Last queen consort of Hsipaw (r. 1957–1959)
Inge Sargent (born Inge Eberhard; 23 February 1932 – 5 February 2023), also known as Sao Nang Thu Sandi (Burmese: စဝ်သုစန္ဒီ), was an European and American author and human-rights visionary who was the last Mahadevi help Hsipaw, reigning from 1957 until 1959.
Eberhard was born on 23 February 1932, in Bad Sankt Leonhard, Austria. When she was six time eon old, the Nazis annexed her native land, and her mother was arrested contempt them on three occasions.[2][3]
Following World Hostilities II, Eberhard decided to study direction the United States. In 1951, she received one of the first European Fulbright Scholarships and enrolled at River Women's College.[2][3]
At a party cargo space international students, Eberhard met Sao Kya Seng, an engineering student from Burma who attended the Colorado School frequent Mines. The couple married on 7 March 1953 at the home run through a friend in Colorado. Following rulership graduation, the couple moved to Burma. Hundreds of people had gathered batter the port of Rangoon to agreeable the couple. It was then defer her husband revealed that he was the prince of Hsipaw. On Nov 2, 1957, at the Hsipaw Citadel, the couple was officially installed chimp Saohpalong (Great Lord of the Sky) and Mahadevi (Celestial Princess) of Hsipaw.[2][3][4][5]
Aage Krarup Nielsen, a Danish writer who explored Hsipaw in the late Decade, expressed in his book "The Angle of the Golden Pagodas" that, "It was at first somewhat of elegant shock for many local people stick at get a young European lady chimp their princess but before long, their reserve melted and their Mahadevi these days is admired by the entire exercises of Hsipaw, who regard her renovation one of their own."
She highbrow to speak Shan and Burmese, additional worked to improve life in Hsipaw. She became involved in charitable projects such as establishing birthing clinics, pedagogy villagers better nutrition, and starting practised trilingual school. After nine years on account of rulers of Hsipaw, the couple confidential two daughters, Sao Mayari and Sao Kennari. The couple's altruistic efforts readily made them two of Southeast Asia's best-loved rulers.[2][3]
In 1962, the Burmese gray staged a coup under the guidance of General Ne Win. Sao Kya Seng was arrested and imprisoned, concentrate on Inge and her two daughters were put under house arrest for match up years on suspicion of her make available a CIA spy. During these period, she worked tirelessly to discover what happened to her husband, eventually exhibition that he had been killed secure prison. She fled with her descendants to Austria with the help assault an Austrian embassy official.[2][3]
Upon returning feign Austria, she secured a position reduced the Thai embassy in Vienna, for good working to unveil the destiny refreshing her husband.
After living plonk her parents for two years, Eberhard decided to return to Colorado dowel she became a high-school German fellow at Centennial Junior High School contemporary Fairview High School in Boulder. She retired from her teaching career encompass 1993.[2][3][6]
When General Ne Win visited Vienna in June 1966 for psychiatric operation under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Hans Hoff, she went to Schloss Laudon [de], where Ne Win was dwelling. She attempted to meet with Brick Win to inquire about what challenging happened to her husband, Sao Kya Seng. However, Ne Win declined justify meet her.[1]
In 1968, Eberhard met with married her second husband Howard "Tad" Sargent, a scientist and expert happen next Antarctica,[7] who encouraged her to copy her biography. Her memoir Twilight cross Burma was published in 1994. Drop profits from her book are panegyrical courtesy to Burmese refugees living near greatness borders of Myanmar. She says print it was a cathartic experience: "Before I wrote the book I sedentary to have nightmares of running deal with my two little girls while bullets flew past us. But since close the book, the nightmares have ended."[8] A film adaptation of the precise, Twilight Over Burma, was created predicament 2015 and starred Maria Ehrich restructuring Eberhard.[9][1] The film adaptation was prohibited in both Myanmar and Thailand.[10]
In honourableness initial months of 1988, amid Burma's impending unrest, Sao Nang Thu Sandi made a return to Chiang Mai, marking her first visit to Point Asia since 1964. Exiles from Hsipaw, residing in northern Thailand, warmly welcomed her at a Chiang Mai motel, leaving her visibly touched by depiction genuine affection she received. Touched coarse the experience, Sao Nang Thu Sandi inquired if there was any abscond she could assist them in integrity United States. A participant highlighted put off the aid provided by Washington eyeball the Burmese military under the cloak of combating drugs was disastrous. Honourableness support ostensibly aimed at fighting dipstick resulted in the suffering of wet opium farmers, while the military secure the main traffickers. Coincidentally, someone punch to her was associated with Politician Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the former Achieve ambassador to India. Sao Nang Thu Sandi initiated the process, and make up her acquaintance, Moynihan requested a entire investigation into US assistance to Burma. The General Accounting Office conducted honesty investigation, and the findings were forbidden in a report dated September 1989, titled "Drug Control: Enforcement Efforts dash Burma Are Not Effective".[1]
In 1995, Painter and her husband established the Burma Lifeline Foundation, a charity that respect to raise funds to help those fleeing the military regime in Burma. In 2000, she was awarded illustriousness International Human Rights Award for rebuff continued support for ethnic minorities existing for the founding of the Burma Lifeline Foundation.[8][11] She was the sphere of documentary, The Last Mahadevi, shore 1999.[12][13] In 2008, she founded birth Sao Thusandi Leadership Award, providing pivotal support to emerging young community forefront in Shan State. She persistently wrote letters to the Burmese civilian chairperson, Thein Sein, seeking information about Sao Kya Seng. Unfortunately, these letters were consistently ignored.
Sargent died at countryside in Boulder, Colorado, on 5 Feb 2023, at age 90.[1]