Burmese Junta seeks White Elephant

In the UK we think of a white elephant as an unwelcome gift but in Burma the it is revered as a symbol of power and good - a sign that the nation will prosper, and its rulers are wise and just.

This tale comes from the Independent

It is perhaps unsurprising then, then, that when one was spotted near Burma's western coast earlier this year, the junta sent in a special army unit to capture it. Never mind of course the repression, suspected war crimes or shocking levels of poverty. If a white elephant is found, so the superstition goes, then all will be well.

In the forested hills behind Ngwe Saung beach an elephant handler spotted an albino among a herd of wild elephants in January. He reported the sighting to the head of the timber company, the military was informed and the news was quickly sent up the chain of command. According to soldiers in Ngwe Saung, Senior General Than Shwe – the country's head – himself dispatched a company of some 50 soldiers, with an entourage of elephant handlers and veterinarians armed with tranquilliser darts.

Soe Tin, a local farmer, knew what this meant for him. The first sighting of the elephant in 2008 brought a swarm of soldiers to the area. The military commandeered the local workforce of banana farmers and charcoal sellers to assist in an unsuccessful three-month search. When the hunt resumed in January, Soe Tin was recruited again. "The village authorities demanded one person from each household," the 41-year-old said. "We were forced to work without pay."

The legend of the white elephant originates in tales of the birth of Buddha: a white elephant reputedly appeared before his mother and presented her with a sacred lotus flower. The ancient Burmese kings believed that white elephants were found only during the reign of good kings and that the possession of one would help a country prosper. Conversely, the death of one of these creatures could spell disaster. The demise of King Thibaw's favourite white elephant – who lived in extravagant surroundings, adorned with diamonds and fed from a gold trough – was soon followed by the monarch's ousting by British colonisers in 1885.

Burma's modern-day rulers revere the white elephant just as their royal predecessors did. In 2001, the capture of a white elephant in the jungles of Arakan state was hailed in the media as "an omen for the emergence of a prosperous, peaceful and modern state". The "royal elephant" was brought to Rangoon and presented to General Khin Nyunt – then first secretary of the ruling State Peace and Development Council (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) – who dressed it in full military regalia and kept it at his private temple in a northern suburb of Rangoon. In 2004 Khin Nyunt was purged in 2004 (how fucking sad)

The junta's leader, Than Shwe, and his army chiefs, now in their newly built capital Naypyidaw, are still waiting for a white elephant of their own. This would be an auspicious year to find one. Burma's first general election in 20 years will be held later in 2010, but Western governments have already dismissed the vote as a sham.

"Old symbols of the monarchy still hold some sway, and the possession of a white elephant might boost the confidence of some, but I think for most Burmese people today, just a little more spending on health and education would be a much more welcome sign of enlightened government," said the historian and author Thant Myint-U.

In the Ngwe Saung hills, the hunt goes on. Local farmers say they think the herd is protecting the elusive beast – estimated to be around five years old and 5ft tall. Farmers in the area where the creature was spotted say they have been driven off their land. They claim soldiers have cut down hardwood trees and allowed their hunting elephants to trample crops.

The search is causing misery and hardship, said Soe Tin. "No one has any idea where this elephant is," he said. "If there is a white elephant out there, I just hope they catch it very soon."

I have just one short expression to describe the shit stains who rile Burma – Pathetic scum. Here’s to their downfall and long miserable lives in prison atoning for their evil,