By Takaloo
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Maungdaw: The Burmese military regime took the white elephant that is also esteemed by the local Arakanese people from northwestern Maungdaw in Arakan State to the military capital of Naypyidaw on Sunday, reported a local Buddhist monk.
The 18-year-old, 7.1-foot-tall female elephant was captured on 23 September 2010 from the deep jungle in Maungdaw. She is the second white elephant captured after a 38-year-old female, now called Baddavati by the junta, was taken away to Naypyidaw last August.
"The junta should not take away every white elephant from their homeland in Arakan State. They should keep at least one here as we Arakanese people also have a traditional admiration for this kind of rare white elephant," said the monk.
"Though the junta is shouting with their big mouths for national unity and union spirit among the different ethnic races in Burma, their actions upon other ethnic groups like the Arakanese are quite colonial. Whatever is valuable, whatever is rare, or is antique, they have taken away from Arakanese land against the will of the local people," the source said.
According to the local residents, the white elephant was witnessed being taken along with four other elephants by forestry officials and soldiers on the Maungdaw - Buthidaung road, and they are expected to arrive in Buthidaung this afternoon. From Buthidaung, the elephant will be shipped to Taungup, and then to Naypyidaw on board a naval vessel.
The regime hailed the capture of the white elephants in its media mouth-pieces, stating that the continuous emergence of white elephants was a good omen and auspicious ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled on 7 November. They also called it a sign that the country would be peaceful and free from all danger, and its people would enjoy greater prosperity and progress.
A town elder from Maungdaw said, "Historically and traditionally we value the rare white elephants as a state treasure in Arakan. We are very sorry to have lost such a treasure of our land to the ruthless military junta."
This is the fourth white elephant that has been captured from Arakan during the reign of the current regime. She is expected to be kept in the same garden in Naypyidaw as the elephant Baddavati, while the two white elephants captured in 2001 and 2002 are being kept in a garden in Rangoon, Burma's former capital.
http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2762
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The 18-year-old, 7.1-foot-tall female elephant was captured on 23 September 2010 from the deep jungle in Maungdaw. She is the second white elephant captured after a 38-year-old female, now called Baddavati by the junta, was taken away to Naypyidaw last August.
"The junta should not take away every white elephant from their homeland in Arakan State. They should keep at least one here as we Arakanese people also have a traditional admiration for this kind of rare white elephant," said the monk.
"Though the junta is shouting with their big mouths for national unity and union spirit among the different ethnic races in Burma, their actions upon other ethnic groups like the Arakanese are quite colonial. Whatever is valuable, whatever is rare, or is antique, they have taken away from Arakanese land against the will of the local people," the source said.
According to the local residents, the white elephant was witnessed being taken along with four other elephants by forestry officials and soldiers on the Maungdaw - Buthidaung road, and they are expected to arrive in Buthidaung this afternoon. From Buthidaung, the elephant will be shipped to Taungup, and then to Naypyidaw on board a naval vessel.
The regime hailed the capture of the white elephants in its media mouth-pieces, stating that the continuous emergence of white elephants was a good omen and auspicious ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled on 7 November. They also called it a sign that the country would be peaceful and free from all danger, and its people would enjoy greater prosperity and progress.
A town elder from Maungdaw said, "Historically and traditionally we value the rare white elephants as a state treasure in Arakan. We are very sorry to have lost such a treasure of our land to the ruthless military junta."
This is the fourth white elephant that has been captured from Arakan during the reign of the current regime. She is expected to be kept in the same garden in Naypyidaw as the elephant Baddavati, while the two white elephants captured in 2001 and 2002 are being kept in a garden in Rangoon, Burma's former capital.
http://www.narinjara.com/details.asp?id=2762
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