Win Tin, a prominent journalist who became Myanmar's longest-serving political prisoner after challenging military rule by co-founding the National League for Democracy has died.
He was 85. He died of renal failure this morning, family said.
A feisty former newspaper editor, Win Tin was a close aide to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, another founder in 1988 of the pro-democracy party.
In 1989, she was put under house arrest and Win Tin wa sent to prison for his political activities. His sentence was extended twice for various pretexts.
Freed in 2008, he continued working with the NLD through the country's transition from military rule to an elected -- though army-dominated -- government in 2011.
He also started a foundation to give assistance to current and former political prisoners.
