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updated 14 Nov 2013, 11:13
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Tue, Nov 12, 2013
The New Paper
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Myanmar princess lives ordinary life

Myanmar - In a modest Yangon apartment, the granddaughter of Myanmar's last king lives simply and unrecognised by her neighbours .

Princess Hteik Su Phaya Gyi (above), 90, said the childhood days when her family retained some of its royal status were now a distant memory.

The British colonial regime dethroned her grandfather, King Thibaw in 1885. The military junta, which ruled the country for decades, kept the family out of the public eye.

"They didn't want us to be somebody," said the princess, wearing a purple shawl specially for the interview.

"I have lived as an ordinary person for 60 years," she told AFP.

"Most of Myanmar has forgotten about the king," said deputy culture minister Than Swe, who has spearheaded a campaign to return King Thibaw's remains to Myanmar from India.


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