YANGON, MYANMAR - Myanmar state media on Friday hailed the
discovery of a fifth white elephant, considered a symbol of good
fortune, ahead of elections dismissed by critics as a charade to
legitimise military rule.
The female pachyderm named Nandawady was sprinkled with holy water
in a ceremony that coincided with Thursday's unveiling of the
country's new flag.
Watched by senior officials from the ruling junta, the 18-year-old
elephant was led around Naypyidaw's Uppatasanti pagoda, before
retiring to her new home with another white elephant, the New Light
of Myanmar said.
The elephant, which was captured on September 23 in the western
coastal region of Rakhine State, is one of several now being kept
by the regime, with two held in the capital Naypyidaw and a three
in the main city of Yangon.
Despite their name, the revered creatures are not actually white
but have certain distinctive features including a pinkish
complexion.
State media have said the capture of a white elephant is a sign
there will be a successful "democratic transition" in the November
7 elections, the first in 20 years for the military-run
country.
The vote, which will not include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung
San Suu Kyi's opposition party, has been dismissed by critics as a
sham aimed at putting a civilian cloak over military rule.
The appearance of another white elephant just as the country made
the surprise launch of its new flag was noted by residents.
"We cannot know whether the two events were coincidence or not," a
45-year-old Yangon man told AFP.
Kings and leaders in the predominantly Buddhist nation have
traditionally treasured white elephants, whose rare appearances in
the country are believed to herald good fortune, including power
and political change.
Two private planes for Myanmar's Senior General Than Shwe and four
other top leaders were named "White Elephant" this year on the
advice of astrologers, according to the Irrawaddy, a Thailand-based
magazine on Myanmar. --AFP
Source:
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20101022-243743.html
YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar's state-controlled media hailed Saturday
the capture of a rare white elephant as a positive omen for
upcoming elections, the first balloting in two decades in the
military-ruled country.
The 7-foot, 1-inch (216-centimeter) tall beast was captured
Thursday in Rakhine state in the northwest, and is the fifth white
elephant caught in a decade, the New Light of Myanmar newspaper
reported on its front page. The pachyderm is estimated to be 18
years old.
The newspaper, a mouthpiece for the ruling junta, hailed the
elephant's capture as a sign the country will be peaceful and free
from all dangers, and its people will enjoy greater prosperity and
progress.
"It is auspicious that a rare white elephant emerged at a time
when Myanmar was going through a democratic transition and the
elections will be held peacefully and successfully," it said.
White elephants, actually albinos, have for centuries been
revered in Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and other Asian nations. They
were normally kept and pampered by monarchs and considered a symbol
of royal power and prosperity. Myanmar's military rulers, like many
of the country's citizens, are said to be particularly
superstitious.
The Nov. 7 general elections will be the first in 20 years. The
National League for Democracy party of Nobel Peace laureate Aung
San Suu Kyi won the last polls but was not allowed to take power by
the military. It is boycotting this year's vote, charging that the
election rules are unfair and undemocratic.
The New Light of Myanmar said the elephant's capture will ensure
that peace, stability and prosperity will continue under the new
elected government, explaining that white elephants only emerge in
places where the practice of Buddhism flourishes and rulers govern
justly.
It said that according to ancient treatises, it is hard to find
even a single white elephant among a thousand, but five of the rare
beasts have emerged from 2001 to 2010, and the latest discovery is
a matter of "national pride."
The country's fourth white elephant, a 38-year-old female
captured in the jungles of Rakhine state in June, was given a
lavish welcome ceremony when it was taken to the administrative
capital of Naypyitaw. It was housed in an enclosure near the
Upptasanti pagoda, a replica of the famed Shwedagon pagoda in
Yangon, the former capital and biggest city in Myanmar.
Three other white elephants caught earlier are kept in a special
park in Yangon, where they live in an enclosure with spiraled
pavilions, a manmade waterfall, ponds and trees.
Source:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100925/ap_on_re_as/as_myanmar_white_elephant
