The Irrawaddy reports:
No tags for this post.In a surprise move, and at extremely short notice, Burma’s generals have relocated the government’s ministries almost 400 km north of Rangoon to Pyinmana, central Burma. The order to move came late on Saturday, leaving shocked officials little time to pack and say their goodbyes before departing early the next morning.
Some local Burmese observers believe the decision was taken on the advice of astrologers who serve the notoriously superstitious generals — rumor has it Snr-Gen Than Shwe‘s trusted soothsayers have predicted bloodshed in Rangoon, necessitating relocation of the capital.
Rangoon, or Yangon, literally means “the end of strife” — a name bestowed by an 18th century Burmese king. But to the paranoid generals currently in charge, the capital is no longer a safe place. It is incontrovertibly doomed.
To escape misfortune the generals decided to leave. With a superstitious yell of “let’s go,” ministry officials left Rangoon in convoy at exactly 6:37am on November 6th.