations but grow
and strive for the best you can be. I am now studying
neuroscience in the Honors College at Montana State
University. A couple of research grants I have received
allow me to study Huntington’s disease and neural tube
closure during nervous system formation. The opportunity
of doing medical research has been so valuable which
will allow me to contribute in health development of my
country one day as I have always dreamed of.” 2011-14:
USA, Montana State University, BSc Community
Health
John Zar Ring Thang founded a local non-profit organisation called Agency for Basic Community Development
(ABC) based in Rangoon and Kalay in the aftermath of the
2008 Cyclone Nargis. Their activities include child protection, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), grassroots
empowerment, community forest, community founding and
civic education, human rights education, and promotion
and protection of the rights of migrant workers.
(www.abcmm.org). He says: “The Prospect Burma
scholarship enabled me to accomplish my formal academic journey. It subsequently helped me take ‘a road least
travelled’ in Burma. I try to live my best potential in life. I
dreamt of helping people help themselves in basic way. I
am glad to be a Prospect Burma scholar because PB
commits itself to promote freedom and democracy in our
country. As a PB scholar, I dream, and commit myself to
the cause of nonviolence, peace, reconciliation, freedom,
federalism and integral human and ecological development in Burma. I do congratulate Prospect Burma for its
silver jubilee. I am glad to know that PB continues to help
Burmese scholars.“ 2006-08: Philippines, St Vincent’s
School of Theology, MA Theology
Joshua Set Paing Htet holds a special significance
for Prospect Burma, not only for his academic achievements but also for the first PB marriage. He says: “If it
wasn’t for Prospect Burma, I wouldn’t have been able
to finish my law school, get my Masters from Oxford
and become a lawyer at Allen & Overy where I am part
of the Myanmar group, engaging in many exciting projects including teaching international finance laws at
Yangon University, training the lawyers at the Attorney
General’s Office, and helping Telenor rebuild Burma’s
telecom network. Through Prospect Burma, I have also
met many like-minded scholars including my wife - they
constantly inspire me to work hard and keep Burma
close to my heart. Being a Prospect Burma scholar
gives purpose to our years away from home. Many
charities change lives, but every time Prospect Burma
changes a student’s life, it is a step closer for the 60
million to a better life.” 2006: UK, BPP Law School;
2011-12: UK, Oxford University, International Human
Rights Law
Hawng Tsai has specialised in education, teaming
up on some projects with
another PB alumnus, Dr
Thein Lwin. She reflects:
“Since completing my studies with the support of the
Prospect Burma Scholaship
Programme, my life has
changed significantly and I
am able to make a substantial contribution to the development of education in my country. I graduated in
2011 from Miriam College, Manila with a BSc in Child
Development and Education. Back in Burma, I am the
Education Programme Officer for Thinking Classroom
Foundation www.thinkingclassroom.org and a teacher
trainer. Courses focus on active learning and critical
thinking methodology, educational philosophy and theory, and teaching and learning strategies. I also teach
adult literacy to Burmese migrants in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I am a member of the Board of Directors of the
Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking International
Consortium (www.rwctic.org) based in Romania. I am
also actively involved in the National Network for Education Reform - a civil society organization working for
the reform of educational policy and law in Burma.”
2007-10: Philippines, Miriam College, BSc Child Development and Education
11
The Spirit of Prospect Burma — Our Alumni
Htun Htun Aung started an international
charitable
network
called SMILE in 1999 to help orphans and poor school-children in
rural areas of Burma, which has
been continued since then. He
reflects: “I received my basic education in Myanmar (Burma), vocational education in Singapore, and
professional and higher education
in the United Kingdom. My passion
and commitment to the development of education in Myanmar stems from my personal experiences, particularly the
unusual and long education trajectory I had to take. My experience as a PB scholar was a major turning point in my
life as it enabled me to receive a world-class education at a
world-class university which elevated me to embark on
meaningful and exciting educational works in Myanmar. I
have been continuing my educational works and leadership
in Myanmar since I was a Prospect Burma scholar, and I
want to bring about significant and wide-ranging positive
changes that will ensure the mass student population receive a higher standard of education in Myanmar
which can contribute towards social, political and economic
developments of Myanmar.“ 1998-2001: UK, LSE, BSc in
Philosophy and Economics; 2012: UK, Oxford, MSc in
Education
Thet Hnin Aye worked as a psycho-social support officer for
8 months with Myanmar Red Cross Society and is currently a
protection field officer at the International Committee of the
Red Cross. She writes: “Receiving a PB scholarship gave me
the best opportunities to obtain broader expertise in health
science, develop the sense of multicultural cooperation and to
prepare every necessity for the competitive professional life.
