When Burmese junta leader Than Shwe laid on an opulent wedding for his daughter this summer, most of the bill was picked up by one of the country's wealthiest tycoons, Tay Za.
The self-made playboy, who controls many of Burma's key industries and runs his own airline, Bagan Air, is one of several big business cronies who finance the lifestyle of the ageing general and his family.
Tay Za (right) is now one of the primary targets of new sanctions imposed by the United States. By cutting off his and other top businessmen's access to sources of income that benefit the regime, the Bush administration hopes to hit the generals where it hurts most - in their pockets.
As well as getting his daughter's wedding bill paid (see video on next page), Than Shwe and his family holiday in Tay Za's hotels, fly free in his planes and use his contacts in  |
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