Dr. Nai Pan Hla, one of Burma's most famous cultural anthropologists who spent his career researching and writing on Mon literature, culture and script, passed away in Rangoon on Friday at the age of 87.
Nai Pan Hla was born in 1923 in Kawkareik Township, Karen State. He received his Bachelors of Science and Ph.D from Pacific Western University in America. In 1953, he became an official of Mon literature and culture at the Archaeological Department of Burma's Ministry of Culture in Rangoon, where he spent 40 years working for the department. Well known in Burma as a researcher, Nai Pan Hla wrote a paper about the history of Southeast Asia and wrote many books about his ethnic Mon.
 |
| Dr. Nai Pan Hla |
He also served as a professor in Japan for 10 years, and after returning to Burma in 1998 he worked to promote Mon literature and culture, teaching ancient and modern Mon script and literature to 45 senior academics in Rangoon and had 62 high school pupils in Moulmein, Mon State.
Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Monday, his daughter, Mi Pop, said, “My father worked for the Mon people in literature, culture and Mon script. He is a person who did not want to rely on others. He usually worked by himself. After he was sick, he was depressed because he could not work.”
“We have many books at home. We haven't decided yet what to do because we all are sad without him now,” she said.
Much of Mon history was recorded in Mon script during the time of the Mon empire, and Nai Pan Hla was one of only a handful of researchers working with Mon script, others being his class mate, Nai Tun Thein, and his two pupils, Nai Maung Toe and Nai Maung Lay.
“His death is a big loss for professional research in Mon literature and culture in the future,” said Nai Santhon, a Mon researcher and member of the culture committee in Sangkhlaburi. “It will be difficult to replace him.”
Today there are only two million people living in Mon State, and many Mon academics worry that they will lose their language in the future.
In 2000, Nai Pan Hla told The Nation, an English-language Newspaper in Thailand, “Everywhere in the world the minority language is swallowed by the majority one,” adding that he believed the Mon language will be dead within 40 years.
“Some people say I'm a madman, but I don't want my language to disappear in my lifetime,” Nai Pan Hla said.
As part of his promotion of Mon language and literature, Nai Pan Hla held annual Mon language exams in Mon State. Although most Mon youth today are not interested in learning Mon script, many Mon students took the exam and Nai Pan Hla gave a certificate and money to award winners.
“He has the thanks of the Mon people. More people get to know Mon because of his books,” said Nai Min Rahta, an observer of Mon Research who once had the opportunity to speak with Nai Pan Hla. “I could see that he [Nai Pan Hla] has many skills and is hardworking,” Nai Min Rahta said. “He has a lot of tolerance in his work. He didn't talk without fact. Sometimes he asked many detail questions.”
Nai Pan Hla's most well known book is “The Struggle of Rajadhiraj,” about battles between the Mon kings and the Burmese kings. Many of his books are used by academics in Southeast Asia who study Mon history, and the Mon national schools also use his books to study Mon history.
However, Nai Min Rahta said that although Nai Pan Hla published many well-recognized books about Mon history, some New Mon State Party members have said that some of Nai Pan Hla's books improperly credit the Burmese king with having a good relationship with the Mon king.
Nai Pan Hla was also a skilled dancer, said Nai Min Rahta, and danced in a culture show in Japan with Khin Than Nu, famous Burmese actress.
Nai Pan Hla had become paralyzed last year and suffered failing health since that time. He is survived by seven children. His merit day will hold on 24 June, according to his family.
E-MAIL
PRINT
COMMENTS (7)
