▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁during ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁he ▁was ▁soon ▁swe pt ▁into ▁war ▁to ▁serve ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁army . ▁He ▁was ▁ev acu ated ▁to ▁India , ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁Bur ma ▁soon ▁after ▁the ▁war . ▁Several ▁of ▁his ▁elder ▁brothers ▁were ▁boys ▁and ▁Sa o ▁Sa im ong ▁had ▁not ▁expected ▁to ▁rule ▁K eng t ung . ▁But ▁he ▁did ▁so ▁briefly ▁on ▁his ▁return ▁from ▁India , ▁since ▁the ▁he ir ▁apparent , ▁his ▁nep hew , ▁Sa o ▁S ai ▁Long , ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁finished ▁his ▁studies ▁in ▁Australia . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁after ▁the ▁Sh an ▁principal ities ▁agreed ▁to ▁become ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Union ▁of ▁Bur ma , ▁Sa o ▁Sa im ong ▁had ▁an ▁administrative ▁career ▁in ▁independent ▁Bur ma ▁and ▁was ▁Chief ▁Education ▁Officer ▁for ▁Sh an ▁and ▁Kay ah ▁States . ▁He ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁the ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁re vised ▁script ▁for ▁Sh an . ▁ ▁Like ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁former ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁the ▁Sh an ▁States , ▁Sa o ▁Sa im ong ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁when ▁General ▁Ne ▁Win ▁took ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁After ▁six ▁years ▁in ▁prison ▁he ▁was ▁released ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁After ▁his ▁release , ▁he ▁settled ▁in ▁Ta ung gy i , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁he ▁was ▁ord ained ▁as ▁a ▁mon k ▁in ▁one