Burma: A Visit to Naypyidaw

Robert Reid went there earlier this year, and now a correspondent for The Irrawaddy goes undercover to experience the awe and wonder of Burma's secret capitol, and the desolate farming village a few clicks away.



There was one thing that everyone agreed had improved—transportation. The city bus service covers every corner of the town.

In the evening, I went to the northern part of Pyinmana to check out the nightlife. The motorcycle taxi driver I waved down where I wanted to go. “The place where the head officials hang out!” I said flatly.

With a chuckle, the driver said he knew exactly where to take me. He said it was where they had the best karaoke, massage and brothels. He warned me not to cause any trouble.

On the second day, I went around some official buildings and markets in the Naypyidaw area. I couldn’t believe I was actually in Burma. There were huge shiny buildings everywhere and eight-lane concrete roads zigzagging around the official buildings.

Construction work was still going on—workers were building the gem hall and the Myanmar Economic Bank that day. Nearby, a highway from Naypyidaw to Rangoon was being laid. According to an engineer I spoke to, it would reduce the travel time to Rangoon to just three or four hours.

I met one person from the UN. When I asked for his impressions, he grumbled: “This is such a different world from the rest of the country. It shows me that the military generals have enough money when it comes to their own security and comfort.”


He added that he believed the government could rebuild the cyclone-ravaged areas by themselves without outside help. According to the latest UN estimates, the total bill to cover the destruction wrought by Cyclone Nargis would come to some US $4 billion—much less than it has taken to build the new capital.
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"It's nothing compared with the cost of building Naypyidaw—though we don't have a detailed budget," said an engineer with Ayeyar Shwewar Construction Company, which is owned by a son of Gen Shwe Mann.

According to local reporters, the government is unwilling to display their buildings, let alone a detailed budget. Until recently, local media were forbidden from taking pictures of certain buildings, including City Hall, without a permit.

That afternoon, at Naypyidaw Myoma Market, I discovered there is a shortage of small bank notes in the town. Denominations such as the 50 kyat, 20 kyat, 10 kyat and 5 kyat are in huge demand. If someone gets on a bus, for example, and the ticket costs 50 kyat, that person had better have the correct fare. If he or she only has a 100 or a 200 kyat note and the bus conductor has no change, they have to leave the change.

Some shop owners in Rangoon give a candy instead of a 20 kyat bill.



Posted by Carl Parkes on Thursday, November 06, 2008

Labels: Burma