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Which country’s capital is Naypyidaw?
Naypyidaw, the capital of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, is located on the west side of Pyinmana (Pyinmana, Pyinmana, Pyinmana) in the central mountainous area of Myanmar, north of Yangon, about 400 kilometers away from Yangon .
On November 6, 2005, Myanmar moved the capital from Yangon to this place. On Military Day in 2006, the new capital was officially announced as Nay Pyi Taw (an ancient Burmese language, meaning “Kyoto, the capital”). Nay Pyi Taw, formerly known as Pyin Mana, is the third largest city in Myanmar. It was once the military stronghold of the Burmese national hero General Aung San’s war of independence and the base camp of the Burmese Communist guerrillas. The area is strategically important. It is also a mountainous trading town between the former capital Yangon and the big northern city of Mandalay.
The urban planning of Nay Pyi Taw is divided into different areas such as hotel area, residential area and government affairs area. With an area of about 6,450 square kilometers, it is more than 9 times larger than Yangon City. It is relatively empty but more suitable for tourism. Many municipal facilities and buildings are under construction. Among them, the new government complex is scattered in a valley in Nay Pyi Taw, covering an area of about 10 square kilometers, surrounded by mountains and dense woods, and 30 kilometers from the nearest town.
Geographical environment
Located in the mountainous area of central Myanmar, 400 kilometers north of Yangon, it is the capital of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and belongs to the central region of Myanmar. 320 kilometers north from “Nay Pyi Taw” is Mandalay, the famous ancient capital of Myanmar.
“Nay Pyi Taw” is located in the narrow strip of the Xitang River Valley between the Bago Mountains and the Bennong Mountains. Nay Pyi Taw includes Pyinmana County, Dagon Township and Leiwei Township, with a population of 924,608.
The main inhabitants are the Burmese, and other ethnic minorities such as Shan, Kachin, Karen, Kaye, Denu, Blang, and Boo live here. Agriculture and forestry are the pillar industries, and the main crops are rice, jute, teak, vegetables and fruits.
Move the capital
The Myanmar government began to relocate some government agencies to forested areas 600 kilometers north of Yangon. Some analysts say this is because of concerns that the United States may attack Myanmar.
Myanmar executives suddenly ordered multiple departments to relocate within one day on November 6, 2005. The Minister of Information, General Jue Shan, confirmed that the capital had been moved the next day (November 7, 2005).
The news from Yangon said that on Sunday (November 6) morning, a long queue of trucks loaded with office staff and equipment left the capital Yangon and headed for the Pyinmana area, the destination of the relocation of the capital.
These relocated persons are not allowed to bring their family members. Ten ministers are believed to have left Yangon over the weekend, with more to follow.
Over the past few years, the Myanmar government has begun to pay special attention to this area. But massive construction began 12 months ago.
The newly constructed office area is believed to cover an area of 10 square kilometers, including the military high-rise official residence, diplomatic area, parliament building, airport, golf course and other office and residential buildings.
As for the real intention of moving the capital, it is still unclear.
Some analysts believe that this is because Myanmar’s military leaders are concerned that Myanmar may be attacked, especially from the United States. In this way, areas far from the coast have a strategic security advantage.
But some people say that this is just a repetition of the Burmese military’s habit of relocating the capital of ancient Burmese kings, deciding on feng shui treasures based on divination, and then building new towns or palaces there.
Whatever the motivation, building the new one is a powerful signal that the Burmese government wants to centralize power and increase control.
While the government moved the capital, opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi continued to be under house arrest.
Purpose of moving the capital
The purpose of the Myanmar government’s move to the capital is believed to be mainly because the place is more conducive to preventing land and sea invasions than Yangon, which is located by the sea, and to control the Chin, Karen, Kayah and Shan peoples. (Shan) and other powerful minorities. According to the BBC, when the capital was moved, no one was allowed to bring their families there, and many unmarried bachelors were also ordered to move there by the military government.
On November 4, 2005, the diplomatic envoys of various countries in Yangon were invited to the Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs to listen to the briefing, but the Myanmar side did not inform the contents of the briefing in advance. The envoys were accustomed to this kind of invitation. While chatting, Deputy Foreign Minister U Maung Min hurried into the press conference room with a solemn expression and announced to the envoys that the Myanmar government has decided to move the capital from Yangon to Pyinmana from now on.
He said that Yangon was the capital designated by the colonial rulers to Myanmar, and did not represent the will of the Myanmar people. The Myanmar government decided to move the capital to Pyinmana because it is located in the center of Myanmar’s national territory and has strong radiation capabilities, which is conducive to government governance. He also introduced that at present, Pingmana has built an airport, a hospital, a golf course, two small hotels…
In February 2006, the Myanmar side once again invited the envoys to announce that an area has been specially planned for foreign embassies in Myanmar in the new capital for the future construction of new embassies by various countries. However, due to the lack of any infrastructure, it is temporarily inconvenient to receive envoys to visit the site. When conditions are ripe, envoys will be collectively organized to visit.
New name
After Myanmar moved the capital, it was noticed that the media in Yangon reported that Myanmar national leaders and government officials were operating in the new capital without using “Pinmana”, but a new name: “Nay Pyi Taw”. Taw)”. “Nay Pyi Taw” is an ancient Burmese language, meaning “Kyoto, capital city”.
At the beginning of the use of this name, the Myanmar government did not make any official announcement, and we did not get the point after several verifications. Soon, Myanmar officials actually confirmed “Nay Pyi Taw” as the name of the new capital, but said that it will not be officially confirmed until the new constitution is passed and promulgated in the future.
The reason why the new capital was named “Nay Pyi Taw” is explained by the relevant officials of Myanmar: “Pinmana” was originally a small town, and it is impossible for the new capital to continue to use this name. At the same time, considering that Myanmar has a long-standing traditional culture, it should be vigorously promoted. Naming the new capital as “Nay Pyi Taw” can reflect Burmese culture and make it more atmospheric.
