# Moe Nyo U Ko Ko Gyi

Moe Nyo Ko Ko Gyi (Burmese: မိုးညိုဦးကိုကိုကြီး) was a politician and parliamentary secretary in the government of the Union of Burma (now Myanmar). He was renowned for his contributions to housing and urban development across Burma, including the construction of schools, hospitals, and residential apartments. Yankin, a city located in the suburbs of the former capital of Burma (Rangoon; now Yangon), was the largest and earliest urban development project overseen by him.

## Early life and education

Moe Nyo U Ko Ko Gyi was born on January 26, 1912, in Moe Nyo, Tharrawaddy District, Pegu Division, as the eldest son of Thaung Pe, 'Myothugyi' (Town Chief Administrator), and Daw Ohn.
He studied at Rangoon University in 1933. However, due to his unwillingness to be away from his family, he was unable to complete his college studies. It is believed that his student life at Rangoon University was disrupted by rising political and nationalistic activities.

## Involvement in resistance against British colonial and Japanese occupations

He served in the Burma Independence Army (BIA) from 1941 to 1942 and was involved in the Resistance Movement. He actively participated in resisting both colonial British rule and Japanese occupation. Although his involvement in the BIA was brief, he continued to assist covertly in the Tharrawaddy District. He was also one of the active members of "Do-Bamar Asiayone" in his native town, Moe Nyo.

## Political involvements

Moe Nyo U Ko Ko Gyi served as General Secretary of the All Burma Ministerial Services Union from 1946 to 1948. He was the leader of the Rangoon District Socialist Party from 1950 to 1957 and the Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (Burma) starting in 1950. He was elected to parliament from Moe Nyo in 1951 and 1956. Additionally, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Rangoon District AFPFL (Anti-Fascist People's Freedom League) from 1950 to 1957 and as Divisional Secretary of the Pegu Division AFPFL from 1958 onwards.
However, his tenure ended when the Revolutionary Council led by General Ne Win took over the country in March 1962. During the caretaker government, he was occasionally summoned by General Ne Win's government to serve in an advisory role regarding the reconstruction of the nation. Although he was never a member of the nation's sole party mechanism, the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP), he was asked to be a council member of the Kyauk-ta-da Township Peoples' Council and served as a member of the judicial committee. He was assigned the duty of Vice-Chair of the Kyauk-ta-da Township Cooperatives Society, a quasi-government-run business entity. Additionally, he became a board member of the Central Cooperatives Society, which acted as a government-mandated business entity responsible for the food and household commodities supply chain during Burma's socialist era.

## Public Services

He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Public Works and Housing from 1954 to 1958. He served as a member of the Inland Water Transport Board from 1951 to 1953 and was a member of the Port Inquiry Commission. Additionally, he was Vice-Chairman of the National Housing, Town, and Country Development Board from 1952 to 1957.
After General Ne Win took over in 1962, he was assigned the role of Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Ministry of Transport and Communication in the Burma Socialist Program Party (BSPP) government (under Minister Colonel Than Sein) from 1968 until he retired in 1972.

## Notable international award

Awarded the Order of Mannelik II, Ethiopia, 1956.

## International Experiences

He made official and political visits to India and Pakistan from 1948 to 1957. He was a member of the Burmese delegation to the ILO Conference in Geneva in 1951 and a member of the Asian Advisory Committee of the ILO in Geneva from 1951 to 1953. In 1953, he was part of the Burmese Trade Union Mission to China, the USSR, Poland, and Czechoslovakia. He also participated in a political delegation to Western European countries and the UK from 1951 to 1957. In 1954, he led the House Delegation to Thailand and was a delegate at the Asian Socialist Conference in Bombay in 1956. He was a member of the Burmese delegation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1957.

## Publications

"India Today" in Burmese, 1948; "New Democracy" in Burmese 1949.

## Marriage & Residences

His first marriage was to Ahmar Kyi, and his second marriage was to Sein Yin, B.Com., RA (a few years after Ahmar Kyi's death). He had five children. Initially, they resided at Thayetaw Lane, Thingangyun, Rangoon (Yangon). Later, they moved to 39th Street, Kyauktada Township, Rangoon, and then to Thuwunna (Myintha) and Minhla Town, Pegu (Bago) Division. Eventually, they returned to Thuwunna Myo, Rangoon (Yangon), where he spent his final days.