Sep 29, 2008 (DVB), U Han Lin, who led the "long march to freedom and democracy" campaign in 2005 to highlight the plight of Burma, died from lung cancer on 26 September at the age of 57.

He died at Ithaca hospital in New York State where he was receiving treatment, according to his colleague and brother U Min Aung.

"My brother U Han Lin died of lung cancer at 2.43am on Friday, 26 September. He had been diagnosed in January 2007," Min Aung said.

"He had been receiving treatment for more than a year, and now he has died. How could I feel good when he was my comrade and brother?"

His funeral was held at noon yesterday at a community hall in Ithaca and a separate ceremony to honour him was held by his comrades at 3pm.

Han Lin was a graduate of Moulmein college and became a middle school teacher at Shatpon village in Pulaw township, Tenesserim division.

He took part in the 8888 uprising and when the army staged the coup in September of that year, he fled to Karen National Union brigade-4 territory with 100 students.

He attended the first All Burma Students' Democratic Front conference in Kawmura in December 1988 and served as information officer at ABSDF Battalion-201's Minthamee camp until 1996.

He left for the US from Maneeloy refugee camp in 1997 and settled in Ithaca, where he continued to work to raise awareness of the situation in Burma.

Han Lin is survived by his wife Daw Htay Htay Yi and their six children.

Reporting by Htet Aung Kyaw