Deceased ex

Deceased ex-communist gets religious send off 

An Arakanese activist who died on Thursday (29 November) was cremated today in Chiangmai after his remains went through a series of rituals conducted by the Thai monks, much to the satisfaction of his countrymen. 

The funeral of Aung Sein Tha, 54, joint secretary of the Democratic Party of Arakan, was attended by more than a hundred friends and colleagues, many among whom, to the surprise of Burma watchers, turned out to be of Arakan origin. The Arakan State, also known as Rakhaing State, is located at the far west of Burma adjoining Bangladesh. 

Most of the exiled opposition organizations had also sent their representatives to the ceremony, among whom were Khun Marko Ban, M.P., Faikhun of Shan State; U Aye Saung of the People's Liberation Front and Khaing Soe Naing Aung of the Arakan Liberation Party each of whom delivered a short speech in the deceased's honor. Among others were Sao Sengsuk of the Shan Democratic Union, Ta Mahasang of the Wa National Organization and U Kyaw Hla of the Muslim Liberation Organization of Burma. 

Aung Sein Tha was born in 1947, the eldest of ten siblings. He was said to be politically active since his school days. He joined the Arakan Communist Party that, like most communist parties after the Cold War, changed its name (to the Democratic Party of Arakan). A participant in the 'Minbya Incident' in 1986, he was later assigned as a representative of the National United Front of Arakan to the Democratic Alliance of Burma and the National Council of Burma.

His sickness, long thought of as flatulence, was diagnosed as cirrhosis shortly before his death.