Burma Freedom Calendar

Page 1 of 41

2012 Burma Freedom Calendar

Release to Public1 January 2012

Persons of the Year 2011

I. Pro-DemocracyI. A. Inside Burma: 1.

Aung San Suu Kyi

, NLD2.

Min Ko Naing

, 88GS, 65 ½ -year imprisonment (2008, arrested 22 August2007) Insein / Maubin / Kengtung / Thayet prisons3.

Win Tin

, NLD4.

Zarganar

, Thee Lay Thee5.

Ko Ko Gyi

, 88GS, 65 ½ -year imprisonment (2008, arrested 22 August2007) Insein / Maubin / Kengtung / Mong Hsat prisonsI. B. Outside Burma: 1.

David Tharckabaw

, KNU, Thai-Burma border2.

Maung Yit

, MoeMaKa, USA3.

Myo Thein

, Director, Burma Democratic Concern, United Kingdom4.

Lay Lay

, Unknown Ordinary Heroes Award Committee, Japan5.

Aung Linn Htut

, DSA 20, USAI. C. Foreigners: 1.

Vaclav Havel

(5 October 1936

–

18 December 2011), President of Czechoslovakia 1989-1992, President of Czech Republic 1993-20032.

Mitch McConnell

, Senator, Republican Party, Kentucky, USA3.

Marty Natalegawa

, Foreign Minister, Indonesia4.

Alberto Romulo

, Foreign Secretary, Philippines5.

Dalai Lama

, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, TibetII. Anti-DemocracyII. A. Hardliners: 1.

Sr-Gen Than Shwe

, Dictator-King2.

Gen Tin Aung Myint Oo

, Vice President3.

Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan

, Minister of Information and Minister of Culture4.

Col Aung Thaung

, Secretary of Union Solidarity and DevelopmentAssociation / Party5.

Maj-Gen Hla Tun

, Minister of Finance and RevenueII. B. Crony Financiers: 1.

Tun Myint Naing (a) Steven Lo

, Chairman of Asia World Co Ltd.2.

Tayza

, President and Managing Director of Htoo Trading Company3.

Zaw Zaw

, Managing Director of Max Myanmar Co Ltd.4.

Khin Shwe

, President of Zaykabar Company5.

Sayar Kyaung (a) Aung Ko Win

, Chairman of Kanbawza Bank

Page 2 of 41

January 2012

1 January (BC 153),

New Year’s Day

, the start of a new year according to the Gregorian calendar.1 January (1912), Date of Birth (DOB),

Journal Kyaw U Chit Maung

(1912-1946),

Birthday centennial1912-2012

, a courageous Burmese journalist and editor, native of Okpo, Pegu. His political analyseshelped guide the nation during a turbulent era marked by internal struggles to establish a democracyindependent of Britain in the late 1930s and the Japanese Occupation of the 1940s. Father: U Mya;mother: Daw Saw Yu; wife: Journal Kyaw Ma Ma Lay; grandson: U Thein Soe.1 January (1959), DOB, Daw

Shwe Zeegwat (a) Myint Myint Khin Pe

, co-founder of the Free Funeral

Service Association in 2001 and “Thukha” charity clinic in 2006. “The FFSS and Thukha Clinic just

want to assist the people and we are willing to do whatever we can t

o help in the spirit of charity,”

she said. Husband: Kyaw Thu; son: Pyi Thein Kyaw (USA); daughter: Myint Mo Oo (Australia,husband Kyaw Ko Ko).1 January (2000), death in custody at Tharawaddy prison, Ko

Nyunt Zaw

, All Burma Federation of StudentsUnion (ABFSU / Ba Ka Tha), All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF / Ma Ka Da Ta),Henzada, Irrawaddy.4 January (1948, 4:20 AM sharp),

Independence Day

, Independence from United Kingdom which hadcolonized Burma since 1885. The popular sentiment to part with the British was so strong at the timethat Burma opted not to join the British Commonwealth, unlike India or Pakistan.Three Flags:4 January 1948: By U Nu, the first Prime Minister of Burma under the provisions of the 1947Constitution of the Union of Burma; the independent flag has a red field with a blue rectanglein the left corner with 5 small stars surrounding one large star.3 February 1974: By Gen Ne win, dictator, the 1974 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of theUnion of Burma; the second flag has a red field with a blue rectangle in the left cornerbearing a cog wheel and a rice plant encircled by 14 stars.21 October 2010: By Gen Than Shwe, dictator-king, the military-sponsored 2008 Constitution of theRepublic of the Union of Myanmar (RUM); the third flag has horizontal stripes of yellow,green and red with a big white star in the middle.6 January (1995), death in custody at Insein prison, U

Kin Sein

, Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP), Prome,

Pegu.8 January (1991), death in custody at Insein prison, Insein Hospital, U

Sein Win (a) Yangyi Aung

(1937-1991), University Student Union 1959-60, Thongwa Township, Rangoon.10 January (1928), DOB,

Penang Sayadaw U Pannya Vamsa

, Spiritual Director, Chairman and Co-founderof International Burmese Monks Organisation, Penang, Malaysia, native of Sin Koo Ywa, WakemaTownship, Irrawaddy, left Burma since 11 December 1957 until the present time.10 January (1948),

Kachin National Day.

