Sao Kya Hseng

Sao Kya Seng or Sao Kya Hseng (; ; 1924 – disappeared 3 March 1962) was a politician, a mining engineer, an agriculturalist and the last Saopha of Hsipaw State, Myanmar, from 1947 to 1959.

Early life He studied mining engineering at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, United States, from 1949 to 1953. He graduated with a BSc degree in 1953 and then married. His spouse, Sao Nang Thu Sandi or Inge Eberhard, a German-speaking Austrian student who had received a Fulbright Scholarship in 1951, was studying at Colorado Women's College, a constituent college of University of Denver. In 1954, he returned to Burma with her. Inge believed her husband was a mining engineer, but upon arriving in Rangoon, Burma, she was surprised to find a large, cheering crowd welcoming them. It was at that moment Sao Kya Seng disclosed that he was the prince of Hsipaw.

Abdication and political career Sao Kya Seng abdicated when Shan rulers relinquished their powers in 1959, marking Burma's transition to a republic. Despite this, many of them continued their political involvement, with most becoming members of the House of Nationalities, the upper house of the bicameral parliament. He served as a member of the Chamber of Nationalities, representing Hsipaw constituency, Shan State from 1954 to 1962. From 1948 to 1962, he served as a member of the Shan State Council and as secretary for the Association of Shan Princes from 1954 to 1962. He was arrested in 1962 after General Ne Win's 1962 Burmese coup d'état. Sao Kya Seng was last seen being taken into custody at an army checkpoint near Taunggyi. It was later revealed that he was killed during his detention that year by the military government, who never admitted responsibility. His wife persistently wrote letters to the Burmese civilian president, Thein Sein, seeking information about Sao Kya Seng. Unfortunately, these letters were consistently ignored.

On October 1, 2015, Sao Kya Seng's alma mater Colorado School of Mines acknowledged his contributions, posthumously awarding him the Distinguished Achievement Medal for his remarkable professional accomplishments. The medal was accepted on his behalf by his wife.

Sao Kya Seng was considered by the Shan people as one of the Shan national leaders who promoted federalism and democracy, together with Sao Shwe Thaik and Sao Hkun Hkio. His nephew, Khun Htun Oo, son of his elder brother Sao Kyar Zon, served as president of Shan National League for Democracy, a major political party representing Shan people.

In popular culture Sao Kya Seng's wife, Inge, wrote a book, Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess, in 1994 about her marriage and life in Burma. The book became the film, Twilight Over Burma, in 2015. The film was banned in both Myanmar and Thailand.