These opportunities were not available in the culture of authoritarian regime before the transition took place in 2011.
After doing my Masters degree with PB support, I successfully
made the career changes to support the needs of my country
as a responsible educated good citizen. Without PB support, I
would have spent my working
hours in clinics or hospital as a
nurse. My life is a satisfactory
reflection of my professional accomplishments and I am happy
to be contributing to the needs of
the country in this historical transition.” 2010: Thailand, Mahidol
University, MSc Public Health
Mung Shaung Aung writes: “I was awarded a PB
scholarship in 2010. During my years of study, I fully
developed my awareness, sense of service, professionalism and skills. Currently I work at a Teacher Training
Center (Pinya Sanyae Institute of Education) which
trains young people to implement Children Centred
Approach (CCA) to disadvantaged and vulnerable children in the delta region and remote areas. I teach Educational Psychology, Computer, Science, and English
and am also making a documentary film for my institute. Every year the institute produces about 20 qualified teachers who can serve and teach compulsory and
supplementary subjects. My valuable experiences in
Thailand have helped me a lot to share the knowledge
and ideas with hungry students who want to make a
change. I strongly believe that the classroom is the crucial place to change attitudes and develop skills of people in Myanmar during the dramatic changes in politics
and other aspects of life.” 2010-13: Thailand, Asia
Pacific International University, BA Psychology and
Education
Nehginpao Kipgen is a political
scientist and general secretary of
the U.S.-based Kuki International
Forum whose general research
interests include democratization,
democratic transition, human
rights, ethnic conflict, identity
politics, and foreign policy. His
academic research focuses on
the politics of South and Southeast Asia, with specialization on Burma. He has published peer-reviewed
academic articles and over 100 other articles in various international newspapers and magazines in five
continents: Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North
America. He is author of Democracy Movement in
Myanmar: Problems and Challenges (Copal, 2014).
His anniversary message reads: “Congratulations
Prospect Burma team for the upcoming silver jubilee
celebration. Of course, PB has had a tremendous
impact on my life. I would like to thank the past and
present PB leadership for keeping alive the spirit of
democracy and education in Burma, despite the difficulties and challenges. Because of the initiatives of
PB, many have a chance to realize their dream.
Again. Keep up the good work!” 2001: India, Madurai
Kamaraj University, MA History; 2003: USA, Ball
State University, MA Political Science
12
The Spirit of Prospect Burma — Our Alumni
Dr Khin Mar Mar Kyi is an academic who has produced an
award winning documentary on
Burmese migrant women’s lives,
titled Dreams of Dutiful Daughters. She is currently the Daw
Aung San Suu Kyi Research
Fellow in Gender and Burmese
Studies at Lady Margaret Hall,
University of Oxford. She writes:
“I received my Prospect Burma
scholarship while I was doing my Masters. This helped
me to achieve the result of high destination and to continue my PhD and to become the winner of ‘Excellence in
Research’ in Australia. Prospect Burma scholarship is the
only scholarship programme that has made the longest
contribution in supporting Burmese students. Without this
scholarship, many of us will never achieve our goals in
rebuilding Burma. Now I have had the opportunity to
study anthropology on Burma which is crucial discipline
and yet rarely studied by Burmese. This scholarship has
allowed me to not only maintain focus on my studies and
research, but to also help me continue with my passion of
humanitarian activities and work voluntarily for my community and country, all of which allow me to take part in
rebuilding Burma for its peaceful and democratic future.
