No.11 - 03/2006
9 March 2006

War

Picked soldiers filling up the new capital (Revised version)

Reporter: Chai Sayam

Soldiers selected for Armed Forces Day parade have been arriving in Burma's new capital in Pyinmana, 244 miles (390 km) from Rangoon, since the first day of March, according to a military source who recently visited the area:

Six miles outside Pyinmana, on the way to Mandalay, there is an intersection called Ywadaw (Royal Village). The village is no more, having been thrown out since last year when Pyinmana was named the new capital. It is replaced by a newly constructed railway station.

Turn left for 4 miles on a dirt road and there are 40 new buildings accommodating the incoming soldiers from every regional command and light infantry divisions in the country, 300 from each. There are 12 regional commands (excluding the new Naypyidaw command) and 10 light infantry divisions in Burma.

Another three miles further and you'll come to the ministry quarter. The roads inside the place are all paved 2-lane roads. The outermost ministries are the foreign and the home, probably because they need to deal with foreigners the most. From there you arrive at Kyetpyay. Turn right there and you are going to Taungdwingyi, but turn left there and you are returning to Pyinmana, 5 miles away.

Going back to Ywadaw, you turn right and 1 miles inside on the right hand side of the 8-lane highway is the parade ground where more than 6,000 troops are due to march past the review stand for Senior General Than Shwe's satisfaction on 27 March, formerly Resistance Day (against Japan) then later designated as Armed Forces Day. Apart from the Army, the Red Cross and the Fire Brigade will also participate in the event.

Further inside is a checkpoint where you have to register yourself to go in. The sign there tells you to leave your weapons, cameras and tape recorders there if you are carrying any.

We were at the War Office for an hour then back to Ywadaw and home, you don't want to ask where.

Updated: 18:00