Bulletin of the Burma Studies Group
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BULLETIN OF THE BURMA STUDIES GROUP Opera house and boat yard in Gothenburg, Sweden Burma Studies Conference, 2002 Number 69 - 70 March - September 2002 Bulletin of the Burma Studies Group Southeast Asia Council Association for Asian Studies Number 69-70, March-September, 2002 Editor ________________________ Ward Keeler Department of Anthropology University of Texas at Austin CONTENTS Austin, TX 78712 ________________________ tel: (512) 471-8520 fax:(512) 471-6535 email: [email protected] Introduction 2 Assistant Editor In Memoriam 2 Jason Carbine University of Chicago Divinity School email: [email protected] May Kyi Win Memorial 3 Endowment Book Review Editor Leedom Lefferts New Director for Center for 3 Department of Anthropology Burma Studies Drew University Madison, NJ 07940-4000 tel: (202) 547-4868 Burma Studies Conference 4 email: [email protected] Burma Studies Conference 6 Discussions, Lectures, and Papers Subscription Manager Catherine Raymond The Center for Burma Studies Burma Archives Project 17 Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL 60115-2854 Online Burma/Myanmar 19 office: (815) 753-0512 Library fax: (815) 753-1776 email: [email protected] web: www.grad.niu.edu/burma "Living" Bibliography of 21 Secondary Research on Burma Subscriptions Individuals and Institutions: $25 a year Asia Pacific Studies Network 22 (Includes Journal of Burma Studies) Send checks, payable to The Center for Burma Studies or email Beth Bjorneby A Letter From Burma 23 at [email protected] (Visa and Mastercard accepted only). Reviews 30 Next Issue March 2003 Dissertation Abstract 33 (Submissions due February 1, 2003) ________________________ ________________________ Introduction In Memoriam ________________________ ________________________ It is with some sorrow that I take on the Daw May Kyi Win was an associate position of editor of the Bulletin, since it is a professor and curator of the Donn V. Hart post that Daw May Kyi Win filled so well Southeast Asia Collection in the Northern for six years. Her untimely passing is a blow Illinois University Libraries. May Kyi Win to all of us who came to rely on her expert died on February 23, 2002 at the age of 54. skills in tracking down additions to the literature on Burma—and came to treasure A member of the library faculty from 1990 her inexhaustible energy, generosity and until her death, May Kyi Win was the only charm. Taking over from her but lacking her native Burmese curator in the United States. bibliographical expertise, I am obliged to During her tenure at the University give the Bulletin a somewhat different cast. I Libraries, she contributed to the Burmese will try to provide information about useful collection and the Mainland Southeast Asia databases for Burma scholars and to include collection through her linguistic expertise other notices about recent academic work. and her knowledge of the literature of the But I would also like to invite subscribers to region.The Burmese collection is considered this bulletin to send along news of new or one of the world's largest and best ongoing research projects and other collections outside of Burma. Besides activities of interest to our membership. As performing duties involving collection the recent conference in Gothenburg made development and serving as reference clear, the field of Burma studies is enjoying librarian in the Southeast Asia collection, something of a boom, and it would be a May Kyi Win was the chief cataloguer of benefit for all of us to know what people are Burmese language materials. up to. In addition to her professional work, Win I should apologize for the long hiatus adopted her niece and brought her to the between the last issue of the Bulletin and United States from Burma for proper this one. In collaboration with Jake Carbine, schooling. She also opened her home for who has kindly offered to take charge of lodging and provided food for participants in formatting each issue, I hope to get the Burma Studies Conferences. Bulletin back on a regular semi-annual schedule. I welcome suggestions about the May Kyi Win is remembered for her tireless Bulletin‘s content and form, as well as work to improve the Burmese collection, to communications about new or on-going secure additional funding and to provide projects. first-rate service. She was also known for her selfless service to others as a "user- Ward Keeler centered" reference librarian, for her kindness and willingness to serve as mentor to students, for a deep sense of charity 2 / March -September 2002 Bulletin of the Burma Studies Group extended to all things great and small, and as a person of strong faith and high moral May Kyi Win Memorial Endowment character. The library that she so loved will Center for Burma Studies forever miss her expert assistance, warm Northern Illinois University presence and charitable