Mangrais of Kengtung & Friends

Golden years

2010-09-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

one big family

2010-08-24T22:40:00.001-07:00

Sao Sai Mong, Sao Hkun Suik, Sao Van Tip, Sao Hpong Keau, Sai Loang, Sao Hpong Lai, Sao San Hpong, Sao Hsiha, Sao Boonwaat, Sao Zingzai, Sao Bo Noan, Sao Noot Lawksawk

2010-07-20T21:56:00.000-07:00

2010-07-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

2010-07-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Sao Bonoan Huffman (Sao Nott )

2010-07-20T20:18:00.001-07:00

Sao Bonoan Huffman (Sao Nott )

2010-07-20T19:59:00.001-07:00

She turns 92 today, best wishes from all of us from the Kengtung family

3 Kings

2010-02-17T01:05:00.000-08:00

Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng

2010-01-06T01:00:00.001-08:00

80 years ago?

2009-12-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Another gem from Pi Khai's collection.

This time last year

2009-12-10T23:09:00.001-08:00

It has been nearly a year since our reunion, looking forward to the next!

Sao Hpa Kengtung

2009-09-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

Rare picture

2009-09-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

Sao Bonoan Huffman (Sao Nott )

2009-07-20T00:26:00.001-07:00

A recent picture sent by Pi Wan Wai, Sao Pa is now 91 years old.

Sao Boonwaat

2009-05-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Left just on top of CKS

2009-03-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

Pantip

2009-03-11T00:41:00.000-07:00

Dear Everyone,

Please browse the web site, which contains pictures of Shan Sao Hpa's. and also various Sao Hpas of Kengtung.

Regards,

Ni Ni

Kengtung Family Members

2009-02-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

Front Row: L-R: Nang Noan, Sao Sein Mya, Sao Bo Noan, Nang San Kyio

2nd Row: L-R: Sao Ven Tip, Sao Seng Zanda Ohn Kya (Hsenwi), Sao Bo Sawan, Sao Sukanta, Sao Hpa Lawksawk, Sao Ohn Nyunt, Daw Tin Tin Mya, Sao San Phong

3rd Row: L-R: Sao Sai Long, Sao Hkun Murng, Sao Intanoan (Chiang Mai), Sao Sing Zai

Back Row: L-R: Sao Yawt Murng, Sao Sai Noi, Sao Sai Long (Lawksawk)

Sao Kawng Tai - Sao Kya Nyunt Wedding Photo

2009-02-17T22:39:00.000-08:00

Brothers all

2009-02-15T01:59:00.000-08:00

UN Says Opium Poppy Cultivation on the Rise in Southeast Asia

2009-02-02T22:59:00.000-08:00

Leik Boonwaat, Representative for Laos, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 02 Feb 2009

By Daniel Schearf
Bangkok
02 February 2009

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime says opium poppy cultivation is on the rise in Southeast Asia, most of it in Burma. The increasing cultivation puts in jeopardy recent gains in eradicating opium production in the region.

The U.N. anti-narcotic agency says in 2008 Southeast Asia's major opium-producing countries planted 30,000 hectares of farmland with opium poppies.

That is an increase of 26 percent from 2006.

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime representative for East Asia and the Pacific, Gary Lewis, says there is a risk of resurgence in opium production in the region.

Gary Lewis, Representative for East Asia and the Pacific, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 02 Feb 2009
"The increase in cultivation is worrying because it indicates the intent to produce more," said Lewis.

Under eradication and crop substitute programs, Southeast Asia's major opium producers - Burma, Laos, and Thailand - saw cultivation drop by 83 percent from 1998 to 2006.

Lewis says a combination of poor farmers with few resources, rising opium prices, and lax law enforcement is to blame for the recent increase.

The U.N. agency says 96 percent of Southeast Asia's opium is produced in Burma, the world's second-largest opium producer. Burma has seen its area of opium cultivation rise by a third since 2006, while the price for opium since 2004 has almost doubled.

Leik Boonwaat, Representative for Laos, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 02 Feb 2009
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime representative in Laos, Leik Boonwaat, says the situation in neighboring Burma is the most challenging.

"Everybody knows the political situation there. And, it is very challenging to get support and provide assistance in many of these areas," he said. "Many of these areas do not have the necessary peace, stability, and security for projects to operate freely. And, that is the biggest challenge we face."

The U.N. agency says Southeast Asia's opium production has not yet caught up with cultivation, and cultivation is not out of control. But, the agency says further development assistance is needed to prevent more farmers from moving to opium and to stop this upswing from becoming a trend.

Sao Kawng Tai - 41st Sao Hpa of Kengtung

2009-01-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

Sao Kawng Tai - 41st Sao Hpa of Kengtung. Father of Sao Papawadi @ Marlene,
Sao Diraraj @ Sao Sai Long, Sao Eindumadi @ Sao Noom & Sao Sai Noi

Sao Sai Long Mengrai - 43rd Sao Hpa of Kengtung

2009-01-28T20:50:00.000-08:00

Sao Diraraj @ Sao Sai Long Mengrai - 43rd Sao Hpa at his ascending the Kengtung
throne in 1947. Father of Sao Htarni & Sao Leng.

Wat in Kengtung

2009-01-24T05:13:00.000-08:00

Kengtung today

2009-01-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

At Wat Pa Daraphirom

2009-01-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

Kengtung peacock dance

2009-01-17T16:26:00.000-08:00

From the Mangrai Museum in Chiang Mai

2009-01-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

The Lady Magic Mirror in the Palace of a Million Umbrellas

2008-11-23T11:50:00.000-08:00

A Chapter from Maurice Collis' Lords of the Sunset

To reach the Chinese frontier we had to drive first to Lashio, since it is from that town, which is a railhead, that the road to the frontier starts. Lashio has nothing to commend it, being no more than an untidy, corrugated-iron bazaar clustered around a dull cantonment. We slept the night there, taking the road next morning at 8:30. Our first stop was to be the town of Hsenwi --- Million Umbrellas --- for the Sawbwa, who, it will be recalled, was one of the visiting lords at the Mong Mit funeral, had invited us to breakfast. I was looking forward to meeting him in his own palace. Hsipaw, Mong Mit, Tawng Peng ---- nothing could have exceeded their hospitality. But there was an added something about Hsenwi, with his roguish smile, his grey hair, and his young face. And I was most anxious to see his Mahadevi, the Princess Van Tip, the half-sister of the murdered Sawbwa of Kengtung and the niece of Tip Htila.

The panorama of Hsenwi town as it breaks on you with a turn of the road is arresting. You see a wide plain of rice and, beyond, a wall of mountains. On a mound a the foot of the mountains is a pagoda in pure Chinese style and Immediately under it lies the Grand Haw, a building completed only a few years ago and like an English country house. We turned in through the avenue gate, where the guard presented arms, and swung round towards the hall door. I could see the Sawbwa standing on the steps. In a moment he was shaking hands, his face alive with pleasure. He looked handsome in his blue-grey jacket and trousers. A brown cap with a knob on it, like a beret but fuller was on his head and he wore a pair of Chinese shoes of black cloth with thick cotton soles. His two brothers were also on the steps.

We then entered the palace of the Million Umbrellas and found ourselves in a lounge hall, opening into a drawing-room. A tall, slender woman was standing there. She had an appearance of great distinction. There could be no question whatever; this was the Sao Van Tip.

She sat down on the sofa with the Commissioner. There was a lithe vitality in her movements, an animation in her face, as if our visit gave her the utmost satisfaction. She was dressed in an English costume of mauve serge with a scarf knotted round her neck. This seemed to suit her very well. Her pronunciation of English was quite perfect and gave her an air of cosmopolitan ease. At an embassy party in London she would have attracted attention: in the middle of the woods of Hsenwi, under the shadow of the frontier mountains, she was a startling vision. Her skin was white.

I had been introduced to two other ladies. These were not the wives of the brothers (who were Ministers of State), but the Sawbwa's junior wives. They could not speak English and were shy and retiring. One of them was an extremely handsome girl with a soft expression; the other was pretty, a more nervous type. They sat there quietly, no notice being taken of them. I found their presence curious. The Princess Van Tip belonged so much to the modern world.

A servant announced breakfast and the Mahadevi rose and led the way into the dining-room, where a Shan meal was on the table. Fogarty and I were placed on her right and left, Hsenwi having the other end with his brothers; the two girls were in the middle.

`I hope you don't mind,' said the princess smiling, as she indicated the Shan dishes.

We assured her that we preferred a Shan breakfast, as was, indeed, the case, for it is very delicious. Beside each of us was a large bowl of vegetable soup and there were twenty four dishes on the table. Rice was first handed round by one of the servants. In front of the princess was a major dish, a duck cooked in the Chinese manner, that is, boiled until it fell apart, and stuffed. She helped me to a large portion and then handed some of the other dishes to start me, afterwards enjoining me to help myself. There are all sorts of ways of speaking good English. Her way was not only a cultivated pronunciation, but a caressing idiom. And she swept you with her eyes and then looked down.

We talked of the road to China. Soon lorries in hundreds would be grinding up the hill. The garden opened upon what was going to become a world thoroughfare. Hsenwi would no longer be a lordship out of sight. Passengers from the four quarters would be passing her door.

`Peter Fleming and his wife went by yesterday,' said Fogarty.

`Why did they not come in and see us?' she asked, as if disappointed.

The princess was actually not a Shan, but a Hkun, a subdivision of the Mongolian race which is to be found in Kengtung. There is a Hkun language, and a Hkun art. The ruling family in Kengtung is Hkun. But this is confusing and tends to be ignored. For all practical purposes she was a Shan princess. She had told me that she was a half-way through She was a Queen, and deploring the fact that she was forgetting her English, because it was so rarely spoken in Hsenwi.

`Nor is Hkun spoken, I suppose. Are you forgetting it, also?'

`Could you forget English?' she asked with a touch of spirit. `I've never been out of Burma, you know,' she continued. Then correcting herself: `Yes, I have; I once went to Siam.'

`What is the meaning of your name?'

`Magic Mirror.'

`Lady Magic Mirror in the Palace of the Million Umbrellas!'

`It sounds romantic, but it is dull enough here.'

`Why did you not come to the funeral at Mong Mit?'

`I was on a visit to my sisters in Kengtung.'

`I hope so much to see them when I go there.'

`Yes, Sao Bo Sawan and the other two. And as you're going to the Chinese frontier, you'll meet my cousin at Nam Hkan.'

`What is her name?'

`Sao Hpong Lai, Lady Gliding Foam.'

`I shall meet the Lady Gliding Foam to-morrow,' I breathed to myself, as if already half-bewitched.

After breakfast I photographed Sao Van Tip with the Sawbwa on the front steps. Hsenwi had taken off his cap. It is a close likeness of him, and gives an impression of the princess, which should be compared the the other photograph of her which I took on my return from the frontier, and which shows her in Shan clothes and in a more composed mood. But neither of the photographs gives a conception of her grace.

The 1936 Affair

2008-11-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

In April 1936, the Rangoon University strike was in full swing. The fifteen or so Shan students, feeling that this was primarily a Burmese affair, did not participate in the strike. One of the Shan students, Sao Sai Mong, waited out the strike in his home state of Kengtung, and later moved to the hill-station town of Kalaw, to stay and study with his mentor, Professor Rhodes, who had a house in that town. Perhaps due to the influence of Professor Rhodes, Sao Sai Mong kept records and notes of many important events of his life. Among this collection are old letters relating to a rather well-known event that took place at that time.