Thank you.” 2004-07: Australia National University,
PhD Trafficking of Burmese Women and Children
Yin Min Tun played a pivotal role in the creation of a
digital library for Burmese
universities. When asked
how her experience as a PB
scholar affected her outlook
on the future, she replied: “Without a doubt, my career
and life would be totally different if I had not come to the
UK to do my Master’s Degree. Being a Prospect Burma
scholar has gradually shaped my life and way of thinking
since I arrived in the UK. I know that I have been privileged to have the opportunity to study at a UK university
and have access to their 24 hour online e-resources and
open access self serve system to borrow books. In future
I would like to share the opportunity of accessing up to
date world class educational materials, which were so
beneficial to me in my studies, with students and academics in Myanmar.” 2002 & 2004: UK, Manchester
University, MSc Environmental Monitoring/Planning
& PhD Climate Change and Hydrology
Dr Khyne U Mar, affectionately dubbed “The Elephant
Lady of Burma”, first featured in our Newsletter in 2002,
and since then has gained international recognition for
her work on the preservation of elephants and the
environment in Burma. Now a Postdoctoral Research
Associate at the University of Sheffield, Khyne has
served as consultant veterinarian for captive working
elephants in India and South-East Asia, and for
international zoos. With decades of experience in data
collection on Burmese timber elephants and expertise
in elephant reproductive physiology, she currently is
working on the Myanmar Elephant Research Project, in
conjunction with a UK research team and the state-run
Myanmar Timber Enterprise. Of Oozies and Elephants
is a recent award-winning documentary by Suzanne &
Simon Campbell-Jones which follows the work of
Khyne and her UK and Burmese colleagues in the
remote and diminishing forests of Upper Burma. 19992006: UK, Royal Veterinary College, MSc Wildlife
Conservation; UCL, PhD Conservation Biology.
Dr Sa Sa, a Mara Chin, wrote in our 2004 Newsletter
of his struggle to realise his dream of becoming a doctor,
and related how his fellow impoverished villagers sold
livestock to help him get to India and then to begin his
medical studies in Armenia. In particular, the words of
an old lady who gave him all she had (2000 kyats =2
US$) saying the villagers depended on him to bring medical care to his fellow Chins, stayed with Sa Sa and inspired him in the long years ahead. He reflects: “We are
so thankful to Prospect Burma which not only helped me
to become a doctor but is also now helping six more students to follow in my footsteps; another 12 in bachelor
degree studies here in India, and has also helped us to
print more than five thousand text books for Community
Health Workers. Without PB I would not have completed
my medical studies, then trained more than 700 community health workers (CHW), 41 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA), built two training schools, and helped 106
boys and girls to receive a school and college education.
We are grateful to Prospect Burma forever!” 2002-08:
Armenia, YSMU, General Medicine
PB is particularly grateful to benefactor Genette Dagtoglou for her support for Sa Sa and fellow medical students, and also to the M.J. Samuel Charitable Trust for
enabling us to begin funding Chin students in Shillong
who will be returning to work with Sa Sa. We also share
in the happiness of Sa Sa and his wife, Mary, on the birth
of their first child in July.
13
Adopt-A-Scholarship Programme
Links Across Continents
“It means a lot to know someone thousands of miles away cares enough to want to
help me fulfil my dream of a worthwhile education”
INTRODUCTION
In 2004 Prospect Burma launched its Adopt-A-Scholarship
scheme giving benefactors the opportunity to support a scholarship for a Burmese student. Sponsors under this scheme
contribute £800 (or more) and can, if they so wish, select a
specific degree subject that they would like to support. Prospect Burma then selects a matching student from its successful annual scholarship applicants, and sends the “Adopter” details of the student, their annual study reports and grade transcripts. We also write to the student to tell them that they have
been specially selected for support under our Adopt-AScholarship scheme and, as the quote from an AAS student
above shows, this personal link is especially meaningful.
Some sponsors also choose to correspond with “their” student,
while others have had the opportunity to meet them in person.
AAS-supported nursing students, Victoria Lay
To date Prospect Burma’s AAS scheme raises on average
& Khin Mar Win. Both attained their degrees
£23,000 a year, but we would love to sign up more sponsors
from Assumption University in Thailand in 2008.
(see details on back page) as every year we have, for lack of
funds, to turn down many deserving applicants for our scholarships. We asked some of our most faithful and long-term AAS sponsors, as well as some more recent ones to tell us
more of their own connections with Burma, why they wished to help, and what it has meant to them.
Jane Gibson, one of our earliest supporters, writes as follows:“My love affair with Burma began with my husband’s posting there in 1953 when we sailed up the Rangoon River in
the early morning mist through which gleamed golden pagoda spires. We had many Burmese friends and visited
each other’s houses, all very free, but this was to end with the military take over after we left and we couldn't even
write to our friends, some of whom went to prison.
