…is fast becoming an Internet phenomenon. Part “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, part authoritarian home video - there is something for everyone in this widely downloaded 10 minute slice of dictatorial life. But be warned: it could amuse, bemuse and cause outrage. Thandar Shwe is, of course, the daughter of Senior General Than Shwe, the Burmese junta supremo.
To sate your curiousity, the video of what has been dubbed the “Wedding of the Year” is now available from The Irrawaddy.
As ostentatious as it all is, much in this short film will not be surprising. Some scenes, like the sequence of bedroom shots, which begin at around the 8: 10 mark, are, however, a bit of a shock. We even see footage of Thandar Shwe being cheered to her bridal chamber by a gaggle of supportive relatives and friends. In the bedroom, the closeups of intricate craftsmanship, on both furniture and jewels, are worth dwelling on. And dwell they do.
Real questions remain about the video’s appearance on the Internet, and its relationship to power politics within the Burmese regime’s inner-circle. If anybody has any potential answers, don’t be shy about posting comments. It would be great to get some discussion going on Burma’s military elite and the implications of this video.
Thanks to Amnuayvit for the links and for prompting me to highlight this unusual window into the life of Southeast Asia’s least celebrated first family.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Publius Pundit - Blogging the democratic revolution // Nov 3, 2006 at 7:46 am
[...] He also has lots more details on just how gross that film really was in this post here. A.M. Mora y Leon @ 1:32 pm | [...]
2 James // Nov 3, 2006 at 12:34 pm
It is just possible that, rather than a genuine leak, this was simply a case of someone putting this video on the web without sufficient subscriber protocol. In other words, this was put on without sufficient thought for who could and would see it. Which means it could have been seen and downloaded to YouTube from anywhere in the world. After all, how many scandals in the open society world have resulted from the exact same thing?
3 Richard // Nov 3, 2006 at 1:03 pm
that should read “lifestyles of the rich and filthy”
4 patiwat // Nov 3, 2006 at 2:39 pm
Favorite line by Aung Zaw, editor of the Irrawaddy:
“Than Shwe was the one who accused other top leaders of corruption whenever he wanted to remove them.”
Did the Thais generals learn it from the Burmese, or did the Burmese generals learn it from the Thai?
5 myanmar boy // Nov 4, 2006 at 11:15 am
can anyone make it more popular than Paris Hilton ????
6 Cheri Mangrai // Nov 5, 2006 at 9:08 pm
To date, Google lists 117 news articles reported by the media all around the world, it does not look like it is stopping there yet.
Please see:
http://news.google.com.au/news?hl=en&ned=au&ie=UTF-8&ncl=http://www.rfa.org/english/burmese/2006/11/03/burma_wedding
7 Global Voices Online » Blog Archive » Reactions to the Burmese “Royal” Wedding Video Clip // Nov 7, 2006 at 6:26 am
[...] Nicholas Farrelly at the New Mandala blog wonders if there is any political intrigue behind the leaking of the video Real questions remain about the video’s appearance on the Internet, and its relationship to power politics within the Burmese regime’s inner-circle. If anybody has any potential answers, don’t be shy about posting comments. It would be great to get some discussion going on Burma’s military elite and the implications of this video. Preetam Rai [...]
8 New Mandala » Carbon trading up Burmese GDP? // Nov 7, 2006 at 11:54 pm
[...] Controversial ideas, no doubt, and the type of initiative that would, under current circumstances, put some people in Burma in a very cash-rich position. What Butler overlooks is that almost all logging in Burma happens in the mountainous parts of the States – and in Shan and Kachin areas, in particular. Big and unfathomable questions remain: [...]
9 New Mandala » Burma tourism boycott - some questions about “avoided tourism” // Nov 10, 2006 at 10:01 am
[...] Who does the tourism boycott actually hurt? To rephrase this question – did Thandar Shwe’s wedding attire miss an extra diamond accessory because of the Burma tourism boycott? [...]
10 Van Mualcin // Dec 28, 2006 at 9:18 am
Than Shwe has no shame. Burma was the largest rice exporter in the world. Burma was the largest teak and other hard wood exporter in the world. The largest Ruby mine and the largest jade mines are in the world is Burma. Burma was known as the British crown of Asia. Burma was known as “The Asian Rice Bowl”. Now Burma is the poorest of the poor in the world. I am ashamed of how military generals are leading us even if they don’t know what they are doing. Un-educated generals don’t know how to be ashamed of., because they are soooooo stupid. Guns and Bullets are not the answer to solve the problem. We the people are the answer to solve it.
Van Mualcin
Dallas, Texas
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