Sao Sai Mong was part of the ruling family of Kengtung, by far the largest in area of the Federated Shan States. The family was also among the largest of the ruling families, with 19 fair brothers and sisters, who were the children of the late ruler or Saohpa, Sao Konkeau Intaleng, who had just died the year before in 1935. One of Sao Sai Mong's sister was Sao Van Tip (Daphne), who had married the ruler Saohpa of Hsenwi state, Sao Hom Hpa, in a grand wedding in Kengtung in 1933. This was where the bride's father presented the groom with a magnificent elephant as a wedding present.

But for a long time before Sao Van Tip married Sao Hom Hpa, she was best friends with his sister, Sao Hearn Hkam (Agnes, in the letters in this article), when as young girls in the late 1920's, they were together in the boarding convent school of St. Agnes in the town of Kalaw. During school holidays, when the families visited each other in Kengtung and Hsenwi, Sao Sai Mong got to know Sao Hearn Hkam quite well and the three grew very friendly. It seems as if nobody quite knew what to make of Sao Sai Mong's friendship with Sao Hearn Kham as they grew older, but very early letters from Sao Hearn Kham has hints of her schoolgirl infatuation.

But in April 1936, the family situation within the ruling house of Hsenwi (pictured right) was coming to a boiling point. Sao Hom Hpa, as head of the family, had a responsibility to take care of his sister, Sao Hearn Hkam. As part of his duties he thought that he had found suitable husband for Sao Hearn Kham in a gentleman by the name of Khun Myat Sa. But Sao Hearn Hkam, already known for her stubborn streak, refused to be married to anyone for any reason other than for love. This seems to have upset Sao Hom Hpa, especially more so after Khun Myat Sa found another wife after being refused by Sao Hearn Hkam. Sao Van Tip writes to Sao Sai Mong in Kalaw on April 13,
in this letter, about a family and court meeting where Sao Hom Hpa has humiliated Sao Hearn Hkam and Sao Van Tip. Sao Sai Mong's name comes up in this meeting. Sao Van Tip, in a somewhat difficult marriage to Sao Hom Hpa herself, is Sao Hearn Hkam's best friend, confidant and advisor. Letters are being opened by Sao Hom Hpa, she says in the letter, and Sao Van Tip requests Sao Sai Mong not to write in English nor Shan, but in the Kengtung language of Khun! Presumably nobody in Hsenwi reads Khun except for Sao Van Tip. The back of the pages of this letter have Khun, which seems to be the draft of Sao Sai Mong's reply. (At various points, the letters mention Sao Bi Hpa, which in this case, is Sao Hom Hpa. Other letters mention "Sawbwa", which means Saohpa or ruler.)

A follow-up letter from Sao Van Tip to Sao Sai Mong on April 17 is here. Sao Van Tip still very worried for Sao Hearn Hkam and herself.

Sao Hearn Hkam in an undated letter to Sao Sai Mong talks about the Sao Hom Hpa's wrath, and how miserable she is feeling. The envelope was received in Kengtung with a postmark of 19 April. But in a later letter on April 25, she seems to be feeling a lot better.

Sao Van Tip writes to Sai Sai Mong on May 4 here, dropping hints about her own marriage to Sao Hom Hpa, in a general discourse on a good marriage.

However, on May 13 or May 14, Sao Hom Hpa had invited Sao Shwe Thaike, the Saohpa of Yawnghwe state, to Hsenwi for a visit and a stay. In a surprise move, Sao Hom Hpa forced Sao Hkam Hkam to agree to be engaged to Sao Shwe Thaike. Although a complete surprise for Sao Van Tip and Sao Hearn Hkam, we can probably correctly surmise that the deal was in the works between Sao Hom Hpa and Sao Shwe Thaike for some time. The earlier court meeting where Sao Hearn Hkam was humiliated was just a prelude and part of the plan.

Sao Hearn Hkam writes to Sao Sai Mong on May 18 here. At this point Yawnghwe Saohpa Sao Shwe Thaike's proposal has already been accepted, as we will find out in later letters. But in this letter, Sao Hearn Hkam drops hints, but makes no explicit reference to her engagement.

Towards the end of May, university reopens, and Sao Sai Mong goes back to Rangoon. On May 20, Sao Hearn Hkam writes to Sao Sai Mong in Rangoon here. Describes Sao Shwe Thaike in an unflattering way, and still no hint about engagement or marriage at this point yet. Responds to some of Sao Sai Mong's comments about convent schools.

On May 24, Sao Noot of Lawksawk State (another Agnes, left), writes to her dear Uncle Sao Sai Mong from the Kalaw St Agnes convent. There is news already afloat in the Southern Shan States. Yawnghwe Saohpa is going to get a new Mahadevi! (Chief wife). "Have you heard", asks Agnes in her innocence, "It's somebody from Hsenwi". Sao Sai Mong gets the letter, (possibly a bit surprised), puts in a marginal note, forwards the letter to Sao Hearn Hkam, who writes on the back, and mails it back to Sao Sai Mong. This is all here.

On Jun 10, Sao Hearn Hkam finally writes to Sao Sai Mong and lays out the story of Yawnghwe Saohpa's marriage proposal in a very emotional letter. In the letter, 'D' would be Daphne, or Sao Van Tip. The proposal and acceptance had taken on about May 14 or thereabouts, but Sao Sai Mong was in the midst of his exams, so there seems to have been an effort to shield him from distressing news.

On Jun 11, Sao Van Tip also writes the and tells Sao Sai Mong the story here. There is an invitation to him to go and visit Hsenwi.

This was just the beginning phases of the drama. Sao Sai Mong did end up going to Hsenwi. Family stories tell of Sao Hearn Kham being locked up and not being allowed to see Sao Sai Mong. But Sao Hearn Hkam did manage to smuggle out some messages to Sao Sai Mong. I have a small cryptic note in pencil from Sao Hearn Hkam requesting, "Please may I have the letters of 'Y'". There were plans to elope, the letter with the plan details was intercepted by Sao Hom Hpa. Other stories tell of Sao Sai Mong being "driven out of Hsenwi" state. I am not sure whether Sao San Phong (Aunty Joan), went along with Sao Sai Mong to Hsenwi. As told by Aunty Joan, there is the story of how Sao Sai Mong was commiserating with his sisters, and in a moment of despair stabbed himself on his thigh with a knife. Blood spurted out. Sisters stopped the blood with a handkerchief. The bloody handkerchief was conveyed back to Sao Hearn Hkam, etc., etc. All to no avail, of course. Sao Hearn Hkam married Sao Shwe Thaike and the couple became the first president and first lady of a newly independent Burma in 1948. And Sao Sai Mong went on his own way.

All the actors in the letters have now left the stage. Sao Sai Mong and Sao Van Tip were born just months apart in 1913. Sao Sai Mong died in 1987, Sao Hearn Hkam in 2003. Sao Van Tip and Sao Hom Hpa, pictured below, separated soon after WWII, and she died in 1983. Sao Shwe Thaike died in 1963, Sao Hom Hpa in 19??, Sao Noot (Lawsawk Agnes) in 1965.

The older cousins in my family probably know a lot more than I do. As the son of the principal subject, and one of the younger ones in the big family, none of my aunts and uncles and my elder cousins would tell me much. In conversation, the tone would change if I was around and the topic of Sao Hearn Hkam came up!

It would be nice if somebody could translate the Khun in here and place it in the comments.

Apr 13 letter from SVT
Apr 17 letter from SVT
Apr 1? letter from SHK
Apr 25 letter from SHK
May 04 letter from SVT
May 19 letter from SHK
May 20 letter from SHK
May 28 letter from Agnes
May 28 letter from SVT
Jun 10 letter from SHK
Jun 11 letter from SVT

For further reading: The biography of Sao Hearn Hkam can be read in The White Umbrella. Maurice Collis, travelling through the Shan States in late 1937, wrote about Hsenwi and Sao Van Tip, which has been transcribed here. The funeral of the father of Sao Noot (Agnes) is told in this story.

2,3 & 4th generation in one picture

2008-11-16T19:31:00.000-08:00

See you In Chiang Mai

2008-11-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

One more month go, see you all there!

A rare find

2008-11-12T23:57:00.000-08:00

From the collection of Sao Khai Mong

Modelling Pi Dong's Teeshirt in Second Life in Front of Haw Long

2008-10-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Zoey Mangrai Models Versions of the Reunion Tee Shirt in Second Life

2008-10-26T04:16:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Sasha Boonwaat & Tim

2008-09-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sasha & Tim on the 8/8/08

Kut in Kengtung

2008-09-04T02:35:00.000-07:00

We all need to help towards the upkeep of the Kut to remain in good condition.

Visiting Pi Noan in Brisbane

2008-08-18T22:10:00.001-07:00

Hom Soi and Hoang Brisbane

2008-08-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Time to renew our Kengtung ties

2008-08-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng @ Sao Ratana 1873 - 1935 (40th Chief -1896)

Sao Bonoan Huffman ( Sao Not)

2008-06-13T00:49:00.000-07:00

Sao Bonoan Huffman ( Sao Not) , youngest daughter of SaoKawn Kiao Intaleng and Sao Nang Bo Tip Noi will be 90 years old onJuly 2008. Sao Bonoan is now in Sterling ,VA. She was hospitalised last week and is currently in rehab and needs help with food intake, please help pray for her well being and speedy recovery, Meta

Visit by Pi Ta

2008-04-01T02:45:00.000-07:00

From Sao Khai Mong's collection

2008-02-12T19:26:00.000-08:00

Wan Wai & son Kitimar

2008-01-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

2008-01-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

2008-01-15T03:34:00.001-08:00

Hi all:

Hope all of you are well. Pi Sai spent the day with us. and we had Pi Dimp and Ouie prepared Kao Noad Ahloo/baa for lunch.

The last time Mawm, Mae, Pi Dimp and I saw him was in 1958 or 9 in KTG after Sao Loong's assignment to Indonesia. I remembered Sai tying two empty cans on the ends of a string (dawk ), then trying to attach to U Leik and Nang BoTip (eaw kiao)'s car that was leaving Haw Mai.

Will send a better quality photo at the table.

Metta,

Pi Dong

Reunion

2008-01-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New year to every one!

Just wondering, it has been sometime since there has been any discussion about the reunion.

If we plan to have it in December we need to start planning the logistics.

I wonder why my sons looks like my 3 brothers!

Let

2007-12-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

Hello to all:

More olden Kengtung pictures here: 
http://picasaweb.google.com/khaimong/Kengtung2. These are the contents 
of an entire album, for the same of completeness, so there might be some 
repititions of similar scenes. It would be nice if we, especially my 
older cousins, can collectively identify more people, events, places, 
and add comments (you need to sign up for picasa) or send me email 
directly with picture number. I will update the main comments. 

Just from the number of pictures, Sao Van Tip seems to be the favorite 
sister, may be because she was closest in age to Sao Saimong. Maybe it 
had something to do with Hsenwi, ;-) I am also surprised that I don't 
have any pictures of other brothers and siblings, e.g. Sao Hkun Mong 
---- I suspect that some got lost during the war. I have a few more 
albums which I will do later. I hope you enjoy them.

Thanks

Khai (Sao Saimong's son).

