Ko Tha Byu
Encyclopedia
Ko Tha Byu was the first Karen
Christian
and a notable evangelist to the Karen.
He was born in U Twa village near Bassein
. In his early life, he reportedly engaged in robbery and was involved in many murders. After being sold as a slave to a Christian Burmese, he was converted to Baptist
Christianity by Adoniram Judson
in 1828. "Ko" means "older brother" in Burmese
; he was called "Maung Tha Byu" ("younger brother") by Judson when they first met. Judson recalls that Tha Byu was a vicious and angry person when they first met, and Tha Byu confirms this. After his conversion, though, Tha Byu became an energetic missionary to the Karen people. After twelve years, 1270 Karen had been baptized, with many other believers. However, he never entirely lost his reckless spirit, nor was he well-educated, and was reported by biographers to be "unsuited for the pastoral office".
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and a notable evangelist to the Karen.
He was born in U Twa village near Bassein
Pathein
Pathein , also called Bassein, is a port city with a 2004 population estimated at 215,600, and the capital of the Ayeyarwady Region, Burma. It lies on the Pathein River , which is a western branch of the Irrawaddy River....
. In his early life, he reportedly engaged in robbery and was involved in many murders. After being sold as a slave to a Christian Burmese, he was converted to Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Christianity by Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson
Adoniram Judson, Jr. was an American Baptist missionary, who served in Burma for almost forty years. At the age of 25, Adoniram Judson became the first Protestant missionary sent from North America to preach in Burma...
in 1828. "Ko" means "older brother" in Burmese
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
; he was called "Maung Tha Byu" ("younger brother") by Judson when they first met. Judson recalls that Tha Byu was a vicious and angry person when they first met, and Tha Byu confirms this. After his conversion, though, Tha Byu became an energetic missionary to the Karen people. After twelve years, 1270 Karen had been baptized, with many other believers. However, he never entirely lost his reckless spirit, nor was he well-educated, and was reported by biographers to be "unsuited for the pastoral office".
Further reading
- Francis Mason. Ko Tha Byu, the first Karen Christian (1983) Ya Ba Toh Loh. Life of Saw Ko Tha Byu (1950)