Win Tin, a founding member of Myanmar's National League for Democracy
who was jailed for 19 years for political activism, has died at Yangon
Hospital. He was 85.A National League for
Democracy (NLD) spokesperson told CNN Win Tin was admitted to Yangon
Hospital three weeks ago with a kidney problem.One of Myanmar's most
prominent dissidents, Win Tin was a journalist and writer who joined
with Aung San Suu Kyi during her campaign in 1988, according to Nyan
Win, the current spokesperson for the NLD.
He was arrested in 1989 by Myanmar's military rulers, who feared the strength of the pro-democracy movement."Immediately after his
arrest, U Win Tin was kept without food and sleep for three days," Suu
Kyi wrote about his imprisonment. "It appeared that the interrogators
wished to force him to admit he was my adviser on political tactics, in
other words, that he was my puppet master."
"A man of courage and integrity, U Win Tin would not be intimidated into making false confessions," she added.
Win Tin continued to push
for democracy even while in prison, penning a letter to the United
Nations that resulted in additional jail time.Despite his key role as a political leader, Win Tin's personal life was largely solitary.After he was released in
2008, he told CNN that he was a "vagabond" with no family or children
because he had given his life to the fight for democracy in Myanmar.
While he struck an
optimistic note about the progress that had been made in his country
after his release, he noted there was still a "tremendous amount of work
to be done."
"He was a great pillar
of strength," said Nyan Win. "His demise at this important political
juncture of transition is a great loss not only to the NLD but also to
the country. We are deeply saddened."
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