Peter Mangrai talks to FoodInFocus

2007-12-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

Sao Leik Boonwaat is interviewed on Al Jazeera

2007-11-30T00:12:00.000-08:00

The Rulers of Kengtung from 1881 to 1997

2007-10-01T04:06:00.000-07:00

Posted on behalf of Sao Khemawadi Mangrai (Biddy)

Kengtung or Khemarat was ruled by the descendants of Saopha Mang Rai. Sao Kawng Tai was the 36th Chief of Kengtung State from 1881 AD to 1883. He was succeeded by his eldest son Sao Kham Hpu in 1886 AD. Sao Kham Hpu died in 1893 AD. He was succeeded by his brother Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng in 1895 AD. Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng received his Order of Appointment as Saopha from the British Government.
Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng was born in 1874 AD. He was a good Buddhist. He abolished slavery in Kengtung State and for that he was awarded the title of K.S.M. He was invited to attend the Proclamation Durbar at New Delhi in 1903. As the Chief of Kengtung he was given a nine-gun salute. When King George the Fifth and Queen Mary visited Rangoon in 1906 he was invited to be present in Rangoon for the occasion. Again when another Imperial Durbar was held in Delhi in 1911 he was invited to attend. Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng was awarded the C.I.E. title on the 1st of January 1918 for good services during the First World War. He also visited India, Ceylon and the Straits Settlements. His travel to India inspired him to have the Kengtung Haw built in the style of the Palaces of the Indian Maha Rajas. He died on the 21st of July 1935. Since there was no immediate succession, Kengtung State was administered by a Board of Officials, with Sao Kawng Tai, the Kyemmong, as President of the Board. The funeral of Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng was conducted with great pomp in January 1938.
Sao Kawng Tai, being the eldest son, succeeded his father as the 39th Chief, in May 1937. As a boy, he was sent to St. Paul’s High School in Rangoon and then to the Shan Chiefs School in Taunggyi, for his studies. He married Sao Nang Kyar Nyunt, the eldest daughter of Sir Sao Hke the Chief of Hsipaw State. She bore him six children, but only four survived their birth. They are Sao Pabhavadi ( Sao Noot ), Sao Naga Rajadhiraja ( Sao Sai Long ), Sao Eindumadi ( Sao Noom ) and Sao Sai Noi.
Before a successor for Sao Kawng Tai could be nominated, Kengtung was temporarily administered by an officer from the Burma Frontier Service, Mr. V. G. Robert. Then during the Japanese occupation of Kengtung in 1942, Sao Boon Wat, who was a son of Sao Kawn Kiao Intaleng by his fifth wife Sao Nang Yoang, was appointed Administrator.
Sao Sai Long the elder son of Sao Kawng Tai became the 40th Chief of Kengtung after Burma regained its Independence. He died in Rangoon at his residence, No.6 (A) Prome Road, on the 14th of September 1997. He is survived by a daughter Sao Htarnee Mangrai and a son, Sao Leng Mangrai.

_____________________________________________________________________

Note: Correct me if there are any mistakes. This is only a partial extract from the Chronicles compiled by a Shan historian in Burma.
For further information refer to:
1. The State Annals
2. The Local Chronicals of Kengtung
3. The Chronicle of Mong Yawng
4. Sir George Scott. Gazetteer of Upper Burma and the Shan State Vol.I&Vol.II
5. The Man-Nan Maha Yazawin

2007-09-27T07:31:00.001-07:00

2007-09-27T07:21:00.000-07:00

The future Buddha being attacked by Mara. The evil one, just before he attained enlightenment

After eating the milk-porridge offered by Sujata, the Future Buddha took his noonday rest on the bank of Neranjara, in the cool and pleasant shade of a grove of sal trees. And at nightfall he went towards the Bodhi tree. On the way he received from a grass-cutter named Sotthiya handfuls of grass and sat down cross-legged on that grass. He made the mighty resolution: "I will not stir from this seat until I have attained the supreme and absolute wisdom." Many higher and lower goods with Sakka came near the Future Buddha.

The god Mara, the Evil One, saw the Future Buddha seated in that unconquerable position and knew that he was sure to become a Buddha. He went back to his celestial realm and brought his army drawn out for battle. He grasped a variety of weapons himself and sounded the war-cry, " Advance! Seize!" to frighten the Great Being. But the Future Buddha won a peaceful victory over Mara with the power of loving kindness, which he had practised in his many past lives, just as a mother would tame a cruel and wicked son with her maternal love.

Article in the New York Times quoting Sao Leik Boonwaat

2007-09-18T02:42:00.000-07:00

There is a quote from Leik in here.   My computer lost its disk and I
lost Leik's email, so please forward
Sao Khai Mong


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/weekinreview/16fuller.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The World

No Blowing Smoke: Poppies Fade in Southeast Asia

Reuters

By THOMAS FULLER

Published: September 16, 2007

THE enduring image of Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle is of brightly colored poppy fields, opium-smoking hill tribes and heroin labs hidden in the jungle.

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Khin Maung Win/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

In Myanmar, a guard stands next to drugs set ablaze by authorities.

But the reality is that after years of producing the lion’s share of the world’s opium, the Golden Triangle is now only a bit player in the global heroin trade.

“The mystique may remain, and the geography will be celebrated in the future by novelists,” said Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “But from our vantage point, we see a region that is rapidly moving toward an opium-free status.”

The decline of the Golden Triangle is a major, if little noticed, milestone in the war on drugs. The question now is whether that success can be sustained.

Three decades ago, the northernmost reaches of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar produced more than 70 percent of all the opium sold worldwide, most of which was refined into heroin. Today the area produces about 5 percent of the world total, says Mr. Costa’s agency.

What happened?

Economic pressure from China, crackdowns on opium farmers , and a switch by criminal syndicates to methamphetamine production, appear to have had the biggest impact. At the same time, some insurgent groups that once were financed with drug money now say they are urging farmers to eradicate their poppy fields.

As a result, the Golden Triangle has been eclipsed by the Golden Crescent — the poppy-growing area in and around Afghanistan that is now the source of an estimated 92 percent of the world’s opium, according to the United Nations.

Much of the growth in opium production there is in areas controlled by the Taliban, which United States officials say uses revenue from opium and heroin to finance itself. This shift to Afghanistan has had major consequences for the global heroin market: a near doubling of opium production worldwide in less than two decades. Poppies grown in the fertile valleys of southern Afghanistan yield on average four times more opium than those grown in upland Southeast Asia.

A striking aspect of the decline of the Golden Triangle is the role China has played in pressing opium-growing regions to eradicate poppy crops. A major market for Golden Triangle heroin, China has seen a spike in addicts and H.I.V. infections from contaminated needles.

The area of Myanmar along the Chinese border, which once produced about 30 percent of the country’s opium, was declared opium-free last year by the United Nations. Local authorities, who are from the Wa tribe and are autonomous from Myanmar’s central government, have banned poppy cultivation and welcomed Chinese investment in rubber, sugar cane and tea plantations, casinos and other businesses.

“China has had an underestimated role,” said Martin Jelsma, a Dutch researcher who has written extensively on the illicit drug trade in Asia.

“Their main leverage is economic: These border areas of Burma are by now economically much more connected to China than the rest of Burma,” he said, using the former name for Myanmar. “For local authorities it’s quite clear that, for any investments they want to attract, cooperation with China is a necessity.”

Myanmar remains the world’s second-leading source of opium but is a distant second; its production declined by 80 percent over the last decade.

Insurgents have long used opium to help finance civil wars in the Golden Triangle. But some are now working to destroy the crop. At least one faction of the Shan State Army, a group that long had ties to the heroin business, says it is leading eradication efforts.

Kon Jern, a military commander for the group, which is based along Myanmar’s border with northern Thailand, says he is cracking down because government militias and corrupt officials profit from opium. “They sell the drugs, they buy weapons, and they use those weapons to attack us,” he said.

The United Nations credits Myanmar’s central government with leading the eradication effort in Shan areas. In Laos, where the political situation is more stable, the government began a crackdown in the 1990s to increase its international credibility and because officials realized their own children were at risk, said Leik Boonwaat, the representative in Laos for the U.N.’s Office on Drugs and Crime. Laos finally outlawed opium in 1996.

The government, Mr. Boonwaat said, also saw that opium did little to help poor farmers who grew poppies. “It’s mostly the organized crime syndicates that made most of the profits,” he said.

The amount of land cultivated in Laos for opium has fallen 94 percent since 1998. The country now produces so little opium that it may now be a net importer of the drug, the United Nations says.

Yet experts warn that the reductions may not hold unless farmers develop other ways to make a living.

Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy, an opium specialist at the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, says it took Thailand 30 years to wean opium farmers from poppy production, a transition led by the Thai royal family, which encouraged opium-growing hill tribes to use their cooler climate to produce coffee, macadamia nuts and green vegetables.

But, he said, “In Laos and Burma, we’ve had a very quick decrease.” He asked, “Is it going to last?”

Four years ago farmers in Banna Sala, an isolated Laotian hamlet of several hundred ethnic Hmong, grew opium poppies with impunity. No longer. And some farmers are angry.

“They stopped me from growing opium, so I don’t have money to send my children to school,” said one villager, Jeryeh Singya, 34, who has seven children. She once bartered the opium she grew for soap, salt and clothing. “If they let me grow it I would,” she said.

Mr. Kon, the rebel commander in Myanmar, says farmers are finding it difficult to switch crops. “If they change and grow other kinds of plants nobody comes to buy their products — the transportation is not good,” he said.

Experts say that to stay free of opium, isolated villages that depended on it will need assistance and investment for better roads, schools and clinics.

But Myanmar, which is run by a military junta, poses a dilemma for Western countries. The United States has an embargo on trade with Myanmar. The European Union has suspended trade privileges and defense cooperation, limiting its aid to humanitarian assistance.

“This policy of boycott and isolation has, of course, meant that only very little development aid and humanitarian assistance is flowing into the country,” said Mr. Jelsma, the Dutch expert on drugs. “That makes the chances of the sustainability of this decline very questionable.”

At Pi Hom and Pi Biddy's Place Mascot Sydney

2007-09-17T15:19:00.001-07:00

Yin Yin Nwe at her Pacific Suite in Sydney 15/09/07

2007-09-15T07:53:00.001-07:00

Yin Yin Nwe in Sydney 15/09/07 Watson's Bay and the Gap

2007-09-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

Yin Yin Nwe at Watson's Bay Sydney Australia 15/09/07

2007-09-15T07:36:00.001-07:00

Yin Yin Nwe Itinerary

2007-09-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

Mingalabah Sayama,

Ok for the change Sayama.

Here is the new program (apart from your normal schedule) of your visit to Australia. I will make an announcement to our friends here.

15^th (Saturday) - Sydney

Arrive to Sydney on 11:25am. Sayama will be staying with her Shan family members for the whole day. (Confirmed)

16^th (Sunday) - Sydney

Lunch at U Khin Maung Htwe & Daw Mytint Myint Kyi house (confirmed) and dinner at U Aung Pwa & Daw Khin Lay (at a restaurant in Wenthworthville) (confirmed). They both live near by.

(U Khin Maung Htwe to arrange Sayama to pick up from the hotel for lunch and U Aung Pwa to make arrangement to take back to the hotel after the dinner where Sayama is staying)

Sayama staying new hotel Address: Attention U KMHtwe & U APwa!!!

Pacific Suites

433 Kent Street (cornor of Kent St. & King St. (close ot King Wharf)

Sydney. NSW. 200

Tel: 61 2 9284 2300

Fax: 61 2 92648698

17^th (Monday) – Canberra

Meeting with Prof. Johnny Thein Oke Kyaw-Myint? Plus your normal schedules there

18^th (Tuesday) – Sydney

Macquarie University “Global Leadership Program” 6:00pm (next to my uni. apartment, Win Win will be there.