We knew the Gore-Booths from our time in Burma (during Paul Gore-Booth’s ambassadorship), so when Lady Gore
-Booth together with Evelyn Aris helped found Prospect Burma in 1989, I was delighted to renew the connection. I
have now sponsored several Burmese students who were studying in the UK, and much enjoy meeting them and
keeping in touch with them. I took my most recent student, who was studying at Oxford and had invited me and my
grandson to dine at his college, to Prospect Burma’s 2013 summer party where I won a case of champagne!”
Tom White recalls momentous times in Burma:“To be posted to Burma had been my ambition for years, but it was only in 1985 that I finally got there on being appointed British Council Director. One of my responsibilities was to expand the British aid programme in English language teaching from two posts at Rangoon Teachers' Training College
(Institute of Education) to others at regional universities. If these plans had come to fruition, it
would have been the largest programme of its kind in Asia. But sadly it came to a halt on 18 September 1988 when the pro-democracy demonstrations came to a violent end, and all our teachers
had to leave Burma. The only consolation was that the British Council library in Rangoon
14
Adopt-A-Scholarship Programme
Links Across Continents
remained accessible to students, as it is to this day. Every cloud has a silver lining, and thanks to the generosity of Aung San Suu Kyi and that of many lovers of Burma around the world, we have Prospect Burma,
which has enabled Burmese tertiary level students from a wide range of disciplines in science, technology,
medicine, education and administration to receive training in overseas countries, and return to Burma to use
their skills and experience to contribute to national development
I shall always remember the unexpected arrival at our house of three
teenage schoolgirls during the demonstrations. All the schools had
been closed for weeks, and they had plucked up courage to come
with their request: ‘Mr White, we have been marching every day for
weeks to demand democracy - you are from a democratic country,
can you tell us what it is like?’ I do hope that I managed to make
sense, as I told them about free and fair elections, the right to form
political parties, the freedom of the press to criticise the government,
the impartiality of justice, the rule of law, etc. Alas, I never saw them
again, and could only hope they all survived in those dangerous
times.
As things turned out, my four years in Burma came to an end in mid1989, and I was posted to South Korea for what would be another
Bei Cho Tha is currently studying
challenging and fascinating four years. This time, it was to a land just
Medicine at the South Western
emerging from dictatorship, with a political prisoner still under house
University in the Philippines thanks to
arrest, but who, a few years after my departure, become the presithe generosity of an individual donor.
dent of his country. I live in hope that Burma will at last find its way to
a similar prosperous, tolerant and free society, and thus make the
many sacrifices of past decades at last worthwhile!”
Jane Redgrove, a more recent “Adopter” tells us:
“It had long been my heartfelt desire to visit Burma and I would keep brochures of the country and look at
them often! As a gift from my late mother some years ago I had the most adventurous and incredible 23
days traveling around Burma. It was clear to me that there was a deep need for education. The situation and
what I experienced was one of the most moving of my life.
I searched the internet for a charity in Burma supporting the education of its youth and came across Prospect
Burma and the more I found out the more excited I became! I think reading how the charity began and the
fact that it had Aung San Suu Kyi's endorsement and personal support sealed it for me. She has been someone whose life I have followed and been deeply inspired by, having complete and utter admiration and respect for what she has endured. I was delighted and felt so privileged to be invited by Prospect Burma to
hear Suu Kyi address the Burmese community in the UK at the Royal Festival Hall in 2012.
Finding Prospect Burma and being able to support one or two students a year under its Adopt-A-Scholarship
scheme has been a joy, as is knowing that my contribution is making a difference to someone’s future that
will enable them to help their country. My only regret is not having known of Prospect Burma years ago.
Congratulations Prospect Burma for all you have achieved over the last 25 years – I am in awe of what you
do and have done to secure a better future for the youth of Burma.”
15
Prospect Burma in India
Our English Language Teaching School
(ELTS)
Prospect Burma’s
activities in India
go as far back as
1990 when we began helping an
English language
school for Burmese refugees in
New Delhi run by
pro-democracy activist, Daw Thin Thin Aung, then and
now a prominent women’s and human rights campaigner. In those early years, there were in Delhi alone over
1,000 [some estimates say 4,000] desperately poor
Burmese refugees, mostly Chins, escaping persecution
by the Burmese military, forced labour demands, and
economic hardship. Many had been able to obtain official UNHCR refugee status and papers. But English
language skills were essential if the refugees were to
improve their prospects in India and equip themselves
for higher education.
