Burma: a very brief history
Updated on 27 March 2007
From Burma to the Union of Myanmar. From Rangoon to Naypyidaw.
The first unified Burmese state was founded in the 11th Century and since then it has withstood invasions by the Mongols, the British and the Japanese.
After a period of democracy following the Second World War, a military coup took place which has defined the character of its government ever since.
In 1989 Burma was officially renamed of the Union of Myanmar. Many Burmese opposition groups continued to use the name 'Burma' as they do not recognize the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to rename the country.
At the same time the former capital Rangoon became Yangon. Now the capital city is being replaced altogether.
A new seat of government
In November 2005 the military junta began relocating the seat of government to Naypyidaw, a remote area near the town of Pyinmana.
Beyond the new names and relocations the country's harsh military regime remains unchanged.
The Burmese leader Senior General Than Shwe and his army stand accused of gross human rights abuses. These include the forcible relocation of civilians and widespread use of forced labour.
Some think the decision has been made on the advice of fortune-tellers, as Than Shwe is known to be highly superstitious.
The government has invited the world's media to report on the unveiling of Naypyidaw - a rare insight into the country for Western journalists.
Burma experts have largely been at a loss to explain the move. There is speculation that the decision has been taken for military reasons, and that the army would prefer to defend itself from an inland position. Some think the decision has been made on the advice of fortune-tellers, as Than Shwe is known to be highly superstitious.
Another explanation is that, in building a fortress from scrap, the generals hope to make their already secretive regime even harder to scrutinise.
All you need to know about the new capital
- Some living in the area are thought to have been thrown out of their homes with no compensation to make way for the new development
- There are also accusations that the city itself has been constructed using forced labour
- Two journalists from Rangoon have been given three-year jail sentences for attempting to film the site of the new capital
- The new city is in a predominantly rural area - agricultural workers suddenly find their farms on the outskirts of a capital city
- Locals joke about a 'transfer of power' - the electricity supply to Rangoon grows increasingly erratic, while the capital is lit up
- Bureaucratic disruption as some government departments which have shut down in Rangoon are not yet functioning in Naypyidaw
- Civil servants seem to have been given little advance notice - many have had to move to Naypyidaw leaving their families behind
