Myanmar's noted journalist U Win Tin and patron of the opposition National League for Democracy ( NLD) passed away at the age of 85 Monday morning, sources with the NLD said.

U Win Tin died of ill health with respiratory problems at the Yangon General Hospital after he was admitted since March 12.

U Win Tin was arrested in July 1989 and imprisoned for 19 years for his writing during the previous military government but was released on September 23, 2008 under the government's amnesty order.

He was awarded in 2001 the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize for his endeavors to defend and promote the right of freedom of expression.

In the same year, he was also awarded the World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom Award.