By 1998 Prospect
Burma was the sole
funder of the School
and its intake and
classes had expanded to include
computer training.
In recent years we have only been able to continue our
support for the School thanks to dedicated funding from
the Camellia Foundation whose Trustees and the late
Peter Leggatt [d. 2009] of Camellia plc. have taken
such an active interest in the School. A special highlight
for the School, its pupils and staff was Daw Aung San
Suu Kyi’s visit there in 2012, but we are also immensely
grateful for visits to the school made over the years by
individual PB supporters (as well as PB Trustees and
staff, and volunteers), all of whom were utterly charmed
by the students they met.
But, times have changed and numbers attending the
school have declined with some students returning to
Burma, others being accepted for third country resettlement, while there are now many more English courses
open to them than in the past. Therefore, in consulta-
tion with Camellia Trustees and the School, Prospect
Burma has made a difficult decision: to close the school
in gradual stages over the next few months. Words
cannot fully express our thanks and admiration for Senior Teacher, Sayama Neera, for her devoted service for
the past 17 years to the school and its students; our
thanks too to past school Principals, as well as to Peter
Pau Tuang and other retiring staff.
Prospect Burma’s Scholarship Programme
By the late 1990s Prospect Burma saw a huge increase
in applicants to its scholarship programme to study at
Indian universities, including for part-time distance
learning courses at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). In 2002, for instance, a record 90
scholarships were awarded to students in India. Another major funder of scholarships for Burmese students
was the Open Society’s Supplementary Grant Program/
Burma, but in recent years this Program has been coming to an end, consequently increasing demand for Prospect Burma scholarships. Prospect Burma has been
greatly helped in the administration of its scholarships in
India by its Delhi-based agent, Lata Pillai (Cho Lwin),
but we have now ceased funding part-time or correspondence courses, and applications from refugee students are diminishing, while more are applying from
Burma with valid student visas to study in India.
Also, beginning in 2014, with support from the M. J.
Samuel Charitable
Trust, Prospect Burma has launched a
dedicated scholarship programme in
liaison with Dr. Sa
Sa, to educate selected young Chins
at colleges in Shillong [as well as some Chin nursing students in the Philippines] who will then be returning to work in Chin
State.
In addition to ELTS and Scholarships awards, PB has
also funded weaving and tailoring classes in Delhi organised by Burma Assist in order to help Chin refugees
earn enough to support themselves.
16
Celebrating our alumni authors
Congratulations to our past scholarships students alism and Ethnic Issues in Burma (Chiang Mai, 2009);
Principles of Democracy [in Burmese] (BCES, 2012)
who are now published book authors, namely:
Ardeth Maung Thawnghmung (1997 grantee for PhD at
University of Wisconsin). Ardeth is now Professor & Chair,
Political Science Department, University of Massachusetts
Lowell): Behind the Teak Curtain: Authoritarianism, Agricultural Policies and Political Legitimacy in Rural Burma (Kegan Paul, 2004); The Karen Revolution: Divided
Voice, Uncertain Ends (East-West Center, Washington
DC; & Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore,
2008); Beyond Armed Resistance: The Non-insurgent
Members of Ethno-national Groups in Burma (EastWest Center, 2011); The “Other” Karen in Myanmar:
Ethnic Minorities and the Struggle Without Arms
(Lexington Books, 2012)
Tharaphi Than (2003 grantee for MA at SOAS). Tharaphi
went on to gain her PhD, and is now Asst. Lecturer, Dept.
