Veteran politician Aung Myint, 87, dies

Monday, 14 June 2010 20:53 Phanida

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) - Veteran politician Aung Myint, 87, died of a stroke at Rangoon Hospital this morning after long suffering symptoms that included high blood pressure, sources said last night.

Aung Myint was born in Phyarpone Township and served as a chairman of the Communist Party of that district. He also worked as a chairman of the Workers’ Association under the Ne Win dictatorship.

He was a member of the Veteran Politicians’ Group, which comprised of politicians active since before Burma attained independence from the British.

“He fought for Burma’s democracy until his death. I’m very sad because he is my comrade and he died when our group is weak”, a colleague, Ohn Maung, said.

The 23-member Veteran’s group was formed in 1995 out of former members of the long-since-disbanded Socialist Party, Communist Party, People’s Comrade Party, All-Burma Federation of Student Unions, and the workers’ and farmers’ associations of Ne Win’s Burma Socialist Programme Party. Just 11 members survived.