At least two thousand laymen, members of the literary circle and journalists from both Rangoon and Mandalay attended the funeral service of Ludu Daw Amar (92), which began at 10 a.m. this morning.

Her remains were cremated at Kyanekan cemetery in Mandalay and her ashes were immersed in the Irrawaddy River as per the wishes of the bereaved family, said writer Nyi Pu Lay, son of Daw Amar.

"There were a lot of people at the funeral. Many joined the funeral procession around the moat n their private cars, while many motorcycles joined too in front of the procession. About 2,000 people attended the funeral," a school teacher who attended the funeral said.

"I see her as a living history book and legendary writer of our country. I admire her for her efforts in preserving our culture and customs. She always stood with the people and the truth in full sincerity. She always strove for the causes of the country. So I respect her much and adore her. I feel extremely sorry for her demise as it is an irreparable loss to our country too," he added.

Ludu Daw Ahmar once told colleague and contemporary writer Dagon Taryar, "Ko Htay Myaing, we cannot die, we must survive," meaning they had much to contribute toward the country's needed reforms.

Continuing to uphold an unwavering and critical stand against military rule in Burma, she took her last breathe at 8:37 a.m. on Monday April 7, 2008, dying of heart disease.