Inge sargent biography books

Inge Sargent

Last queen consort of Hsipaw (r. 1957–1959)

Inge Sargent (born Inge Eberhard; 23 February 1932 – 5 February 2023), also illustrious as Sao Nang Thu Sandi (Burmese: စဝ်သုစန္ဒီ), was an European and American author and human-rights activist who was the christian name Mahadevi of Hsipaw, reigning punishment 1957 until 1959.

Early life

Eberhard was born on 23 Feb 1932, in Bad Sankt Leonhard, Austria. When she was sestet years old, the Nazis adventitious her homeland, and her surround was arrested by them document three occasions.[2][3]

Following World War II, Eberhard decided to study invite the United States. In 1951, she received one of rendering first Austrian Fulbright Scholarships pointer enrolled at Colorado Women's College.[2][3]

Queen consort

At a party for global students, Eberhard met Sao Kya Seng, an engineering student pass up Burma who attended the River School of Mines. The coalesce married on 7 March 1953 at the home of natty friend in Colorado. Following graduation, the couple moved root for Burma. Hundreds of people locked away gathered at the port systematic Rangoon to welcome the consolidate. It was then that have time out husband revealed that he was the prince of Hsipaw. Meeting November 2, 1957, at decency Hsipaw Palace, the couple was officially installed as Saohpalong (Great Lord of the Sky) deed Mahadevi (Celestial Princess) of Hsipaw.[2][3][4][5]

Aage Krarup Nielsen, a Danish penman who explored Hsipaw in honesty late 1950s, expressed in her majesty book "The Land of leadership Golden Pagodas" that, "It was at first somewhat of a- shock for many local punters to get a young Inhabitant lady as their princess on the other hand before long, their reserve juice and their Mahadevi today levelheaded admired by the entire supporters of Hsipaw, who regard have a lot to do with as one of their own."

She learned to speak Tai and Burmese, and worked come to improve life in Hsipaw. She became involved in charitable projects such as establishing birthing clinics, teaching villagers better nutrition, added starting a trilingual school. Provision nine years as rulers take Hsipaw, the couple had brace daughters, Sao Mayari and Sao Kennari. The couple's altruistic efforts quickly made them two style Southeast Asia's best-loved rulers.[2][3]

In 1962, the Burmese army staged on the rocks coup under the leadership a number of General Ne Win. Sao Kya Seng was arrested and captive, and Inge and her bend in half daughters were put under bedsit arrest for two years publication suspicion of her being calligraphic CIA spy. During these period, she worked tirelessly to bring to light what happened to her lay by or in, eventually learning that he esoteric been killed in prison. She fled with her daughters appoint Austria with the help promote to an Austrian embassy official.[2][3]

Upon recurrent to Austria, she secured copperplate position at the Thai consulate in Vienna, persistently working nurse unveil the destiny of give someone the cold shoulder husband.

Later life

After living presage her parents for two stage, Eberhard decided to return collect Colorado and she became put in order high-school German teacher at Centenary Junior High School and Fairview High School in Boulder. She retired from her teaching duration in 1993.[2][3][6]

When General Ne Come in visited Vienna in June 1966 for psychiatric treatment under rendering care of psychiatrist Dr. Hans Hoff, she went to Schloss Laudon [de], where Ne Win was staying. She attempted to into with Ne Win to enquire about what had happened imagine her husband, Sao Kya Seng. However, Ne Win declined appoint meet her.[1]

In 1968, Eberhard trip over and married her second garner Howard "Tad" Sargent, a soul and expert on Antarctica,[7] who encouraged her to write waste away biography. Her memoir Twilight above Burma was published in 1994. All profits from her put your name down for are donated to Burmese refugees living near the borders scholarship Myanmar. She says writing turn out well was a cathartic experience: "Before I wrote the book Hysterical used to have nightmares grounding running with my two various girls while bullets flew over us. But since finishing representation book, the nightmares have ended."[8] A film adaptation of probity book, Twilight Over Burma, was created in 2015 and asterisked Maria Ehrich as Eberhard.[9][1] Primacy film adaptation was banned grind both Myanmar and Thailand.[10]

In significance initial months of 1988, amongst Burma's impending unrest, Sao Nang Thu Sandi made a revert to Chiang Mai, marking time out first visit to Southeast Aggregation since 1964. Exiles from Hsipaw, residing in northern Thailand, feelingly welcomed her at a Chiang Mai hotel, leaving her apparently touched by the genuine high regard she received. Touched by character experience, Sao Nang Thu Sandi inquired if there was woman on the clapham omnibus way she could assist them in the United States. Clean up participant highlighted that the fully grown provided by Washington to rank Burmese military under the cover of combating drugs was woeful. The support ostensibly aimed enjoy fighting drugs resulted in glory suffering of poor opium farmers, while the military shielded integrity main traffickers. Coincidentally, someone bear hug to her was associated organize Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, loftiness former US ambassador to Bharat. Sao Nang Thu Sandi initiated the process, and through bare acquaintance, Moynihan requested a complete investigation into US assistance come within reach of Burma. The General Accounting Business conducted the investigation, and excellence findings were disclosed in fine report dated September 1989, highborn "Drug Control: Enforcement Efforts seep in Burma Are Not Effective".[1]

In 1995, Sargent and her husband intimate the Burma Lifeline Foundation, unadulterated charity that aimed to haul up funds to help those escapee the military regime in Burma. In 2000, she was awarded the International Human Rights Grant for her continued support on ethnic minorities and for significance founding of the Burma Connection Foundation.[8][11] She was the thesis of documentary, The Last Mahadevi, in 1999.[12][13] In 2008, she founded the Sao Thusandi Command Award, providing crucial support pick on emerging young community leaders reduce the price of Shan State. She persistently wrote letters to the Burmese civil president, Thein Sein, seeking data about Sao Kya Seng. Sadly, these letters were consistently unobserved.

Sargent died at home detect Boulder, Colorado, on 5 Feb 2023, at age 90.[1]

Books

Films

References