Thein Pe Myint

Did You Know?

• Thein Pe Myint added his mother's name, Daw Myint, when he started writing.
• He earned a BA degree from Rangoon University in 1935.

Political career

Thein Pe Myint first got into politics while studying at Rangoon University in the mid-1930s. At that time he went by his birth name, Thein Pe, and served as secretary of the Dobama Asiayone, a major anti-colonial group that included future independence leaders like Thakin Aung San, Thakin Nu, Thakin Kyaw Nyein, Thakin Mya, Thakin Than Tun, and Thakin Shu Maung (later Ne Win). Even then he was already a controversial writer, and he quickly became a key voice for the leftist movement in Burma. He helped lead student protests against British colonial rule in 1936 and again during the 1938 uprising. When World War II broke out, Thein Pe Myint was among only a few prominent independence activists who refused to side with Japan. Breaking openly with most other student leaders, including Aung San, he chose to support the Allies, even if that meant cooperating with the British. After Japan invaded Burma in 1942, he went into hiding. His stance on Japan proved correct when Japanese rule turned out to be disastrous. Aung San, who had originally allied with the Japanese, later sent Thein Pe Myint to India to ask the Allies for help fighting Japan. He then handled propaganda and acted as a liaison between Burmese leaders like Aung San and the British special operations unit Force 136. After the war, he was active in several organizations, including the Communist Party of Burma, the Sino-Burmese Friends Association, the People Peace Association, and the Burmese Writers Association. In 1946 he became the first minister of Agriculture and Forestry in Aung San’s wartime government. He was imprisoned in 1948 but released the following year. Following independence, Thein Pe Myint shifted his political work toward journalism and advocacy.

Career as a writer and journalist

Thein Pe Myint's literary career began in 1937 when he was already a politically active Rangoon University student. His inaugural work 'Tet Phonegyi' (The Modern Monk; တက်ဘုန်းကြီး) openly deals with scandalous sexual liaisons and corrupt affairs of some of Burmese Buddhist clergy. His fellow Dobama Asiayone member Thakin Nu wrote the introduction of the book. The provocative book shocked the highly devout Burma, and came to symbolize the open challenge by the left-leaning college-educated student activists to the old unspoken norms of Burmese society. The book was vigorously denounced by the Young Monks Association. Both the writer and the publishing company received many threats. However, some leading writers including Zawgyi welcomed the book. He became known as Tet Pongyi Thein Pe. His notable works include: 'Tet Pongyi' (The Modern Monk), 'Tet Khit Nat Soe' (Devil in Modern Era), 'Thabeik Hmauk Kyaungtha' (The Boycotting Student), 'Thakin Kodaw Hmaing—Biography of Thakin Kodaw Hmaing', 'Ashay Ga Ne-Wun Htwet Thi Ba Ma' (As the Sun Rises from the East) — Winner of Burmese Literary Prize, and 'The History of Chin State' — Winner of Burmese Literary Prize. He wrote several books in English including 'What Happened in Burma' and 'Over the Ashes'. Many of his works are still being republished to this day, and among them 'Wartime Traveller' remains a bestseller. The book has been translated into English by Dr. Robert H. Taylor. He also directed a movie 'Yaukkya Gonyi' (A Man's Honour). He worked in the Red Dragon Book Association and wrote several plays. Thein Pe Myint founded The Botataung newspaper in 1958. (He was a former news correspondent of Myanma Alin in the late 1930s.) He was the chief editor of the left leaning influential paper until 1964 when his newspaper was nationalized by the socialist government led by General Ne Win as part of his Burmese Way to Socialism.