19^th – 20^th (Wed. Thurs) – Melbourne

21^st (Friday) – Sydney

I will be taking you out for sight seeing around Sydney. Ferry to Manly beach (along Hawkesbury River), lunch there and on return, we will visit Opera House & some places near the Sydney Harbour Bridge. (Confirmed)

Dinner (by Ma Soe Htay at a Thai restaurant in the City). (Confirmed) Attn: on new address.

22^nd (Saturday) – Sydney

Farewell BBQ party (BYO), welcome to everybody (friends, colleagues and ex-students) at Bicentennial Park (next to Sydney Olympic Park) at Home Bush Bay. I did there for my Old Paulian re-union last year, and went very well (confirmed)

(Bring you favourite meat, salad, fruits, vegetables and drinks (will going to share everything), plus if possible bring your portable stove (gas or others), because my experience was, their given stoves for BBQ is not enough heat for cooking meat etc., )

Evening: reserved for packing.

23^rd (Sunday) – Sydney

Leaving Sydney at 9:25am to Shanghai

2007-08-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

AFR Women of Influence Luncheon

Dr Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF Representative for China

UNICEF Representative to China Dr Yin Yin Nwe has held various UNICEF roles since 1991.

Previously an Associate Professor at Rangoon University, Burma, she has deep expertise in planning, monitoring and evaluation, and has led several UNICEF-supported programmes and initiatives in partnership with governments in several countries. Before assuming her current position, Dr Nwe was UNICEF’s Chief of Tsunami Support, coordinating spearheading its global support to Tsunami recovery programmes across eight countries and two regions, and tracking the use of tsunami contributions (US$700 million) entrusted to the UNICEF.

Dr Nwe holds a Doctorate degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Cambridge, England, and has authored a number of technical papers and reports, as well as UN publications.

She has also found time to raise a son single-handedly. In addition to English – which she mastered in her childhood – she is fluent in French and Bahasa Indonesia and is now learning Mandarin.

To register please fill-in the below Registration form or call 1800 032 577.

For more information email fbmevents@fairfax.com.au

Location: Sydney

Event date: Tuesday, 18 September 2007

Time: 12pm - 2.30pm

Venue: Westin Hotel

Location: Melbourne

Event date: Wednesday, 19 September 2007

Time: 12pm - 2.30pm

Venue: Sofitel Melbourne

Ticket price: $120 per person (incl GST) or $1100 table of 10 (incl GST)

VIP packages available for $7,500 and includes 2 tables plus a number of other benefits.
Please call 02 9282 2298 for details.

Lunar Elipse with coloured lights in the foreground

2007-08-28T06:12:00.001-07:00

I watched the lunar eclipse from Clovelly Beach in Sydney. A friend of mine took pictures from his apartment as you can see from the composite picture taken tonight. Next lunar eclipse isn't due until 2011 apparently. Still thats only four years away!

Total Lunar Eclipse

A Total Lunar Eclipse is when the Moon passes completely into the Earth's umbral shadow, described as "Totality". Total Lunar Eclipses account for the other 35% of all lunar eclipse. These are the most spectacular type of Lunar Eclipse, as during totality the moon can take on a range of striking colours. Scattered sunlight passes deep through the Earth's atmopshere which filters out most of the blue light. The remaining light renders the Moon in shades of red, orange, yellow and brown - depending on the amount of dust and volcanic ash in the Earth's atmosphere.

All Total Lunar Eclipses start with a Penumbral, followed by a Partial and then the Total Lunar Eclipse. Finally, a Partial followed by a Penumbral completes the event.

A Boonwaat entry in the National Library of Australia

2007-08-22T06:13:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought something I was involved in writing would have ended up in the National Library of Australia preserved for all posterity. I wish it had been something that was more interesting to read though rather than pages and pages of figures. The survey will be repeated again this year though I've moved on from doing research so it will be someone else who has the task of doing all all the statistical number crunching. Still it was a good experience. I should write a proper book one of these days. Or maybe do some sociological research that would be more interesting reading.

Full View - Australian Library Collections

For this record:

40886582 (Australian Library Collections)

National prison entrants' bloodborne virus survey
report, 2004 : prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B,
and risk behaviours among Australian prison entrants
Tony Butler, Leng Boonwaat and Sue Hailstone.

http://www.justicehealth.nsw.gov.au/pubs/bbv_survey.pdf

Sydney : Centre for Health Research in Criminal
Justice, 2005.

vi, 113 p.

0734737440

CHRCJ research report

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Risk taking behaviour
Bloodborne infections
Prisoner drug testing
Prisoner health
HIV positive prisoners
Prisoner surveys
Bloodborne infections
Drug abusing prisoners

Butler, Tony
Boonwaat, Leng
Hailstone, Sue
New South Wales. Centre for Health Research in Criminal Justice
National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research (Australia)

English

Find contact details

Alfred Hospital. HIV, Hepatitis & STI - Education + Resource Centre (VALF) held
Australian Institute of Criminology. J.V. Barry Library (AIC)
Department of Corrective Services (NSW). Library & Information Service (NCOR) held
NSW Health. Brian Tutt Library & Resource Centre (NHDL)
271185 365.660994 f BUT Held

2007-08-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

The UN Trust Fund for Human Security Project Signing Ceremony

January 18, 2007

Assistance for "Social and Economic Rehabilitation of Former Opium Poppy-growing Communities-Alternative Livelihood Development in Lao PDR" Project through UN Trust Fund for Human Security

The Government of Japan and the United Nations (UN) decided to extend assistance totaling 2,412,550 US dollars (approximately 272.61 million yen), through the Trust Fund for Human Security to a project that will be implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

"Social and Economic Rehabilitation of Former Opium Poppy-growing Communities—Alternative Livelihood Development in Lao PDR"

The Signing Ceremony was held on January 18, 2007, between H.E. Mr. Soubanh Srithirath, Minister of the President's Office and Chairperson of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision, and Ms. Ayumi Fujino, UNIDO Representative and Head of Regional Office in Thailand, and Mr. Leik Boonwaat, UNODC Representative to the Lao PDR, under the presence of H.E. Mr. Makoto KATSURA, Ambassador of Japan to the Lao PDR. Other concerned officials attended the ceremony.

In recent years the number of households that engage in opium cultivation has remarkably declined in northern Lao PDR. Yet other surveys indicate that some 50% of former opium producing communities could revert to re-cultivation for lack of alternatives. This project aims at establishing alternative income sources to transform the local economy and increase household incomes in the province of Oudomxay in northern Lao PDR. The following activities will be implemented:

- Assisting former opium addicts rehabilitate and participate in income generating activities;

- Involving village productivity groups in income generating activities;

- Conducting training seminars on basic agro-product and market oriented decision making;

- Providing micro-credit for village groups and training for water users committees;

- Supporting the introduction of primary health care through provision of medicine kits, establishment of revolving drug fund and primary health care training.

This project is expected to contribute to the Lao PDR's efforts to reduce the dependency on opium cultivation by means of assisting farmers in improving their livelihoods.

(Note)
The Trust Fund for Human Security was established in the United Nations Secretariat in March 1999 at the initiative of the Government of Japan. Since then, total contributions have reached approximately 31.5 billion yen (US$ 279.7 million). The Trust Fund has supported more than 160 projects from UN agencies, each one addressing various threats to human life, livelihood and dignity, from the perspective of human security.

Hampton Court Gardens

2007-08-22T05:58:00.001-07:00

Let Boonwaat promotes Garden Tours

2007-08-22T05:52:00.001-07:00

Hello,
Tony Sissons has kindly appointed us to take care of customers in Malaysia and Singapore for his Sisley garden tours.
Gardens in northern Europe contain an enormous collection of plants gathered from temperate parts of the world. They appeal to designers, photographers, artists, botanists, plantsmen and historians. We, in a hotter and more humid climate, can enjoy the creativity of European garden design and execution besides enjoying the great pleasure of strolling through living works of art.
We recommend these tours which are a delight for beginners as well as for those with more experience."

Let

Luke Boonwaat Blog Spot

2007-08-22T05:45:00.000-07:00

Visit Luke's Blog Spot!

August Birthday Wishes!

2007-08-19T01:19:00.001-07:00

2007-08-16T16:27:00.001-07:00

2007-08-15T07:04:00.000-07:00

Dreamy Lunar Eclipse 08.03.2007

The eclipse will be visible from Australia, Japan, parts of Asia and most of the Americas, but not from Africa or Europe. Pacific observers are favored. On the west coast of the United States, the entire eclipse will unfold high in the post-midnight sky. On the east coast, totality will be truncated by sunrise. That's okay; even a little eclipse can be a dream.

+ Play Audio | + Download Audio |

August 3, 2007: Close your eyes, breathe deeply, let your mind wander to a distant seashore: It's late in the day, and the western sun is sinking into the glittering waves. At your feet, damp sand reflects the twilight, while overhead, the deep blue sky fades into a cloudy mélange of sunset copper and gold, so vivid it almost takes your breath away. [Photo]A breeze touches the back of your neck, and you turn to see a pale full Moon rising into the night. Hmmm. The Moon could use a dash more color. You reach out, grab a handful of sunset, and drape the Moon with phantasmic light. Much better. Too bad it's only a dream... Early Tuesday morning, August 28th, the dream will come true. There's going to be a colorful lunar eclipse visible from five continents including most of North America: map. Right: Photos of the March 3, 2007, lunar eclipse. Credit: Antonio Finazzi and Michele Festa of Lago di Garda, Italy. [Larger image] The event begins 54 minutes past midnight PDT (0754 UT) on August 28th when the Moon enters Earth's shadow. At first, there's little change. The outskirts of Earth's shadow are as pale as the Moon itself; an onlooker might not even realize anything is happening. But as the Moon penetrates deeper, a startling metamorphosis occurs. Around 2:52 am PDT (0952 UT), the color of the Moon changes from moondust-gray to sunset-red. This is totality, and it lasts for 90 minutes.

To understand why the change occurs, close your eyes and dream yourself all the way to the Moon. Once again, you're standing on a seashore—the Sea of Tranquillity. There's no water. You're surrounded by hundreds of miles of dusty, hardened lava. Overhead hangs Earth, nightside down, completely hiding the Sun behind it. The eclipse is underway. With the Sun blocked, you might expect utter darkness, but no, the ground at your feet is aglow. Why? Look back up at Earth. The rim of the planet seems to be on fire. Around Earth's circumference you see every sunrise and sunset in the world—all at once. This incredible light beams into the heart of Earth's shadow, transforming the Moon into a landscape of copper moondust and golden hills. Wake up! This is really going to happen, and some planning is necessary. Start times of totality are listed in the table above. Set your alarm an hour or so in advance to gather snacks and dress warmly. (Even in August, four o'clock in the morning can be chilly.) Waking up early also allows you to catch some of the partial eclipse before totality.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

2007-08-15T06:46:00.000-07:00

Beware the Mars Hoax

Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter--but not as close as some people think.

Just when you thought it was safe to read your email....

There's a rumor about Mars going around the internet. Here are some snippets from a widely-circulated email message:

"The Red Planet is about to be spectacular."

"Earth is catching up with Mars [for] the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history."

"On August 27th … Mars will look as large as the full moon."

And finally, "NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN."

