Now here’s a story that was given the proper treatment by Reuters!

Burmese tinpot general and military junta leader Than Shwe put on a big lavish wedding for his daughter Thandar Shwe, with tiaras of diamonds, cascades of champagne, and a five-tier wedding cake. A video of it accidentally got out and it was more money on parade than anyone had seen in a long time in Burma. Classy Burmese, however impoverished, noted to Reuters that it was pretty darn vulgar, what with the yellow diamonds and all, something that is Not Done at good Burmese weddings.

The whole thing stunk and became topic for controversy in Burma. Everyone knows that that general didn’t make any of his fortune to pay for this honestly.

Two things are significant from this though: The junta leader did not sit with the other junta leaders, and this YouTube – which you can see at this site here – did leak. That spells trouble for the Burmese tinpot, and possible fuel for the return of democracy.

What a doggone bunch of decadent Ceaucescus!

Read Reuters’ first-rate account of this vulgar wedding in this post here.

Nicolas Farrelly at New Mandala reports that this disgusting story of oligarchic decadence is getting real big in Burma, writing of the film clip:

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.

He also has lots more details on just how gross that film was in this post here.

Magnoy at Magnoy’s Samsara has something REAL interesting from a couple of days ago – a senior UN official is scheduled to visit Burma later this month and already there are hints of a Velvet Revolution. If that’s so, this wedding video is potentially explosive. Read the whole critical thing here.

Burmanet News has an extremely good article up, describing the growing anger in Burma and the mysterious leaking of the video. The writer notes that this kind of leak has happened before, notably in 2001, and definitely foreshadowed the downfall of other junta members. Read the whole knowledgeable thing here.

Mizzima has another YouTube link to this opulent spectacle at the right side of its page here.