BANGKOK, Thailand — A video of an extravagant wedding for the daughter of Myanmar's military leader has raised questions about the lifestyles of members of the ruling junta in the impoverished country.
The leaked video shows Thandar Shwe, the daughter of junta leader Senior Gen. Than Shwe, wearing a staggering collection of diamond encrusted jewelry and extravagant clothing. There is also a lavish bridal chamber, seemingly the size of a small ballroom.
The Irrawaddy, a respected online magazine put out by Myanmar journalists exiled in Thailand, said the wedding cost $300,000 and the couple received wedding gifts worth $50 million, although it didn't say how it obtained the figures.
The video of the July wedding at a military reception hall in Myanmar's main city, Yangon, began circulating on DVD about three weeks ago and Irrawaddy this week posted a link to it on the video-sharing site YouTube.
People are also reading…
The groom shown in the video is Maj. Zaw Phyo Win, a deputy director at the Ministry of Commerce.
The government did not comment on the video and its authenticity could not be confirmed, but the junta leaders and their families were easily recognizable by people familiar with them.
It was unclear how the video was obtained.
How it was all paid for is another puzzle, since such luxuries would not be easily affordable on tight government salaries in Myanmar, also known as Burma. The junta leaders purged their last prime minister for alleged corruption, among other offenses.
The New York-based Myanmar mission to the United Nations said no officials were immediately available to comment.
The video shows the normally strait-laced members of the junta sitting on white chairs with gold trim and wearing traditional clothing. Their guards are uniformed and carry sidearms as they mingle with guests.
Nuptials a surprise to many
The display of luxury — which included a five-tiered wedding cake and champagne — came as a surprise to many as most of Myanmar's 55 million people can barely make ends meet. Even relatively well-off central Yangon faces scheduled electrical blackouts because of fuel shortages.
People in Yangon also were reminded of their late strongman Gen. Ne Win, who brought military rule to the country with a 1962 coup d'etat and whose family prospered during his 26 years in power.
The junta seized power after crushing a 1988 pro-democracy movement. The junta refused to step down even though Aung San Suu Kyi's party won a landslide 1990 election victory.
Suu Kyi has spent nearly 11 of the last 17 years in detention, mostly under house arrest, despite worldwide calls for her freedom.
As water lifeline evaporates, Arizona faces a cultural change over water use
