If people are educated they can check the government abuse of power, if people remain uneducated the government can rule and oppress as it wishes.
| Prospect Burma's chin-thei logo |
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In 1991, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non-violent campaign for democracy in Burma. In tribute to her fearlessness and in keeping with our mission to educate young Burmese who will contribute to and become guardians of Burma's democratic development, Prospect Burma adopted the chin-thei for its symbolic attributes of courage and guardianship. The Burmese chin-thei or leogryph (a mythological half-lion, half-griffin) symbolizes courage and vigilance. It will be familiar to anyone who has visited Burma as pairs of these distinctive maned and seated creatures with flame-like decorations are commonly found on either side of the entrances to Burmese Buddhist temples where their role is to keep watch and to ward off evil spirits. They mark the point at which visitors to temples must remove their shoes and socks before beginning to climb the stairway leading to the temple platform and shrines. The huge guardian chin-thei figures at temple entrances are usually made of brick, which is plastered over and stuccoed, and painted in bright colours or dazzling whitewash. In World War II, the chin-thei was adopted as the emblem of General Orde Wingate's famed Chindits (their name being a corruption of the Burmese term), the long range penetration force that fought behind the Japanese lines in 1943 and 1944. |
Latest News
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It's Party Time! and tickets are selling fast...
21 Mar 2013Please come and join us to mark the 68th birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi at a reception on Thursday 20th June, 2013 in the delightful surrounds of Petyt Hall in Chelsea. Every two years Prospect Burma hosts a Summer Event[…]
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Enjoyed your visit to Burma?
30 Jan 2013
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So many people are now visiting Burma and return home touched by the experience. We recently had a generous donation and message to say "Our family enjoyed a cycling tour of Burma last autumn, and as a result of what[…] -
President Obama at Rangoon University
21 Nov 2012President Obama addressed the students of Rangoon University yesterday and said "The future of this country is determined by the education of its youth..." To listen to his full speech please press read more www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTAeJJnqhbo
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MESSAGE FOR STUDENTS
You can now meet fellow Prospect Burma grantees in our new Facebook group, available to all students and alumni. If you would like to join please read the instructions in the Student Info section.