Apr 7, 2008 (DVB), Veteran journalist and editor-in-chief of the Thailand-based New Era Journal Kyemon U Thaung died in exile in the US state of Florida last Thursday at the age of 82.
Kyemon U Thaung passed away at a medical centre in Fort Lauderdale where he had been admitted in mid-March with lung and heart problems.
He was born Tin Maung on 4 October 1926 in Nyaung U township, Mandalay division, to U Thar Phan and Daw Oak.
Kyemon U Thaung entered the world of journalism in 1947 and went on to become Burma's longest-serving journalist, writing for over 60 years.
He took up the position of editor-in-chief of Burma's Era newspaper in 1951, and started his own newspaper Kyemon [The Mirror] in 1957.
Kyemon gained widespread popularity and is still in operation today, but was nationalised after the Ne Win government came to power and Kyemon U Thaung was jailed.
Kyemon U Thaung left Burma for the US in 1977 and continued to write in exile.
He is survived by his wife Daw Tin Tin Win and five children.
Reporting by Aye Nai
