Myanmar held a state funeral in Yangon Sunday afternoon for late Prime Minister General Soe Win who passed away on Friday.

 

The state funeral, which took place at the Mingaladon War Cemetery, was attended by Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) Senior-General Than Shwe, SPDC Vice-Chairman Vice Senior-General Maung Aye, SPDC Member General Thura Shwe Mann and Acting Prime Minister and SPDC First Secretary Lieutenant-General Thein Sein.

 

The funeral was also attended by foreign diplomats in Myanmar.

 

Late Soe Win, 58, who was also SPDC member, died at the Mingaladon Defense Services General Hospital in Yangon out of long illness after he was brought back for the last time to Yangon from Singapore where he had undergone medical treatment since March this year.

 

Soe Win became prime minister on October 19, 2004.

 

Soe Win, born in Taunggyi, Shan state, in May 1949, had been North-West Commander and Chairman of Sagaing Division Peace and Development Council in 1997. He was appointed as SPDC Second Secretary in February 2003 and promoted to SPDC First Secretary in August the same year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2007)