Khu Hteh Bu Phe, a Karenni National leader who has been hospitalized in Mae Hong Son hospital for a week and died of cancer at 3:25 PM last day.
Khu Hteh Phe, 74, who currently take a responsibility as a Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) chairman and also a prime minister of Karenni government died of neck cancer, according to the doctor’s confirmed, a left family told Kantarawaddy Times.

“His got cancer and when he was cured by the doctor, it was late. He was sent to Chiang Mai but the virus infected into his brain when it seemed the condition is very bad. During he was hospitalized in Chiang Mai, he could not memorized but sometimes then mom do not dare to see any longer and told to bring back to Mae Hong Son”, said, Maw Hteh Mar, a daughter of fourth in family.

Maw Hteh Mar added, “His disease has been infected long term already, but he did not talk about it to us.”

The death of one of the Karenni people’s leader, who has been elected as a KNPP chairman three times by Karenni people. And he again elected to be a party chairman at the 11th party congress in 2009 and he participated in the cause until he died.

“He is early died at age of 74. Indeed he should stay alive till 80 and over. Meanwhile, he has lot of works to be done as he is not finished yet on Karenni Dictionary, which has been done at R. I have no idea that who going to continues it,” says Maw Hteh Mar.

Khu Hteh Bu Phe was graduated a Political Sciences in 1960 in Burma then starting compose its own Karenni literacy. However, his own Karenni literacy was cut down in the time of Burmese Socialist Programme Party that forced him to joint into Karenni resistances group, nowadays known as KNPP and continued creating Karenni literacy.

A granddaughter of Khu Hteh Bu Phe who close took care of him during hospitalized, said “Even he is sick, being lying in hospital, he want to stand up and when I make a question on him, when are you going to go? The only words he used to say is about the Karenni Dictionary, he willing to type to complete which still need to complete and he always said to die in Karenni homeland.

Hteh Bu Phe was born at Kay Lyar village, Pru So Township, Karenni State. Kwee Su Reh and Maw Phoe Mar have given birth Hteh Bu Phe as a fifth son, which known as Kwee Su Reh is a fourth son of Kwee Kyaw Pyar Kay Phoe Du.

According to Rangoon university student identity card and university battalion card state that he was born on April 1, 1937. However, due to his family said that the real birthday is on February 13, 1937. It date was same General Aung Sun then the real birthday was changed at school time, Hteh Bu Phe told his family when he was alive.

Currently, following the biography of Hteh Bu Phe, KNPP also said that they are going to confirm the real birthday of Hteh Bu Phe as February 13, 1937.