New Jungle Capital Underlines Reclusiveness Of Regime
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On March 26, Myanmar's State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) offered a brief lapse from its habitual reclusiveness by inviting foreign diplomats and journalists to the new capital of Naypyidaw to attend the annual Armed Forces Day parade. It was the first time ever that outsiders were allowed a glimpse of the purpose-built city in the malaria-infested jungle of central Myanmar. The official reason for the relocation of the capital was that the old capital Yangon had become too crowded and congested. However, the real motive for the decision, announced completely unexpectedly in November 2005, is still clouded in obscurity,with speculation ranging from a fear of previous capital's vulnerability to a US invasion to a prophecy from an astrologist.