of Foreign Languages & Literatures, Northern Illinois University. When Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, Tharaphi and her
husband (also a PB alumnus), flew home to join in relief
work, subsequently founding a charity to help cyclone victims: Women in Modern Burma (Routledge, 2014)
Thein Lwin (1996 grantee for MEd & 1997 for PhD, Newcastle University). An ex-political prisoner and educationalist, Thein Lwin is founder of the Teacher Training for
Burmese Teachers Centre in Chiang Mai which has been
reorganized as the Thinking Classroom Foundation. A
former PB trustee, he is now based in Burma: Education
George Zunwa (2001 & 2003 grantee for MSc in Agron- in Burma, 1945-2000 [in English & Burmese] (Chiang
omy and Agriculture at Allahabad Agricultural InstituteMai, 2003); Education and Democracy in Burma: an OverDeemed University). George has been hailed as the “first view of the Current State of Education and SuggesKachin scientist” and is an active promoter of Kachin lan- tions for the Future [in English & Burmese] (Chiang
guage, literature and culture: Vegetable Crops: Simaw
Mai, 2008)
Simai Hkai Nmai Ni [in Jinghpaw]; Kachins are not
Zoya Phan (2002-03 grantee for BBA at St. TheresaTribe [2002]
Bradford, Bangkok, & in 2005 for MA in Politics & DevelKo Ko Thett (2006 grantee, Social Sciences, Manchester opment at University of East Anglia). Zoya’s family fled to
Metropolitan University). After refugee resettlement in Fin- a refugee camp in Thailand when their Karen village was
land, Ko Ko Thet is currently pursuing research studies in attacked by government troops. Zoya is now a leading
Burmese democracy activist, with asylum in Britain, and
Belgium. A gifted poet and translator, he attended the
2013 & 2014 Irrawaddy Literary Festivals in Burma: Bones International Coordinator of the human rights organisation
Burma Campaign UK: Little Daughter [with Damien Lewis]
will Crow: 15 Contemporary Poets [in English & Bur(2009); later edition titled, Undaunted: My Struggle for
mese, translated by KKT, co-edited with James Byrne]
Freedom and Survival (Free Press, 2010)
(Arc Publications, 2012); Daw Suu’s 25 Dialogues with
the People 1995-1996 [in English & Burmese, translated by KKT, edited by H-B Zöllner] (Kankawwutyee, Yangon, 2014)
Lian H. Sakhong (1998 grantee for History PhD, Uppsala
University). A political activist, arrested after suppression
of 1988 pro-democracy demonstrations, Lian fled to India,
and gained asylum in Sweden. Awarded the Swedish parliament’s 2007 Martin Luther King prize, he became director of the Burma Centre for Ethnic Studies and in 2012
returned to Burma, where he was greeted by huge
crowds, to participate in peace initiatives: Religion and
Politics among the Chin people in Burma, 1896-1949
(Uppsala, 2000); In Search of Chin Identity: a Study in
Religion, Politics and Ethnic Identity in Burma (NIAS,
2003);In Defence of Identity: the Ethnic Nationalities’
Struggle for Democracy, Human Rights and Federalism in Burma (Orchid Press, 2010; NIAS, 2012); Feder-
Prospect Burma would love to hear from any other past
scholarship recipients who have published books.
Some of our alumni have forged academic careers outside Burma, but not only do they make return visits to
Burma, but their intellectual work and research is of
influence and information to policy makers and ordinary
Burmese citizens, thereby contributing to addressing
and solving Burma’s many outstanding problems.
Lastly, we would like to thank Western authors Gerry
Abbott and Christina Fink who have over the years
generously donated the royalties from their books on
the country to Prospect Burma.
17
Prospect Burma in Burma
Prospect Burma has had to respond to many educational needs and crises during the past 25 years. Although the
current government of President Thein Sein has recognised the need for educational reform, it will still take many
years to make up for decades of military oppression and neglect of socio-economic issues.
Prospect Burma’s scholarship programme to enable young Burmese to
study at universities worldwide remains our core activity. It is gratifying to
note that, as pioneer investors in the education of Burma’s youth, our faith
in Prospect Burma’s mission is constantly being renewed by the contribution PB’s alumni are so demonstrably making to build civil society and implement positive change in so many areas of national life today. The huge
need and demand for our scholarships continues. To improve outreach and
performance, we have been funding internship placements, coordinated by
Thabyay Education Foundation (whose Programs Director Zin Mar Oo is a
PB alumnus), to enhance our graduates’ professional skills and career prospects. We have also commissioned an independent evaluation of a random cohort of scholarship recipients to
help us assess the impact of our programmes and to inform our strategic planning.
At the same time, more of PB’s presence has been building in-country in tune with the changing environment.