Only the first sentence is true. The Red Planet is about to be spectacular. The rest is a hoax.

Here are the facts: Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter this year on October 30th at 0319 Universal Time. Distance: 69 million kilometers. To the unaided eye, Mars will look like a bright red star, a pinprick of light, certainly not as wide as the full Moon.

Disappointed? Don't be. If Mars did come close enough to rival the Moon, its gravity would alter Earth's orbit and raise terrible tides.

Sixty-nine million km is good. At that distance, Mars shines brighter than anything else in the sky except the Sun, the Moon and Venus. The visual magnitude of Mars on Oct. 30, 2007, will be -2.3. Even inattentive sky watchers will notice it, rising at sundown and soaring overhead at midnight.

You might remember another encounter with Mars, about two years ago, on August 27, 2003. That was the closest in recorded history, by a whisker, and millions of people watched as the distance between Mars and Earth shrunk to 56 million km. This October's encounter, at 69 million km, is similar. To casual observers, Mars will seem about as bright and beautiful in 2007 as it was in 2003.

Although closest approach is still months away, Mars is already conspicuous in the early morning. Before the sun comes up, it's the brightest object in the eastern sky, really eye-catching. If you have a telescope, even a small one, point it at Mars. You can see the bright icy South Polar Cap and strange dark markings on the planet's surface.

Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

Speech transcript given by Dr. Yin Yin Nwe

2007-08-12T16:31:00.001-07:00

Speech by the UNICEF Representative to China Dr. Yin Yin Nwe
at the “LOVEDAY WITH UNICEF” Event at the Great Wall
8 June 2007

Read" Twilight over Burma My Life as a Shan Princess

2007-08-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

Published in the Hindi India's National Newspaper in 1955

2007-08-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

dated February 09,1955: Chinese envoy meets Nehru

New moves in London on the Formosa crisis were climaxed on February 7 by a meeting between Prime Minister Nehru and Mr. Huan Ksiang, Communist China's Charge d'Affaires in London. The Nehru-Huan talks lasted about thirty minutes. In the past week, Mr. Nehru has had separate meetings with Mr. Winthrop Aldrich, U.S. Ambassador to Britain, Dr. Supomo, Indonesian Ambassador, and Sao Boonwaat, Burmese Charge d'Affaires. He also had protracted behind-the-scene discussions on Formosa with Sri Anthony Eden, the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Winston Churchill and several of the Commonwealth Prime Ministers in London for a week-long conference on world affairs. The communiqué at the end of the conference is likely to divulge little of the ideas the Commonwealth statesmen have pooled on how to ease the tension in Formosa. But there has been much speculation on two possible approaches. The first is that consultations should continue in great secrecy through normal diplomatic channels to minimise the chances of the opposing sides being forced into rigid positions in public debates and declarations. The second is the idea of a conference outside the U.N. on the pattern of the Geneva meeting, which last July ended the Indo-China war.

Fifty years later the issue remains unresolved.

New Mandala Website

2007-08-12T06:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Nicholas Farrelly for publicising the Mengrais of Kengtung on his New Mandala Website. The New Mandala provides readers with new perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia.

Nicholas Farrelly graduated from the Australian National University’s Faculty of Asian Studies in 2003. He is currently a graduate student at Balliol College, Oxford, where he studies international development. Before commencing his studies in the United Kingdom, he worked in various positions at the Australian National University and taught widely in Asian Studies subjects.

His current research, which focuses on trans-border linkages in upper mainland Southeast Asia, has developed from years living, travelling and working in the region. Nicholas welcomes feedback and comments via e-mail.

Andrew Walker also contributes to New Mandala and is an Australian anthropologist with a particular interest in rural development and resource management in Thailand and Laos.

Happy Birthday Luke

2007-08-12T06:39:00.001-07:00

Shan conference in London, December 2007

2007-08-02T00:26:00.000-07:00

Source: New Mandala

August 2nd, 2007 Nicholas Farrelly
In December 2007, the School of Oriental and African Studies’ Centre of Buddhist Studies and the Shan Cultural Association UK are co-hosting a conference. It is billed as the “first ever gathering in the West of academics working on Shan Buddhism and Culture”. According to the organisers:
Today the Shan people live in the Shan State of Myanmar, northern Thailand and southern China, and as Diaspora communities worldwide. For centuries, they have practised Theravada Buddhism. However, their unique culture and ways of practising Theravada Buddhism remain little studied. This conference will explore and increase awareness of their unique history, culture and religion.
A call for appers has been released, with 250 word proposals due by 7 September 2007. More information is available here.

2007-07-25T02:42:00.001-07:00

#1. Seeing Annyadham and Sati Saeng off at Dulles Airport (Washington DC.)
#2. Blessing us with Mai Soom Moan
#3. Same as #2
#4. On the day food offering to Annyadham at a place where Sao Ba lives
#5. Annyadham at Lincoln Memorial, in Washington DC.

2007-07-20T03:01:00.000-07:00

Dearest Relatives,

Here are some thoughts to share with you.

Some of you might not know what the words, Sao Ao and Sao Ar mean. So, I will explain, Ao means uncle for a younger brother from the father's side and Ar means aunt, for a younger sister from the father's side. They are the only two, 2nd generation Intalengs, whose birthdays are in July.

Sao Kyio Merng (Sao Ao Keaumurng per Pi Swy's letter) was 87 on the 8th. Mawm (that's how we call our father in Kengtung) offered lunch to the monks from Burma in Birmingham, UK. My brother-in-law, Dr. Kyaw Thinn and his wife/ my sister, Ouie are looking after our parents.

Sao Bo Noan Huffman (Sao Ar Nott per Pi Swy's letter) is going to be 88 on the 20th. The Abbot (Annyadham) of Kengtung is in the US for the time being promoting the sasanna and will be in Washington DC area next week. Sao Ba (aunt) Nott will offer lunch on her birthday and will be blessed by the Annyadham. Very lucky indeed! Although she doesn't have children of her own, her niece is taking care of her. Sao Ba Nott must have done something very good in the previous life as she's now having a very comfortable life. If you want to send birthday wishes, she can be contacted at hurklu@gmail.com.

She should be addressed as Sao Nai (Granny) Nott by the 4^th generation. She had served the community well by building a place for ladies to stay during their meditation sessions in Texas U.S.

Thank you Sao Pi Swy for the "wakeup" call for all of us to lead a life of dhanna (merit). I would like to put an item on the agenda for all of us to visit some of Pippa's Dhanna projects during the "re-union" too.

I think the "re-union" would be very beneficial especially for those of us who’s families span 4 generations. I am sure, the trip will also provide some valuable educational insights into our Shan culture.

If we ever do start a foundation, it would be a pity if the foundation were to cease after the 3rd generation. My friend who took her young sons to Burma said the money they donated there was money well spent and was a great opportunity to learn the true meaning of selflessness. My friend said she believed by her actions, she had sowed the seeds of "Karuna" and "Dhanna" in her children. I know such things cannot be learnt at school. While working with the Peace Corps, I've come to believe that there are many things we can give to people truly in need.

Thank you very much Sao Pi Vor for inviting us to stay at your house in Mae Rim. Our relatives who have never experienced the eastern culture will enjoy learning how people live in the east. Maybe we all will think of retiring over there and build a village of our own. Good income for Thailand too.

I wish you all a very healthy and prosperous life.

Metta,

Dong

07/07/07 & 08/08/08 & 20/07/2007

2007-07-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

This Century we have had and will have a total of twelve very Special Days in Astrology, Numerology, Birthdays, Weddings and more! July 7^th, 2007 is another one of those special days. According to a news report, one website states that 38,000 marriages were planned to take place on July 7^th, 2007. There will likely be some special babies born on July 7^th, 2007 too! The seven is often referred to as Lucky Seven! This year on 7/7/07 it was a lucky day for Venus Williams who won the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament for her fourth time! It is also the 100th Birthday of Hershe'ys Kisses. Since the turn of the Century beginning in 2001, we have had triple numbered dates and this trend will continue until 2012!

There are twelve years each Century of Special Numbered dates and times which will occur 24 times every Century! Numerology is the study of numbers. Much like Astrology and the Horoscopes derived each day based upon actual dates and planetary positions, numbers have a great meaning to many as well! The two sciences, Astrology and Numerology are used to explain the past, the present and to predict the future. Books and web sites about them are abundant and both are subjects of a great deal of study.

One year, a sibling pointed out to me that I was half my mother's age and that added together they were the current year. Another year I was the age of my husbands double digit year of birth and the same year he was the same age as my year of birth. When you added the two numbers together, they added up to the actual year that this happened in! When I noticed this weird date coincidence, it was a very Twilight Zone like moment! Double numbered years must be significant as well, 2011, 2022, 2033, 2044, 2055,and so on. The first triple numbered date for this Century, 01/01/01 occurred on January 1^st, 2001.

02/02/02 occurred on February 2^nd, 2002.
03/03/03 occurred on March 3^rd, 2003.
04/04/04 occurred on April 4^th, 2004.
05/05/05 occurred on May 5^th, 2005.
06/05/06 occurred on June 6^th, 2006.
07/07/07 occurs this year on July 7^th, 2007.

Next in the following five years to come we can expect the following date phenomena to take place:

08/08/08 will happen on August 8^th, 2008 next year.
09/09/09 will happen on September 9^th, 2007.
10/10/10 will happen on October 10^th, 2010.
11/11/11 will happen on November 11^th, 2011.
12/12/12 will happen on December 12^th, 2012!

These dates will not happen again for 89 years until the year 2101 when it will run again for twelve years.
For each of these dates, twice per day, in the morning, A.M. and in the evening, P.M., the year, day, hour, minute and second will be the same.

On this year's day at 7 Minutes and 7 Seconds after 7:00 A.M. on the 7th Day of the 7th Month of the 7th Year it was :
07:07:07:07:07:07 A.M. and again for 7:07:07 P.M. ! 08:08:08:08:08:08 Is

Coming Next. The last one for this Century will be on 12:12:12:12:12:12 in the year 2012!

Kiki in Hawaii

2007-07-18T06:05:00.001-07:00

From: Kiki Sunshine [mailto:kboonwaat@yahoo.co.uk]

Subject: Aloha people!

I just wanted to drop you a quick line and tell you about THE most awesome (yes i said it!) day ive had so far on my hawaiian leg! (talking of legs my thighs are red red red baby!)...

So i was picked up this morning along with two friends ive made here to go over to a harbour on the north western side of the island, welcomed by breakfast pineapple which we were assured was freshly plucked from trees that morning (the Dole plantation isnt far from here), we then embarked on a half hour journey out to see and wow, the colour of the water was just so beautiful, its hard to describe it, but if you imagine the deepest turquoise silk... anyhow, the water is sooooo clear its amazing, you can see 60/70ft to the bottom simply from the surface of the water and all around was coral reefs..

The first stop we made we all geared up in our snorkelling kit, and got in the water, we were told to just float as if we flapped or swam it would scare the dolphins away, i was a bit scared at first, not being able to breathe through your nose is a little daunting from the get go but i got used to it after a while and i have to admit im now a complete addict! anyhow, im not kidding there was at least 20-30 dolphins all swimming around us, they were all in pairs and over here the dolphins that they have are hawaiian spinner dolphins, aptly named as they play so much, they kept leaping out of the water, spinning in the air, and splashing back down, it was amazing, they arent as big as the bottle nosed, they only grow to 5-6 feet instead of 7/8 and they were so stunning it was beautiful. We had a great amount of time in the water too, went to another point, and got back in with another group.... how amazing!!

