Myanmar military trumpets white elephant as sign of right to rule

The white elephant was born in Myanmar's Rakhine state in 2022, and its birth is being portrayed as fortuitous by the junta. - AFP

NAYPYIDAW (AFP): Though it is a pariah on the world stage and battling fierce domestic opposition to its rule, Myanmar's junta has found grounds for optimism -- the birth of a rare albino elephant.

Since seizing power, the junta has crushed democracy protests, jailed ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and been accused of committing war crimes in its bid to quell dissent.