At the end of World War II, Burma sought Independence fromGreat Britain and Kachin leaders took solemn responsibility in partaking in this historic movement.In 1946 General Aung San came to Kachin homeland to discuss the united effort to achieveIndependence from Great Britain. The Kachin leaders were persuaded only on condition that theKachins would be given the same rights of equality with the Burmans and that the exercise of self-determination be granted to the Kachins in their internal affairs.

Kachin, which comprises of sixdifferent ethnic groups, including Jinghpaw, Lisu, Rawang, Zaiwa, Laovo and Lashi, gainedstatehood on 10 January 1948 by commemorated with the famous and traditional Manau celebrationat Shatapru ground, Myitkyina, Kachin.10 January (1973),

Lahu Revolution Day.

Page 3 of 4111 January (2006), death in custody at Putao prison, U

Khin Maung Lwin (a) Nay Min Aung

, Green StarsYouth Front, Democracy Party and Patriotic Youth Organisation, Kungyangon, Rangoon.12 January (1963),

Palaung Revolution Day.

14 January (1910), DOB, Sayagyi U

Thu Kha

(a) Thein Maung

(Born: 14 January 1910

–

Died: 7December 2005), native of Kyaiklat, six-timeBurmese Academy Awardwinningfilm director, writer,song writer,script writerandfilm actor,U Thu Kha Library in Kyaiklat, Irrawaddy. Thu Kha was profoundly respected for his altruistic attitude and works. He was the founder and president of the Rangoon Division Free Funeral Service Society, which volunteers its funeral services to anyfamily regardless of race, religion or social standing.15 January,

Karenni State Day.

15 January,

Naga New Year

. Naga New Year Festival is one of the rarest of ceremonies in Burma. Thereare more than 49 different clans with their own distinctive dresses and dialects. They usually gatherannually to celebrate the New Year on January 15. Traditionally Naga festival is held from Jan. 12 to16.18 January (1991), death in custody at Insein prison, U

Tin Maung Win

(1941-1991), political prisoner1963-71, 25-year imprisonment (1990) Insein prison, 7-7-62 student uprising, 8-8-88 uprising, TaKa Tha, post-WWII Old Student Leaders Organization, MP, NLD Khayan Township Constituency(2), Rangoon. Wife: Sayama Khin Hlaing Kyu.19 January (1910), DOB,

Ludu U Hla

(a) Kyipwa Yay U Hla

(19 January 1910

–

7 August 1982), native of Pazun Myaung village near Nyaunglebin, Mandalayan by marriage, husband of, veteran journalist,publisher, chronicler, folklorist and social reformer,

Kyipwa Yay

(Progress) magazine,

Thuriya

(Sun)newspaper,

Ludu

(The People) Journal,

Ludu Daily

newspaper, political prisoner 1953-56 jailed byAFPFL under U Nu, imprisoned for the fifth time in 1978, Dobama Asiayone, Progress for YouthClub,

Asha Lu Nge

(Asia Youth), one of the founder of AFPFL, Writers Association of UpperBurma, UNESCO award for literature (1958). Wife: Ludhu Daw Ahmar (1915-2008); sons: Soe Win(1941-67, killed during the CPB purges in the jungle of the Pegu Yoma range of mountains), PoThan Joung (b. 1945, spokesperson of Communist Party of Burma), Nyein Chan (b. 1952, writer NyiPu Lay of short stories and travelogues); daughters: Than Yin Mar (b. 1943, rtd. professor of medicine, writer Dr Mya Myitzu), Tin Win (b. 1947, in charge of Kyipwa Yay Press). One morningin 1948, soon after Burma gained her independence from the British, the

Kyipwa Yay

Press inMandalay was dynamited to rubble by government troops who were angry that the Ludu coupleappeared to be sympathetic to the Communists. The entire family, including two pregnant women,was thrown out into the street, lined up and was about to be gunned down when a number of monksand locals successfully intervened to save their lives. He opposed the British colonial rule andsuccessive military dictatorships and paid dearly for his fights for truth and human rights.20 January (1898), DOB, U

Abdul Razak (a) Maung Maung Gyi

(20 January 1898

–

19 July 1947), nativeof Meiktila, Mandalay, B.A. (NAT), National Hero, Martyr, teacher, MP 1945 AFPFL Mandalay,

Minister of Education and National Planning in Aung San’s Cabinet, chairman of the Burma Muslim

Congress, headmaster of Mandalay National High School, the Muslim of Burma.20 January (1926), DOB, Gen Saw

Bo Mya

(20 January 1926

–

24 December 2006), Karen NationalLiberation Army, Karen National Union, DAB, NDF, NCUB.22 January (1909, Friday), DOB,

U Thant

(22 January 1909