Since 2004 Prospect Burma has attended current student conferences organised in Thailand, and gained much inspiration and feedback from the
students. But we have also set up a Facebook page for PB students who
can thereby network with each other, as well as send their latest news. Another exciting development is the formation of the Myanmar Scholarship
Alumni Association, which this year held its 3rd annual conference in Rangoon (attended by PB Trustee Kyi Kyi May). MSAA members have
launched an Empowerment Programme for Parliamentarians, organised
English proficiency classes, workshops and debates on national and international issues, and knowledge exchange and research data sharing.
Prospect Burma was also pleased to recently set up a new and important project, with three local partners, of
courses for ex-political political prisoners in-country, providing English tuition as well as computer and vocational
training to enable them to earn a livelihood after years of deprivation. Since 2004, PB has also awarded 69 scholarships for disadvantaged students to attend English language courses at the British Council in Rangoon at a cost
of £200 per student, per term.
Meanwhile, Prospect Burma is delighted to see the maturing success of other projects it has long been supporting in the ethnic borderlands. These include the Intensive English Programme in Kachin State attended by graduates of the local teacher training college (whose principal was another PB
alumnus). A particular focus has been on education and vocational training in
communities suffering from poverty and conflict. A star example is Dr. Sa
Sa’s Place of Health & Hope in Chin State (see his story on p.12). Also,
key organisations such as the Thinking Classroom Foundation and Thabyay
Education Foundation have been able to open offices and expand their work
inside Burma. Against this backdrop, the “fear factor” which in the early years
inhibited many students from open publicity and activity has greatly diminished, and citizens dare to hope for a better future for their children. But nationwide peace is yet to arrive, many refugees and civilians remain displaced
from their homes, and democratic reform is still only at a beginning.
Prospect
Burma
greatly welcomes your continued support: please help us to help
Burma on its
long road to peaceful, democratic development.
18
News & Events
Save the date - Wednesday 24th September 2014
Once again Prospect Burma is delighted to announce a classical recital in the elegant surrounds of The Savile Club .
The programme includes Nathan Williamson performing a Beethoven piano sonata and a contemporary classical piece inspired by Burma. Nathan will be joined by Josh Htet (vocal/guitar)
for various well-known traditional and modern folk songs from Burma. Nathan studied at the Guildhall
School, Oxford and Yale Universities and receives regular commissions from around the world for
new compositions. Josh Htet is a PB alumnus who graduated from University of Oxford and is currently a lawyer in London.
Admission to the concert with a welcome drink is £20, and for the added option of a 3-course dinner
with wine, the price is an additional £30. Welcome drink 6.30 pm, Concert 7.15 pm, Dinner 8.30 pm. Dress code is smart
casual, jacket and tie required, no jeans or trainers. Reservations should be made as soon as possible directly with The
Savile Club by giving your credit card details to Maja on 020 7491 5563 and quoting Prospect Burma Concert. The Savile
Club is located at 69 Brook Street, London W1K 4ER.
Please inform our Communications and Fundraising Officer, Audrey
Ngozo at:
[email protected] if attending. We look forward to meeting you there!
In Memoriam: Martin Williams, 1944 - 2014
Martin and I first visited Burma in 1991
and were fortunate to stay with Ralph
and Ruth Isaacs who lived in Po Sein
Road in Rangoon during their British
Council posting. Here, they heroically
kept libraries open and provided access to English language training.
Ralph and Ruth became firm friends
and introduced us to Prospect Burma.
Later, Ralph gave his collection of lacquer to the British Museum and he and
I presented an exhibition there in 2000.
For Martin and I, that first visit was memorable for so many
reasons, visual and emotional, and we returned repeatedly
until 2005. That last visit included a trip to Mrauk-U and the
beauty of that riverine landscape will always remain very vivid
for me. Back in London, the meetings of the Britain-Burma
Society and the activities of Prospect Burma became highlights in the annual calendar. So, when in 2006 we celebrated our Civil Partnership it was logical that we should choose
Prospect Burma as one of the two charities we asked our
guests to support.
It was for this reason, and the memories of Burma – Pagan by
moonlight, boat travel on the Irrawaddy, the beauty of handwoven textiles – but above all the kindness of so many Burmese people we had met and the possibilities that we had
glimpsed for Burma during the visit to London of Daw Suu,
that it was obvious at Martin’s funeral that Prospect Burma
would again be one of the charities which we would ask our
friends to support.