spirit. Adams Hall Rm. 410 DeKalb, IL 60115 May Kyi Win was the author of two books: Historical Dictionary of Thailand (with make checks payable to the May Kyi Win Harold E. Smith) and Historical Dictionary Memorial Endowment, or send donations by of the Philippines (with Artemio R. e-mail to: [email protected], providing your Guillermo). She was working on a revised credit card number and expiration date. (We edition of the Thai dictionary at the time of can only accept Visa and Mastercard.) her death. ________________________ ________________________ New Director Appointed May Kyi Win for the Center for Burma Memorial Endowment Studies at NIU ________________________ ________________________ May Kyi Win served continuously for six On August 16, 2002, Dr. Catherine years as editor of the Bulletin of the Burma Raymond was appointed the new Director of Studies Group. One of her innovations as the Center for Burma Studies at Northern editor was to compile the Annual Illinois University. She replaces Dr. Richard Bibliography of Burma Studies for Cooler on his retirement. Dr. Raymond publication in the Bulletin. An endowment earned a Ph.D. in Art and Archaeology from in her name has been set up to continue that La Sorbonne, Paris III in 1987. She also work. The endowment will allow us to studied Burmese at the School of Oriental appoint an individual to compile an annual Languages and Civilizations (INaLCO), in English-language bibliography of academic Paris, and at Yangon University. She is publications on Burma. We also hope to currently focusing on Buddhist iconography maintain the unique collection of books and in Theravada Buddhist countries in maps May Kyi Win helped to collect and mainland Southeast Asia, especially in the catalogue at the Northern Illinois University former Buddhist kingdom of Arakan. library. Recently, she has been researching the Burmese influence in Lao art and Thanks to everyone who has already architecture. donated to the May Kyi Win Memorial Endowment. So far, we have raised $7000. Dr. Raymond has also worked with art Our goal is to reach $10,000.00. We museums in Laos, where she continues to continue to welcome donations to the lead a project creating a database and endowment. Please mail donations to: catalogue of the items housed in the Temple - museum of Vat Sisaket. In February, 2002, she hosted an international conference in Bulletin of the Burma Studies Group March - September 2002 / 3 Vientiane concerning the conservation and alternative plans, so I went to the small interpretation of art objects. At Northern lobby, sat myself down on a sofa and closed Illinois University, Dr. Raymond will curate my eyes, hoping that a brief rest would the Burma Collection. reinvigorate me. I was just beginning to relax when a swarm of people started Since 1985, Dr. Raymond has taught coming into the room and taking seats. I was graduate and undergraduate courses in Art startled to find myself suddenly surrounded History and Theravada Buddhism in by people speaking Burmese, and all the Southeast Asia. In addition to her role as more startled when I opened my eyes and Director of the Center for Burma Studies, discovered that among them was a Burmese she will be an associate professor in historian now teaching in Singapore, two Southeast Asian art history in the School of Russian teachers of Burmese from St. Art at Northern Illinois University. Petersburg, a Chinese historian of Burma now teaching in California in the company Editor‘s note: Many of us had the of Burma scholars from the People‘s opportunity to meet Dr. Raymond for the Republic of China. We were soon joined by first time at the recent Burma Studies more Americans, Danes, French Conference in Gothenburg. All of us were academics—in sum, an amazingly impressed with her great energy and cosmopolitan array of people, all interested commitment to the cause of Burma studies, in Burma and all excited to be meeting up and delighted by her radiant friendliness. I with each other in the little lobby of an old- am sure that she will prove a great boon to fashioned hotel in, of all places, a beautiful Burma studies in her capacity as Director of city in southwestern Sweden! Rest was out the Center at NIU; it is a pleasure to of the question, and remained hard to welcome her to America‘s academic shores. schedule for the duration of the conference. Ward Keeler But the excitement was terrific. ________________________ The conference took place in a beautiful building on the Gothenburg University Big Bang-Up Burma campus. Panels were held in two light, airy halls with comfortable chairs and good sight Conference in Staid lines. Lunches and snacks were tasty and Scandinavian City generous. Indeed, the convenience and physical comfort the organizers assured us ________________________ all had much to do with the consistent level of intellectual excitement participants Burma-Myanma(r) Research and its Future: experienced.