Story here. Reads like The Onion, but no, it’s Time magazine. These guys just get weirder and weirder. Although both men and women wear sarongs in Burma, there are distinct patterns for the two, and with no explanation at all the Burmese junta leaders appeared on national television this month in what was essentially women’s dresses.
Black magic prevails in Burma, so much so that even Thailand notices – and that’s saying a lot – and the junta leaders are all strong believers. Observers think this may have something to do with a prophecy that Burma will be ruled by a woman. Sort of pulling a fast one on the powers that be.
Excerpt: **Burma has had three rulers in the past half-century, and all have been devotees of yadaya [Burmese black magic]. General Ne Win, who ruled from 1962 to 1988, reportedly shot his own reflection in a mirror, on the advice of a fortune teller, to foil a foretold assassination attempt. His obsession with numerology led him to demonetize all bank notes in 1987 so that new notes could be printed — all divisible by his lucky number, 9. The move wiped out the savings of most Burmese and contributed to an uprising a year later. His successor, General Saw Muang, was replaced after erratic behavior that included a rambling, semi-coherent nationally televised speech brimming with references to magic and astrology. And Than Shwe, who replaced Saw Muang, is reported to have seven personal astrologers, several of whom are tasked with focusing solely on Suu Kyi, according to his biographer Ben Rogers. **