President Htin Kyaw was brought to tears during his speech at the Children’s Literature Festival on Saturday in Naypyidaw.
In his speech at the opening of the festival, the president spoke about his father, the legendary poet Min Thu Wun, who wrote over 400 stories and poems for children that are now taught in schools around the country. Min Thu Wun, sometimes known as the ‘grandfather poet’, was elected to parliament as a member of the NLD in the annulled 1990 election. He died in 2004 at the age of 95.
President Htin Kyaw said: “The ‘grandfather poet’ started writing his first children’s poem, “War so war khaung yay tway kyi loz”, in 1931. There were no children’s poems before that. When he was a teacher in Kun Chan Kone Township, the education minister instructed schools to teach children’s poems, so he wrote his own. He didn’t want to teach English poems.”
Some of Min Thu Wun’s poetry is meant to help children learn about birds, weather, stars and the origins of words. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest contributors to Myanmar literature.
Near the end of his speech, the president was overcome with emotion as he said: “What I want you to know is, children’s literature didn’t exist in the past and….”
While trying to control his sobs, the president said: “I am telling this to let you know how much this ‘grandfather poet’ loved and valued you, children!”
President Htin Kyaw was also a writer before he was nominated to the presidency of Myanmar. His best-known work is a biography of his father titled “The Father’s Life: Glimpses of my Father”.