Next stop was where the sea turtles were. Over a really stunning white and black coral reef, i looked down and saw 3 sat on the bottom of the ocean, it seemed as though they were really close but i guess they were quite far away really, then i saw this one coming up to the surface for air and no word of a lie, he came up around 2/3 foot from our faces, i swear it was going to hit us on its rise from th bottom! it was amazing, about 3 foot in diameter, he flapped happily away, completely not bothered by people, and we were able to follow and swim along side him for a while. Strange but i never knew or imagined that they would have teeth, i sure he popped his head up and yawned at one point, his mouth was wide open anyhow! mum, you would have just gone crazy! i did get an under water camera though so i hope i managed to get some good shots for you!

Then the last stop was over another coral reef, and this time we were looking over tropical fish, which scared me more than the other two as there was soooooooo many and some people were feeding them. Alot of them were black and jsut too big so i flapped around looking over the coral instead! Mmm it was so beautiful down there, ive never seen anything like it, the water was so clear, such a lovely color and soooo warm, at least now i know im going to be doing alot more of that whilst im here, im addicted, ive never seen anything like it or felt so liberated being somewhere so new, hidden to the naked eye and a world that seemed so natural and serene. It was just lovely.

So that was about it, we circled a few times as the dolphins came back and found us and surrounded the boat doing flips and there was this one baby one, couldnt have been more than 3ft, jsut showing off, it was lovely. We went back to shore and had a wonderful lunch... Lovely day, and one of the best experiences of my life. Hawaii is a tropical paradise, so much more than you could imagine or dream of and i cant wait to get to the big island now, (im leaving this sunday) which has 11 of the worlds 13 climates and is a world away from the tourists that they have here, just my thing! ............ more soon, i just had to share.

Hope you're all well and good, write me! i miss you all muchly (and sorely recommend you come here at least once in your lives!)

so much love

xxxxxx

Sasha

2007-07-16T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sasha & Tim set a wedding date

2007-07-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

To my dearest Dad and Vivien, Aunty Noot and cousins Ning, Paw and Zam, Uncle Leik and Aunty Kham Noam, Uncle Leng, Uncle Let and Aunty Alice and dear little cousins Chad Kyle and Luke and Sister Kiki, Aunty Ouie Uncle Leo, cousin Kaysi and Aung

It is with great pleasure and delight that I write to you today announcing a wedding date of the 08-08-08; he-he ………… Tim and I are getting married!

As this will be a very special occasion for us, we would both like to invite you all to come and join us and celebrate the special event of us getting married x It would mean THE WORLD to us both to have you present and with us on the day; and as we know there would be travelling involved, we have decided to announce the wedding date early enough to family in order for you to be able to see if it would be possible to book this in as a holiday and get this time off of work to be with us.

Tim and I have been together for 16 years and feel that the time is right to tie the knot next year, I spoke to Dad the other day and he tells me that the number 8 is lucky in Chinese and by my mad calculation of numbers I also work it like this, 08 – is the month in which my birthday is, adding the second 8 gives me 16 the number of years Tim and I have been together while setting a date, and by adding the third 8, gives this me 24 the age he was when I met him, if I then reverse the 24, giving me 42, this will be the age he is when we get married! Now how’s that for a bit of Sasha madness.. lol big smile, you know me always working things out and well I do like numerology as well. 8 is a complete number in which both halves are the exact same size and a number in which never ends the line lasts forever and circles for eternity, so you see there are many reasons for this date.

As I also know that not all of our family members are unable to make the Chiang Mai family reunion and for these reasons I beg for you all to try and make this date, if we do not achieve a reunion there, then we will be able to have a Boonwaat reunion if you are able to make the wedding x This would be a blessing within itself to me and us all.

So, I leave you with these thoughts and for the night or until I see you on MSN next and send all my LOVE to you each and every one of you – x.

Sent with lots of love and best wishes from us both, please let me know in time if you will be able to attend on the 08-08-08 @ 10.45am. A formal invitation will be sent to you all in the post once the venue has been confirmed but until then, please reserve this date in your dairy so we can share it with family.

Best wishes, Sasha n Tim x

PS I thought you may like to see a recent photograph of us laughing and having fun, last weekend when we attended a friends wedding funily enough it was on the 07-07-07, Tim was the grooms Bestman, hence him in a posh suit, a rare occasion for Tim... but doesn't he scrub up well x love him ;0) If you like you may put this picture on the Mengrai family blogg as I am not too sure how it is done ~ Thanks and big hugs x Sasha

2007-07-14T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mae Rim

2007-07-12T06:44:00.001-07:00


Dear Sao Ao, Sao Ar and all our kins,

First of all, Swy and I have met each other everyweek and everytimes we have been discussing the possibility of organizing the reunion meeting in 2008 next year. All of us here agreed that it is truly a fantastic idea if we all can get together and show our unity and harmony to all concern. But in a practical way, it is not easy and very difficult to accomplish our mission. It is more or less to say "mission impossible" for the majority of us to be able to join. We all are living and scattering around the world and some are tied up with their daily works or routines and till now it shows just "may be" sign. Everyone must have ample time and money to spend along with strong determination to meet our relatives in this mission. Also, what is our main objective of the meeting?, just to meet and get to know each other or to establish the Intaleng Foundation to help our Shan refugees, younger and older, along Thai-Burma border? Or some other projects proposed by the attendants.

However, I myself have moved to Chiang Mai with my family since I was 5 years old. I am now 66 and semi-retired. And in fact I may not have known many of my kins or relatives descended from Intaleng's ancestors. If possible, I am more than willing to meet some Ao, Ar, brothers ,sisters and in-laws who can afford to come to meet me, Swy, Audrey, Khemarasami and those who have resided in Chiang Mai. My wife, Asripon, and I and all three of my sons and daughter would like to welcome those who can afford the trip.

For those who are looking for accommodation, my house in Mae Rim can accommodate at least 10 people or more. I would like to offer myself as a host so we can get acquainted and talk about our past. Meanwhile, anyone who need assistance in anyway that I can help in Chiang Mai, please do not hesitate to let me know. Please think that we are all come from the same family with great ancestors, only that now we are called "stateless Saos".

At present, I have a few personal opinions and would like to hear your comments accordingly;

1. I presume that most of us have computers and know how to use it well. I fully agreed and supported the suggestion by Cheri from Sydney who suggested we build up our own personal blogs to share ideas and images, photos, stories etc. which everyone can browse and visit. This way we will get to know each other and exchange ideas, opinions and many other subjects of interests. I can see this is the cheapest way for the reunion through this mean of informative technology.

2. Regarding the Intaleng Foundation as suggested by Swy, in my
opinion, it is not easy to establish legal foundation in Thailand. Besides, managing other people's money is risky and need strong continuous support from donors. I suggest from those who are willing to donate and contribute, we can do it once in a while and from time to time with no involvement in a long term.

3. Swy and I have literally build up an Intaleng's family tree
starting from our parents and known ancestors. But I cannot go further because of insufficiency of information. I would like to cooperate with someone to make the tree and branches bigger. Identified persons with his/her photos will help us to recognize and remember them.

4. Meanwhile, we can keep personal contacts through e-mail or other
means of communication.

With respect and regards to all,
Vorachak Nachiengtung
.......................................
MANAGING DIRECTOR
A.U.T. COMPANY LIMITED

How to start a foundation

2007-07-11T05:45:00.000-07:00

In the field of philanthropy, the term "foundation" has no precise meaning. The Internal Revenue Code governs the operations of both private foundations (including family, independent, and company foundations) and public charities (community foundations and those nonprofit charitable organizations which raise funds to conduct their programs and operations). The rules governing private foundations are stricter in limiting foundation activities than are those for public charities.

When starting a foundation, it is essential for the donor or the donor's advisor to comprehend - at the outset - the basic legal rules that govern the formation and regulate the activities of foundations. And, while legal considerations are important, there are additional considerations in starting a foundation:

How much administration and management do you wish to take on yourself or do you want to delegate?
What degree of control do you want over the funds?
Is family unity one of the motivations?
Do you view philanthropy as a tool to transmit values?
Should there be a mission statement?
Will outside applications for grants be accepted?
How will you decide grantmaking priorities and communicate them to the public?
Is a private foundation the right choice for me?

Keeping Current

Additional Resources

Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University
Facts & Figures (Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Foundation Center
Giving USA | American Association of Fundraising Counsel
GuideStar
Independent Sector

World On Fire sung by Sarah McLachlan

2007-07-11T05:10:00.001-07:00

click on fire to listen

The worlds on fire its more then I can handle
Ill tap into the water try and bring my share
Try to bring more, more then I can handle
Bring it to the table
Bring what I am able

Hearts are worn in these dark ages
Youre not alone in these stories pages
The light has fallen amongst the living and the dying
And Ill try to hold it in
Yeah Ill try to hold it in

Chorus

I watch the heavens but I find no calling
Something I can do to change whats coming
Stay close to me while the skys falling
I dont wanna be left alone dont wanna be alone

Chorus

Hearts break hearts mend love still hurts
Visions clash planes crash still theres talk of
saving souls still colds closing in on us

We part the veil on our killer sun
Stray from the straight line on this short run
The more we take the less we become
The fortune of one man means less for some

Chorus

List of donations

Singhadej Pengrai

2007-07-11T05:01:00.000-07:00

Singhadej Pengrai wrote:

My dear Sao Ao Keaumerng, Sar Nott & all,

Re. Chiangmai 2008 reunion, I am pleased to note that
it has brought about the attention of kinship. The
Magrai surname was adopted in 1959 which is five
decades ago and it is good to have an awakening.
Let me draw to the question of why has the Mangrai
(Mengrai)family is so scatttered all over the world.
Is it of our own doing? Do we have to blame fate
(Kamma) for it?
Our forefathers were, for the past seven/eight
centuries rulers of a state called Kengtung. How did
we come to lose it? We can call ourselves "stateless
saos". We can go back and get a glimpse of Kengtung
and its ancient buildingsand the royal tombs for a
short while....

When we meet in Chiangmai what, are our plans apart
from getting to know each other, take snaps and have
meals together. What else? Do we pay respects to our
elders? If so, why don't we meet in Birmingham, or in
Virginia where we have Sao Ao and Sao Ar,
repsectively? Do we intend to make it a hisotrical
gathering? How?

I would like make a suggestion. If everyone planning
is to spend a certain budget on the trip, on
airtickets, hotel fees, etc., not counting the
shopping list, it would all amount to a fortune spent.
Would it not be better if we contribute this enormous
amount to a, what I would call an "Intaleng
Foundation". I have left out the Mangrai as some spell
it Mengrai, Mongrai, etc.
This foundation will look after the education of Shan
refugees all along the border, as well as in Thailand.
Shans in Thailand do not enjoy refugee status and are
looked after, rather very poorly by certain
missionaries, or some NGOs and people who sometime
bake cookies and send funds over. There is also a Thai
radio anchorman who has sought donations for these
destitute children. All on a very small scale,
compared to those of the Burmese and Karens receive.
If we can help "our kids" in their eductaion, culture
and language at least even though we don't have a
state, we can still survive as an entity. How many of
us can speak, read or write Shan, not to mention the
Kengtung Khuen script? We seem to be vanishing slowly.

I would welcome ideas on how does a foundation work
apart from setting up a board of trustees, and how to
keep it fuctioning apart from our annual or regular
donations.

