Who stole Burma’s Royal Ruby
Had things turned out differently, the quiet man shivering beside me in London’s autumn chill could have been the King of Burma, a head of state for more than 50 million people.
A neat black moustache is the only thing about U Soe Win that might hint at royal lineage. I’ve spent years in Myanmar, the country once known as Burma, and have met only a handful of men capable of growing one, though portraits of Soe Win’s ancestors suggest that a noble set of whiskers was a key part of the king’s job spec.
Moustache aside, my 70-year-old friend has spent his whole life blending into the background and keeping a low profile.