Karen leader Padoh David Taw, 65, died on Sunday in Mingalardon military hospital in Rangoon, after suffering from a long illness. He died of complications from diabetes and lung disease, said his son, Saw Eh Kaw Taw.
Until recently, he was secretary of the Karen National Union’s peacemaking committee and a key member of the delegation that signed the current crease-fire on January 12. He was recognized as a key KNU official during the peace talks with the government, and he had served the KNU cause for decades.Officials said the Burmese government would fly his body to Karen State for a funeral service, according to an article on the Karennews website on Sunday. He will be buried at the headquarters of KNU Brigade No. 7, said Padoh Saw Ah Toe, a member of the KNU central executive committee.
He served as head of the KNU justice department, among other posts.
Born on March 10, 1948, in Insein, Rangoon, he graduated with a degree in history from Rangoon University.
He is survived by his wife, Naw Jin Jar, two of three daughters and two sons.