With love and respects,
Swy.

Refuge and the Three Jewels

2007-07-05T06:34:00.001-07:00

The Tibetan word for refuge is chup, "to be protected by." Every day we wake up and tacitly take refuge in something that we think will offer us security and protection. Most of the time we put our poker chip on the little thing that says "desire." We spend our time chasing worldly gains. We take refuge in money, in having things, in winning, in avoiding loss. While there's nothing inherently wrong with external pleasures, when we believe that our happiness depends on them, we're engaging in samsara--a Sanskrit word describing a circular and endless process that results in pain, suffering, and disillusionment. We work hard for what we think we want and when we get it, we don't feel the happiness we expected.

In formally becoming Buddhists we take refuge in the three jewels: the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha. We take refuge in the Buddha as teacher, our example of an awakened being. The Buddha also represents the potential for enlightenment that we all possess. Taking refuge in the Buddha is taking refuge in our own enlightened aspect. He's our role model for someone who went through a personal struggle and came to rest in wisdom and compassion.

We also take refuge in the dharma--the truth that the Buddha expounded. This includes his literal words as well as the inner truth to which the words are pointing. Fundamentally we're taking refuge in the notion of selflessness or emptiness, luminosity, suchness. The dharma is the fundamental nature of things. It's the way things are.

The third jewel is sangha, a community of individuals who come together to practice, who know what to accept and what to reject in order to go forward on the path. We come together to cultivate the qualities that take us toward enlightenment. We reject the qualities that take us in another direction.

In the beginning we're in a bewildered state. We don't know what to accept and what to reject. We know things aren't working out, but we're not sure why. It's usually because whatever we encounter, we react with aggression, attachment, or confusion. We're so busy trying to avoid what we don't want, get what we want, and ignore our suffering that we don't even know what we're doing. Unless we wake up to how it works, our life can be a process of these negative emotions alternating. They disturb our inherently peaceful mind, reinforce the notion of a solid self, and cause more suffering. That's why these qualities are known as "the three poisons."

When we practice shamatha meditation--peaceful abiding--we look at our minds and see what's happening. We're able to say, "Oh, here comes a moment of anger." We begin to see how we use anger to maintain the solidity of "me," even if it means hurting others. We also begin to see how often we use anger as a way to work things out: "I'm gonna get angry. Then I'll get what I want." But looking at the dharma of the situation shows us that the real result of anger is always more pain.

We see how desire creates fixation and duality--a separation of self and other in terms of what we experience and what's projected. We begin to understand that whatever we're after is conditioned by impermanence; it is not a solid entity. Neither are we. We work so hard to get something, and even when we think we've succeeded, it's falling apart right in front of our face. We can't really hold on to anything. We experience the process of trying to hold on as suffering--a sense of agitation and impending loss. Then we're likely to say, "Next time will be better. I didn't have enough desire. If I have enough desire, I'll get what I want."

That's how we usually engage with our lives. The Buddha saw this seemingly simple truth and showed us how to open our eyes and see what's actually going on. Is there anything in our lives that's ever remained permanently? No, there's only impermanence. Is there anything we experience in which we can find a solid identity? No, we're always in a state of flux. Is there any situation that isn't inhibited by suffering? Our happiness is a slippery situation. Suffering is always going to catch up with us. The Buddha taught that we need to see the truth of how things are because in fact, as real as it seems, the pain too is ephemeral, empty, and without entity.

Taking refuge in the three jewels, we begin to see a larger perspective: living as if aggression, desire, and confusion is going to lead to true happiness is like planting tomatoes when what we want is apples. To get what we want, we need to plant the seeds of virtue: love, compassion, and wisdom. Taking refuge is a moment when we say, "I'd like to do things differently now." At that moment it is said that the seed of enlightenment is born in us. We want to stop perpetuating samsara. It takes tremendous conviction to give up being mad, to give up being jealous, to pull our heads out of the sand and acknowledge suffering. It's not an easy path to follow. But when we take refuge, we aspire to turn our minds away from the samsaric way of living and to cultivate compassion, loving-kindness, and wisdom instead. We decide to nurture the seeds of genuine happiness.

It's difficult to do this on our own. So we take refuge in the sangha. These are people who can support us, to whom we can look for guidance. Together we're trying to understand that ultimately, dwelling in anger, desire, and bewilderment is not going to lead to liberation. We're acknowledging that we've been in a reactive state: if somebody's said something we didn't like, we've responded automatically with jealousy, anger, or denial. We're saying that we can now be proactive, in accordance with compassion, love, or wisdom.

In order to create that space where we're not inundated by negativity, we need to cool the mind. We need to nurture a mind that is stable, strong, and clear enough to handle the rigors of this process. If our mind isn't like that, even if we want to choose a more proactive path, we don't have the option. We need to settle the mind, settle the body, begin to breathe. Meditation is how we as a community step on to the path of virtue. Together we're taking refuge in the Buddha's teaching that there's a way out of the circle of aggression, fixation, and ignorance.

By practicing peaceful abiding together, we're offering each other the strength and courage to develop our enlightened qualities. We're tilling the soil, planting the seeds, and watering the love, compassion, and wisdom that sprout forth. We're acknowledging that before we can better the world, we need to relate to what's happening within our own minds. At the same time we're developing a compassionate community through which we can engage the world in a different way. We're establishing a culture based on the foundation that each of us has the genes for enlightenment.

Mipham Practice

2007-07-05T06:04:00.001-07:00

Mipham the Great was a towering figure in the Rime ("unbiased" or "non-sectarian") movement in the Tibetan Buddhism of the Nineteenth Century. Not only are his commentaries on all areas of the Buddhist teachings regarded as authoritative, he is an important source of the Shambhala Teachings, passed down to Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche through his own principal teacher, Jamgön Kongtrül of Sechen.

The Effect of Meditation on the Brain activity in Tibetan Meditators:

2007-07-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Andrew Newberg, MD

Home Books Bio Lectures Q & A Publications Research Links Contact

Research

The Effect of Meditation on the Brain activity in Tibetan Meditators:
Frontal Lobes

The figure below was obtained during an ongoing study of the neurophysiological correlates of meditation. Briefly, we have been studying highly experienced Tibetan Buddhist meditators using a brain imaging technology called single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). SPECT imaging allows us to image the brain and determine which areas are active by measuring blood flow. The more blood flow an area has, the more active it is. The image below shows the results from a baseline scan on the left (i.e. at rest) and during a "peak" of meditation shown on the right.

Two sets of images were taken, showing slightly different parts of the brain. The first image (above) shows that the front part of the brain, which is usually involved in focusing attention and concentration, is more active during meditation. This makes sense since meditation requires a high degree of concentration. The second image shows that there is decreased activity in the parietal lobe. This area of the brain is responsible for giving us a sense of our orientation in space and time. We hypothesized that blocking all sensory and cognitive input into this area during meditation results in the sense of no space and no time which is so often described in meditation. A more complex version of the model from which the hypothesis is based can be found in the paper by Drs. d'Aquili and Newberg entitled, "Religious and Mystical States: A Neuropsychological Substrate" (Zygon 28: 177-200, 1993).

The Effect of Meditation on the Brain activity in Tibetan Meditators:
Parietal Lobes

Two sets of images were taken, showing slightly different parts of the brain. The first image shows that the front part of the brain, which is usually involved in focusing attention and concentration, is more active during meditation. This makes sense since meditation requires a high degree of concentration. The second image (above) shows that there is decreased activity in the parietal lobe. This area of the brain is responsible for giving us a sense of our orientation in space and time. We hypothesized that blocking all sensory and cognitive input into this area during meditation results in the sense of no space and no time which is so often described in meditation. A more complex version of the model from which the hypothesis is based can be found in the paper by Drs. d'Aquili and Newberg entitled, "Religious and Mystical States: A Neuropsychological Substrate" (Zygon 28: 177-200, 1993).

Brain Scans Reveal Why Meditation Works

2007-07-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Melinda Wenner

Special to LiveScience
LiveScience.comSat Jun 30, 1:35 PM ET

If you name your emotions, you can tame them, according to new research that suggests why meditation works.

Brain scans show that putting negative emotions into words calms the brain's emotion center. That could explain meditation’s purported emotional benefits, because people who meditate often label their negative emotions in an effort to “let them go.”

Psychologists have long believed that people who talk about their feelings have more control over them, but they don't know why it works.

UCLA psychologist Matthew Lieberman and his colleagues hooked 30 people up to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) machines, which scan the brain to reveal which parts are active and inactive at any given moment.

They asked the subjects to look at pictures of male or female faces making emotional expressions. Below some of the photos was a choice of words describing the emotion—such as “angry” or “fearful”—or two possible names for the people in the pictures, one male name and one female name.

When presented with these choices, the subjects were asked to pick the most appropriate emotion or gender-appropriate name to fit the face they saw.

When the participants chose labels for the negative emotions, activity in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex region—an area associated with thinking in words about emotional experiences—became more active, whereas activity in the amygdala, a brain region involved in emotional processing, was calmed.

By contrast, when the subjects picked appropriate names for the faces, the brain scans revealed none of these changes—indicating that only emotional labeling makes a difference.

“In the same way you hit the brake when you’re driving when you see a yellow light, when you put feelings into words, you seem to be hitting the brakes on your emotional responses,” Lieberman said of his study, which is detailed in the current issue of Psychological Science.

In a second experiment, 27 of the same subjects completed questionnaires to determine how “mindful” they are.

Meditation and other “mindfulness” techniques are designed to help people pay more attention to their present emotions, thoughts and sensations without reacting strongly to them. Meditators often acknowledge and name their negative emotions in order to “let them go.”

When the team compared brain scans from subjects who had more mindful dispositions to those from subjects who were less mindful, they found a stark difference—the mindful subjects experienced greater activation in the right ventrolateral prefrontral cortex and a greater calming effect in the amygdala after labeling their emotions.

“These findings may help explain the beneficial health effects of mindfulness meditation, and suggest, for the first time, an underlying reason why mindfulness meditation programs improve mood and health,” said David Creswell, a UCLA psychologist who led the second part of the study, which will be detailed in Psychosomatic Medicine.

Video: Here's to Your Brain Top 10 Mysteries of the Mind Using the Mind to Cure the Body
Original Story: Brain Scans Reveal Why Meditation Works

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Kengtung: From minarets to muddy concrete

2007-07-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

by admin — last modified 2007-07-03 08:08

Almost 70 years ago, Maurice Collis, a former British magistrate in Burma, toured the Shan States, including a visit to the biggest and most prosperous of them all, Kengtung.

Kengtung: From minarets to muddy concrete
By: Withaya Huanok

No.02 - 7/2007
3 July 2007
General

Almost 70 years ago, Maurice Collis, a former British magistrate in Burma, toured the Shan States, including a visit to the biggest and most prosperous of them all, Kengtung. Kengtung was ruled by a royal family that traced its descent to King Mengrai, the founder of Chiang Mai. Under British rule, the Kengtung Saophas (princes) ruled semi-autonomously, administering to affairs of state from the Haw Saopha Kengtung (Kengtung Palace), which Collis also visited. Built in 1906, the Haw Saopha was a stately teak and stucco building that blended traditional Shan architecture with more contemporary European and Indian influences, the latter most evident in its distinctive minarets. The fusion of multiple cultural influences evident in the architecture of the town was noted by Maurice Collis, who wrote, “[Kengtung] was totally different from any town I had seen in the [Shan] states or in Burma. The houses were of stone or brick with tiled roofs. There was a marked air of China, though the architecture was not Chinese, nor was it Siamese, though it partook of both, and became a fusion unlike either, an individual style which must be called the Kengtung.”

