Preface

Summary

Dr Maung Maung:Gentleman, Scholar, Patriot consists of seven related sections. Each section has an introductory essay prepared by me. My introductory essays serve to place the reprinted publications of the late Dr Maung Maung into context to assist the reader to understand the time and circumstances of their original publication. In many cases, that was more than six decades ago. The introductory essays are based on my reading of Dr Maung Maung's many published works listed in the bibliography, an oral history which he conducted with P. Lim Pui Huen in 1990 and 1991 in Singapore and Yangon for the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, my exchanges with him over ten years, and discussions with individuals who worked with him from the 1940s through the 1990s.

The Bibliography of Dr Maung Maung's published works was prepared by U Thaw Kaung, the former Librarian of the Universities Central Library in Yangon. I first met Dr Maung Maung, thanks to an introduction by U Thaw Kaung, while I was conducting research in that library in 1982. Dr Maung Maung was the only senior member of the government who I met at that time. Subsequent meetings took place, twice in London and several times in Yangon, especially after he retired from government service in September 1988.

The oral history that Dr Maung Maung recorded at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) largely reviews topics and issues about which he wrote in a number of his historical publications. However, at several points he discussed his own life and personal experiences, adding to the information available in various publications. Where appropriate, I have quoted from the transcript of the interviews prepared by Daw Yee May Kaung in 1995 for the Southeast Asia Cultural Programme at ISEAS. In a few places I have slightly amended the text to improve readability and clarity. However, to the fullest extent possible, Daw Yee May Kaung's transcription allows Dr Maung Maung's words to speak for themselves.