RANGOON: Burmese bureaucrats have left Rangoon for a new capital, which has been hacked out of the jungle near Mandalay, on the advice of dictator Than Shwe's personal astrologer. Although they had expected a move for almost two years, most government employees learnt of the order to go only at 6.30am on Sunday, when they were told to leave their families behind, pack their belongings and join convoys moving about 320km north to Pyinmana.A year ago, Pyinmana was little more than a collection of straw huts and rice paddies. The timing was believed to have been chosen as auspicious by astrologers.
Moving the seat of government to an easily defensible valley surrounded by jungle is the latest sign of paranoia exhibited by a pariah military regime that fears invasion by the US, which has branded it an outpost of tyranny, and an uprising by its own downtrodden populace.
| You guys are still in the double-A minor league of the Axis of Evil. |
The world's newest capital city has probably been built, at least in part, by forced labour just off the main road linking the country's two important cities. It is on land from which villagers were evicted about 18 months ago. The move of the first nine government ministries was officially announced by Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan, who said: "Now a more centrally located government seat has become a necessity."
One Western diplomat in Rangoon, the British-built city on the Bay of Bengal that has been the capital since independence in 1948, said Burma's small community of expatriates had no idea what the new capital looked like. It reportedly consists of a 10sqkm compound, on which it is planned to have mansion homes for generals, diplomatic quarters, a parliamentary building, an airport and a golf course.
At the moment it is in a secure military zone that foreigners cannot enter, protected by anti-aircraft missiles. Underground bunkers and office blocks are believed to have been constructed but it is not clear how much of the city has been built so far.
| That 18 months ago was a clearing the jungle? By Burmese construction standards? With forced labor? In a destitute country? Umm ... I can guess. |
| Hey, no problem. |