Sao Kya Seng
Sao Kya Seng or Sao Kya Hseng (Burmese: စဝ်ကြာဆိုင်; 1924–1962) was the last Saopha of Hsipaw State from 1947 to 1959. He studied Mining Engineering at Colorado School of Mines, located in Golden, Colorado, US,[1] from 1949 to 1953 and graduated with BSc degree in Mining Engineering at 1953 and then he married Sao Nang Thu Sandi or Inge Eberhard Sargent, a German-speaking Austrian student who had received a Fullbright Scholarship in 1951, studying at Colorado Women's College, a constituent college of Denver University located in Denver,US at that time and in 1954, he came back to Burma with her and they had two daughters, Dr. Sao Mayari Sargent Pritzker, 3rd and last younger wife of Robert Pritzker and Sao Kennari Sargent.
After they had arrived back from US, they were coronated as Saopha and Mahadevi officially although Sao Kya Seng had received this title since 1947. He abdicated in 1959 and also served as a member for Chamber of Nationalities from 1954 to 1962 which was upper house of Burma from 1948 to 1962, member for Shan State Council and Secretary for Association of Shan Princes from 1954 to 1962, representing Hsipaw constituency, Shan State. He was arrested in 1962 after General Ne Win's 1962 Burmese Coup d'état and killed in prison mysteriously.[2] He was considered by Shan people as one of the Shan national leaders who promoted Federalism and Democracy, together with Sao Shwe Thaik and Sao Hkun Hkio. His nephew, Khun Htun Oo, son of his elder brother Sao Kyar Zon, is now currently serving as President of Shan National League for Democracy, major political party for representing Shan people.
References
- ↑ Huanok, Withaya (2015-10-08). "Posthumous Award Revives Memories of a Shan Prince". The Irrawaddy. Irrawaddy Publishing Group. Retrieved 2016-03-27.
- ↑ Graber, Janna L. (2001-02-14). "A Royal Duty - Inge Sargent, A Former Princess Of Burma, Works To Help Those Still Caught In Country's Turmoil". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-03-27.