Drug warlord Khun Sa dies

The cause of death was not immediately known, but Khun Sa had long suffered from diabetes, partial paralysis and high blood pressure.

He was cremated Tuesday morning.

Khun Sa had lived in seclusion in Rangoon about a decade ago after he surrendered to the country's ruling military junta who allowed him to run a string of businesses behind a veil of secrecy.

Khun Sa, known as Chang Chi-fu, portrayed himself as a liberation fighter for the Shan, heading up the Shan United Army _ later the Mong Tai Army _ in Burma's northeastern Shan State.

He had become a major player in the Golden Triangle - a former the world's major source for opium and heroin.