Burmese leader to visit Indian grave of last king
Burmese President Thein Sein this weekend is expected to become the first of his country's leaders to visit the tomb of Burma's last king.
King Thibaw's reign ended in 1885 with his defeat by British colonial forces.
The monarch and his family were sent into exile in the Indian seaside city of Ratnagiri, where he died and was buried.
A Burmese government official says President Thein Sein will be the first leader to visit the late king's graveyard.
President Thein Sien's trip to Ratnagiri on Saturday was part of "good diplomatic relations" with India.
The president is also expected to meet with the king's descendants in the area.
Burmese historian Thant Myint-U says President Thein Sein's visit is symbolically significant.
"It's wise of the president to bring attention to a somewhat neglected, but incredibly important chapter of Burma's history," he said.
"The king was the very centre of the old state. It was the overthrow of a thousand-year-old monarchy but also the complete destruction of the old system of governance and aristocracy."
In a tale mirroring King Thibaw's fate, India's last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British to Burma, where he died in 1862 and was buried.
India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited his tomb on a landmark visit to Burma earlier this year.
Despite talk of a possible exchange of the royal relics, the Burmese official says that there are no plans for King Thibaw's remains to be returned.
President Thein Sein's expected visit to Ratnagiri follows two days of high-level talks in India.