The Centenary of King Thibaw's death

A commemoration and discussion today at U Thant House to mark the 100th anniversary of the passing of Thibaw, the last King of Burma.The special guest of honour was HRH the Princess Hteik Su Hpaya-gyi, granddaughter of King Thibaw (aged 94).Other speakers were Sofia Busch, who introduced U Thant House and today's event; Dr Thant Myint-U who gave a talk on the history of the Mandalay period; and U Soe Win, King Thibaw's great grandson, who spoke on the recent history of the royal family and the royal family today.Dr Thant Myint-U talked about the Burmese kingdom in the 19th century, the Anglo-Burmese Wars, the reforms of King Mindon, the changing structure of trade, relations with China, the impact of the American Civil War, the Panthay rebellion and other international developments on the Burmese economy, the Myingun rebellion, the reformist takeover of 1878, reasons for the failure of reforms, and the British conquest of 1885. He stressed the need for a fresh view of the Mandalay period in Burmese history and a better appreciation of the reforms undertaken and their lasting influence to today.The event was attended by foreign ambassadors, Regional Government Ministers, other members of the royal family, and over 120 other invited guests.