President sings, dances, blocks YouTube
News Limited Network June 07, 2013 12:19AM
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WE HAVE all had those cringe-worthy moments captured on film or video but few of us have the power to do what the president of Tajikistan did.
Last month a video surfaced of Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon at his son's 2007 wedding. The father of the groom can be seen dancing and singing off key while his son and new daughter-in-law look on painfully.
The video was published on YouTube on May 18 under the title 'Drunk Tajik President Sings a Song' and quickly reached 300,000 views.
So what did Mr Rahmon do? He blocked access to YouTube in his country and to the independent Asian channel K+.
That is despite only around 2 million people out of the population of 8 million in Tajikistan having internet access.
The government has confirmed the ban but won't say why it was implemented.
Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon is seen dancing and singing at his son's wedding in a video which those in his country are unlikely to see now after he blocked YouTube.
The country's response to the video has been mixed.
Some are happy to see a more relaxed, human side of Mr Rahmon, while others are outraged by the extravagance of the wedding in a country where the nation's laws restrict the number of guests that can attend a wedding and the length of celebrations.