_{Kyainge Tong New Hotel}

Today, Kengtung is a sleepy town, nestled 164 km north of the Thai border town of Mae Sai, accessible via a winding, heavily-militarized road recently paved by the Hong Pang Company owned by Wei Hsueh-kang of the United Wa State Army (UWSA), indicted by the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for narcotics trafficking. Although there are many modern, non-descript concrete houses, many of the stone or brick structures described by Collis remain in Kengtung, especially in the center of town, around the Nawng Tung (Tung Lake). However, the Haw Saopha Kengtung is not one of them. It was demolished in 1991 on the orders of General Kyaw Win, now a leading member of Burma’s ruling council, a casualty of development activities in preparation for the hordes of tourists the junta expected for Visit Myanmar Year, conveniently also removing a symbol of local autonomy and culture. Local residents protested but to no avail; when they refused to take part in the demolition, the authorities simply brought non-Tai Khüns[1] and prisoners for the odious task. Two enormous chains were fastened to the minarets of the Haw Saopha and harnessed to Tatmadaw armored personnel carriers. On the first two attempts, the chains broke; an omen, say the local residents. The Burmese succeeded on the third try.

In its place, a white, concrete-block structure topped with a green, vaguely Burmese-style roof was built and grandiosely named the Kyainge Tong New Hotel. It is by far the largest hotel in town, boasting 110 rooms spread over four floors. A concrete driveway curved up to the main entrance, adorned with a covered driveway topped with a similar green roof trimmed with Burmese-style gilded carvings. Without the faded, limp Burmese flag at the entrance and the roof, already peeling in many spots, the Kyainge Tong New Hotel could be any generic, Chinese concrete-box hotel. The reception area was unlit, staffed by a lone receptionist lounging about in boredom at the front desk. The corners of the room were adorned with several posters showing Burma’s colorful “national races” and various tourist sites, local and national. Non-descript sofas and wooden seats lined one end of the room; one sofa, still brand new, was wrapped in plastic, a “do not sit” sign pasted to it, perhaps for the occasional visiting dignitary. The only other occupants here were two middle-aged men in longyis, speaking Burmese, their voices amplified in the marble-paved room.

_{Kyainge Tong New Hotel(Infront)}

“This is a very good hotel,” noted one with a broad grin, his teeth stained maroon by betel nut, flashing a thumbs up sign. We had just met a quarter of the hotel’s current clientele.

A door led to the back garden, overgrown with various plants scattered haphazardly around a swimming pool. The light blue-tiled pool was empty save for small greenish/black puddles on the bottom. Weeds poked in between some of the tiles surrounding the pool. Several stone benches surrounded it, topped by tacky green Myanmar Beer beach umbrellas, each emblazoned with I [heart] Myanmar. I looked in vain for any building in the grounds that could have been from the old palace; there were none.

At a nearby temple, an elderly Tai Khün man, dressed in a faded polo shirt and traditional baggy Shan trousers, grumbled, “that is the behavior of the Burmese soldiers. For those they conquer, they are ruthless, they like to show who is in control. They like to keep people poor, easier to control. They are not interested in development. Just look at the roads around here. If the Thais build it,” he stopped speaking, his hand gesturing back and forth evenly. “But when they build it,” he paused, his hand waving up and down. “But everything they do is good, you cannot say it is bad or you go to jail.”

“If it [the Haw Saopha] was still here, it would be one hundred years old now,” wistfully sighed another similarly attired, elderly Tai Khün man, as he swept leaves around a spirit house nearby. “They should have kept it for tourists. Nobody really stays at that hotel. It’s haunted you know, ghosts come when people are asleep, enter their heads, make them weak. Most guests never come back.”

^{Nawng Tung Lake}

Like many in town, with sunset, I headed down to the nearby Nawng Tung, where the last sunbeams of the day turn the water surface into silver. Parents, their young children in tow, walk around the lake, while groups of older children and teenagers race about in bicycles or motorbikes. A group of teenage boys practiced breakdance moves on a grassy stretch while nearby, longyi-clad fishermen prepare their nets next to their bamboo rafts. Others started to gather at favorite watering holes, the thump of Thai pop reverberating about the lake. Although almost all such establishments were festooned with green and gold Myanmar Beer banners, most customers sipped Chinese beer which, at 400-500 kyat a bottle, was less than a third the price of Myanmar Beer. Several buildings Maurice Collis must have seen are still here, colonial-era structures of brick roofed with weathered, maroon shingles, often covered in spots with thick green moss. Many had missing tiles, the bigger holes hastily plugged using plastic sheeting or corrugated iron. New buildings have also sprung up around the lake, usually non-descript, two or three storey concrete structures with modern roofing, each almost invariably adorned with a satellite dish. Several had modern cars or SUVs parked in the driveway, bearing not the typical Burmese license plates but those starting with SW: Southern Wa. East of the lake, the skyline is

^{Nawng Tung Lake with The giant pointing Buddha}

dominated by the huge golden pagoda of Wat Jong Kham and the Kyainge Tong New Hotel. On the west side, a huge Burmese-style Buddha statue stood perched on a hill, imperiously pointing over Kengtung town rather than striking a more traditional, mindful pose. “Another reminder to the local people of who is in control,” noted a friend from Kengtung. Like most of the rest of Burma, there is no electricity after sunset short of what is privately generated, and the town quickly darkened with nightfall. The giant pointing Buddha remained clearly visible, illuminated by spotlights amidst the perpetual background blackout.

Gingerly navigating the unlit streets, I walked past the hulk of the Kyainge Tong New Hotel, even more forbidding after dark. The only lights visible were on the second floor of the four-storey building, and then, mostly on the shared balcony at the ends of the floor. Only one room in the side facing me was illuminated; the upper two floors were left completely dark, abandoned to the lonely ghosts and restless spirits. Before long, the solitary light flickered off, plunging the junta’s “development project” into the surrounding night.

_{[1] Although situated in Shan State, the majority of Kengtung’s population, including the royal family, is actually Tai Khün, said to be descendents of migrants from Chiang Mai. The language is close to Shan and northern Thai, and the Khün script bears close resemblance to ancient Lanna}_script.

_{Images: By: Withaya Huanok}

Happy Birthday for the first week of July to another Mengrai

2007-07-03T06:33:00.001-07:00

Flax seed oil - less fishy alternative to fish oil and good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids

2007-07-01T02:59:00.001-07:00

2007-07-01T02:33:00.000-07:00

Fish Oil

2007-07-01T02:16:00.000-07:00

New Message on Sree&SaiChinLOY

Fish oil is known to decrease the risk of heart arrhythmias, which are a potential cause of heart disease, stroke and sudden cardiac death. According to a new study, regular intake of fish oil can reduce heart rate and decrease the risk of sudden death by as much as 5% in the overall population.

There is significant evidence that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce arrhythmias, disorders of the regular rhythmic beating of the heart. Arrhythmias can occur in a healthy heart and be of minimal consequence, but they also may indicate a serious problem and lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death. A recent meta-analysis published in the journal Circulation further confirms this association. Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health combined statistical analysis of thirty studies published from 1996 to 2005. These studies involved nearly 1,700 individuals treated with fish oil or placebo for up to one year. The median combined dose of EPA and DHA was 3.5 grams/day for an average of 8 weeks. The overall estimated change in heart rate of those treated with fish oil was 1.6 beats per minute. The reduction in heart rate was even greater among trials whose participants had higher baseline heart rates. In those studies, treatment with fish oil resulted in a decreased heart rate of 2.5 beats per min. There was no evidence of a dose-response effect, and heart rate was not significantly different between higher and lower doses compared with placebo. Although the overall effect of fish oil on heart rate appears small, researchers estimate that on a population basis this could correspond to as much as a 5% reduction in sudden death. Mozaffarian D, Geelen A, Brouwer IA, Geleijnse JM, Zock PL, Katan MB. Effect of fish oil on heart rate in humans. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Circulation 2005;112:1945-19

2007-06-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

Sorry no voting buttons as yet, just the pretend one but you can leave a message in the guest book.

Hi All

Please use the voting buttons above to indicate if you will be joining the Project Mangrai Chaing Mai Family Reunion 2008. If you unsure then just reply using maybe, I will take maybe as a perhaps until you confirm. If no one has yet proposed a date to meet I would like to suggest the 28th of December 2008. This date would be easy for the children as they will be off and also flights are cheaper when flying after xmas day.

Pi Leik and Pi Let have both suggested to stay at the Empress Hotel in Chaing Mai as per the link:
http://www.empresshotels.com/empress_hotel.html

I would ask if there is a group booking of us, that we are bless with some discount per room, but would like to know who would like to stay closer to the time, this would be nicer if we all did share the same hotel, but for expense purposes we will understand if some of you choose to stay elsewhere, just let us know and then we will count you when requesting for some kinda of group discount if we are lucky, especially with it falling around the xmas time. Hotel pricing drop in Thailand after the 17 of January, if you all did want to move the date, this is the date from when you will not be commanded to pay more just because of the festive season! The hotel does have some sister hotels which will be cheaper, but prices range from £30.29, or $58.00 or 1,821.26 THB or 201.712 MYR - I hope this is enough exchanges for you to get a brief understanding of the cost there per night, of course there maybe a little influx for another year?

Day Date Service Type Number Rate Total, 1 Double Room 28-Dec-2007 (For Example (Fri) Standard Room (American breakfast included) Double
Total (inclusive of all taxes), 30.29 per night

Bearing in mind, that some members of the family will also be building their holiday around this event, we need to fix a date, I saw a message from my Dad suggesting around the water festival time, this is held on the Thai New Year, so therefore we would also all be there for that fun event, where even the adults can have fun with the children and become children once more.

I have not meet or heard of many of you, but somehow through relations we are all related, isn't that spooky, thanks to the blogg that has been released we are all learning more and keeping up to date with the events of one another.

So lets hope that the time in-between this reunion is good to us all and that we all make the re-union, let me know if you are intending to join or not and I will work with one of the project leaders to arrange this trip and actually make it happen! We did have one once before in Chaing Mai, but not to this scale, so lets get it organised and I will see you all there!

Lots of love for now.........

SashyB

Sasha Boonwaat, sister to Kiki Boonwaat father Sai Boonwaat son of Sao Boonwaat (brother and sister with Pi Noot, Liek, Leng, Let) Aunty Pi Noot children Ning and Paw and Zam, Uncles Pi Liek and Aunty Kham Noam, Pi Leng, Pi Let and Aunty Alice Cousin Chad, Kyle and Luke - thats us the Boonwaat Family.. he he It will be great to see and meet all other generations!

Be there, or be square!!!

Happy Birthday

2007-06-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Songkran April 2007

2007-06-22T19:21:00.000-07:00

Water Festival April 2008 - 2009?

2007-06-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

My Dear brothers, sisters and cousins

Why don't be just go for a time when the whole country feels naturally relaxed and everyone wants to have fun.

So when is the water festival? It's something I have missed since living in Colombo.

Love

Sao Sai Boonwaat

Dear all,

This is the tough part of fixing a date and every one agreeing to it. Would most of the school going children have longer school holidays in December? We also need to consider those who have to travel all the way from U.S., U.K. or Australia to fix the date, as for us it's only a few hours away. Let's have some feedback please.