Myanmar junta heads for hills

Myanmar junta heads for hills

YANGON – Myanmar’s military junta, which has been branded an “outpost of tyranny” by the United States, yesterday started to move key ministries to a secret location in the mountains and dense forest.

The former Burma’s ruling generals made no announcement concerning the move, although Myanmar watchers have said they are relocating to ensure a better-fortified seat of government in case the country comes under attack. Civil servants were kept in the dark about the relocation to Pyinmana, which lies 320 km north of the capital Yangon, until Friday morning.Speculation has been rife about a possible relocation for around two years – but the move still caught many off guard.Since winning independence from Britain after World War Two, Burma enjoyed a brief period of democracy before the military seized power in 1962.The army has run the country ever since, ignoring the results of a 1990 election they lost by a landslide and keeping opposition leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for much of the last 15 years.Sources inside Myanmar said the generals have built or are building an airfield, hospital, golf course and medium-size hydroelectric power plant at the new Pyinmana headquarters – although what lies behind their thinking remains a mystery.”Lord only knows,” said one Yangon-based diplomat said.”We were just wondering if we will have to go there to pay courtesy calls to the ministers.”- Nampa-ReutersCivil servants were kept in the dark about the relocation to Pyinmana, which lies 320 km north of the capital Yangon, until Friday morning.Speculation has been rife about a possible relocation for around two years – but the move still caught many off guard.Since winning independence from Britain after World War Two, Burma enjoyed a brief period of democracy before the military seized power in 1962.The army has run the country ever since, ignoring the results of a 1990 election they lost by a landslide and keeping opposition leader and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for much of the last 15 years.Sources inside Myanmar said the generals have built or are building an airfield, hospital, golf course and medium-size hydroelectric power plant at the new Pyinmana headquarters – although what lies behind their thinking remains a mystery.”Lord only knows,” said one Yangon-based diplomat said.”We were just wondering if we will have to go there to pay courtesy calls to the ministers.”- Nampa-Reuters

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