Burma’s Lost Royals

One of the most popular videos on my channel over the past few years has been a film about The Last King of Burma, king Thibaw, who was deposed by the British and died in exile in India where he was being detained.

The present film in many ways takes up that story from the point of view of the last king’s descendents and their new found freedoms in Democratic Myanmar. For many years they had to hide, often in plain site, because of the political climate in the country.

Now they are able to speak again, and openly hold ceremonies commemorating the otherthrow of the monarchy, and holding renewed attempts to bring the last king’s remains back to Myanmar. There is more than one branch of the family by now, of course, and they don’t always see eye to eye, even on these matters.

This film looks at the history of the country, the traumatic times following the loss of independence, and the renewed sense of purpose as it follows proiminent members of the Royal family over a few years as they are gradually able to organise better.

It culiminates with a centenary visit to Ratnagiri in India, along with leading monks, politicians and members of the military, as well as family members amid ongoing efforts to promote a better sense of history and get the remains returned to the country they belong to. 000