Wartime in Burma: A Diary, January to June 1942

Notes

Notes Preface 1. Robert Mole, The Temple Bells Are Calling: A Personal Record of The Last Years of British Rule in Burma (Bishop Auckland: Pentland Books, 2001). 2. Ibid. 3. Maurice Maybury, Flight of the Heaven-Born, vol. 2 of Heaven-Born in Burma (Somerset: Folio Hadspen, 1985). War Diary Date Format: Date headings for entries in the original Burmese edition of the diary were given in variants of the following basic form: “5.i.42— 5th waning of Pya-thou, Monday” (sometimes with the addition of the Burmese year 1303); date formats have been adapted to reflect standard U.S. practice (January 5, 1942; 1/5). Editions/Place-Names: This translation has been made from the 1966 Pagan Press edition of U Sein Tin’s diary—the first edition. The names of towns are given in English as they would have been written in 1940. In a second edition of the diary, published in 2002 by Mya Nanda Sa-ok taik, certain place-names have been changed in accordance with the decree passed in 1993. For example, Maymyo is now Pyin U Lwin, Prome is Pyei, Pagan is Bagan, Pegu is Bago, and Alanmyo is Myei-de. In the course of working with the two editions, it became evident to us that there are a considerable number of what seem to be careless omissions in the second edition, probably due to the retyping process and to faulty proofreading. Also, throughout the text the spelling of “one” in Burmese has been updated from “ta” to “tit.” 1. When disputes over land came to court, holding a receipt for payment of land revenue was important prima facie evidence of possession of 208 Notes the land at the time covered. Books of receipts were printed each year at the government press and issued to village officers. 2. A Burmese kadin is a wooden bedstead or a light frame for sitting or lying on. 3. U Myint Thein was a barrister and a member of the legislature of immense reputation. He remained in Burma in disguise during the Japanese occupation. After independence, he was Ambassador to China and to the United Nations and eventually became chief justice. He was imprisoned by Ne Win in 1962 but lived until 1994. 4. Fowler and Maybury were two junior members of Sein Tin’s own service. Maybury later published Heaven-Born in Burma, an account of his own experiences. The first volume, Flight of the Heaven-Born, covers this period. 5. At this point the editor of the 1966 edition notes, “For the eighteen days from 5/8/42 to 5/25/42 no entries are to be found. We learn that nothing was written because nothing special happened.” It is not clear how the editor learned this. It seems more likely that these pages were lost during the chaotic time after the dacoit attack on the rest house. At some point in this blank period the Japanese arrived and set up their administration at least several days before 5/26/42, when the diary resumes. 6. The diary ends at this point. U Sein Tin (Theippan Maung Wa) was killed on June 6, 1942. ...