(Richard Blurton)
Introducing Prospect Burma’s newest trustee:
Dominic Hammond
Dominic is an Oxford graduate who works as an Investment Banker in London. He writes, “I was initially interested in Burma because my grandfather spoke so fondly of
the country. He was stationed there towards the end of
WW2 having come through India from Europe. He kept a
journal which is filled with stories about the jungles, the
landscapes and the generosity of the Burmese people.
His experiences in Burma and the fascinating and rather
tragic political situation that arose since then inspired me
to visit Myanmar as it is now. I travelled around the country in 2009, walking in the hills in the north and retracing
my grandfather's journey from Yangon to Mandalay.
Working in finance I am particularly interested in how foreign investment in Myanmar, the most enticing of frontier
markets, will play out and how the nascent administrative
bodies and legislature will flex to accommodate the investment that should help the Burmese economy prosper
and develop. Early stage education is of course vital to
the broader health and wealth of a thriving country but
Myanmar's particular situation, establishing new government entities and industries in a very short space of time,
will require strong, insightful leadership. Access to higher
education is therefore, in my opinion, crucial to the viability and
sustainability
of
Myanmar's
"opening up" and thus Prospect
Burma's objectives are worthy
and important and I'm delighted to
help further them.”
19
Prospect Burma’s Legacy in Pictures
BURMA - MYANMAR
‘This is Burma’, wrote Kipling. ‘It is quite unlike any
place you know about.’
Contact us for a tailor-made holidays to Myanmar, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka &
Maldives
T: 020 8901 7320
E: [email protected]
www.indusexperienes.co.uk
20
How to Help
Founded in 1989, Prospect Burma invests in a positive future for Burma through its young people. We give
underprivileged Burmese students, from all ethnic and religious backgrounds, access to higher education
through our scholarship programme. Our main objective is to build a core group of skilled Burmese people who
have studied subjects vital to the rebuilding of civil society in Burma. It is a condition of the grant that students
commit to return home to participate in development and nation building.
DONATION SCHEMES
PARTNERS: £25 per month
Prospect Burma is in great need of more Partner donors. Our longstanding individual Partners of Prospect Burma provide us with
essential core funding for our work and the continuance of our
scholarships in the years ahead. Just £25 a month gives us the
secure support so vital to our work.
ADOPT A SCHOLARSHIP: £800
The Adopt a Scholarship Scheme costs £800 per part-scholarship
per year and lets benefactors support scholarships in specific areas
of study. The average cost of a scholarship is £3,500 per year, and
benefactors can choose to contribute to a part-scholarship at £800 or
full scholarship at £3,500 per annum.
INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS: £2000 per annum
If you are an organisation or business company wishing to support
Nay Myo Say is a leading contemporary us, we also have an Institutional Partners’ Scheme costing £2,000
artist whose work combines elements per year. By becoming an institutional partner with Prospect Burma
from Burma's modern art movement your organisation will be improving lives and developing communities
with traditional cultural elements.
within Burma.
Dancer 2004, by Nay Myo Say
This gorgeous painting was donated to
Prospect Burma by Daw Aung San Suu
Kyi at her 2012 Royal Festival
Hall meeting with the trustees.
HOW CAN YOU DONATE?
BY POST: Please send your donations, payable to Prospect
Burma, to the address on page 2. If you are a UK taxpayer, signing a
Gift Aid form (available on our website) with your donation increases
the value of your gift by 20% at no extra cost to you. Our IBAN
number is GB07RBOS 161725 100119933 and our SWIFT code is RBOSGB2L.
ONLINE: Online donations may be made through this website: www.justgiving.com or direct to us
through the “Donate” button on our website www.prospectburma.org and Facebook page: www.facebook.com/
prospectburma. You can also find us on two shopping giving sites www.easyfundraising.com and
www.giveasyoulive.com/join/prospectburma
GIVING FROM AMERICA
BY CHEQUE: Please make cheques payable to American Friends of Prospect Burma, which has US501c
(3) status, and send to: Zali Win, Treasurer, P O Box 257, Accord, New York 12404
THROUGH AMERICAN FUND FOR CHARITIES: Prospect Burma is supported by the American Fund for
Charities, a US501c(3) non-profit organisation EIN 52-2109597. Donations to the American Fund for Charities
from US taxpayers are tax deductable to the extent allowed by US law. Prospect Burma is registered as AFC
Charity No. AFC133. For further information please visit: www.americanfund.info