Inside the secret city - Burma

Nov 2006
Burma's new capital of Naypidaw is one of the most mysterious cities in the world. Few foreigners have been inside and now there are signs a chain of underground bunkers are being built nearby.

Buried deep within the remote jungle is Naypidaw, Burma's new capital. The Generals are so paranoid about it they've imprisoned journalists for trying to do what our reporter did: film the city being built. Foreigners are banned from the nearby city of Pyinmana where sources say the military are building a network of underground bunkers. Tremors are often felt at night. Since moving the capital, the army has intensified its battle against the Karen, clearing out surrounding villages in an attempt to dominate the area. Nearly 3,000 Karen villages have been destroyed in the past decade and a million people displaced. Those who speak out risk imprisonment or torture. "The situation of people all over the country gets worse by the hour", laments journalist Ludu Sin Wein. "The whole country is sitting on a power keg that can explode at any time." But there are signs of resistance. Half a million Burmese residents signed a petition calling for the release of their political leaders. As Burmese reporter Ludu Sin Wein states: "Someone has to take risks to let the world know what's going on."

Produced by SBS/Dateline
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Burma
• Naypidaw
• Secret
• Pyinmana
• Karen
• documentary
• Imprisonment
• Forbidden
• news
• current affairs
• journeyman
• journeyman pictures

[alibangbang71]

this is outrageous!!!! the whole country is starving and they prefer to spend their money building a new capital...how stupid can that be?????

[fuckburmese]

The SPDC is dreaming to build a country like North Korea. SPDC is the one who disintegrating Union. We must fight until they ousted from ruling power. We must wipe out current Tatmadaw completely and build a new modern Federal Arm Forces.

[schchen2000]

According to the Burmese military government, the road map to democracy will take 7 steps and it took them 13 years to finish 1 out of 7 steps while this was reported. Tsk Tsk Tsk. With the time given (i.e. 13 years), a sea turtle could swim around and around the globe for numerous times.

[Schoggodrops]

Tja, da ist die Welt noch in Ordnung.

Die haben´s gut. Keine Hektik, schöne Natur...

[inuyakino]

@alibangbang71 Its just the brainless nature.

[MrLilort]

its funny how the world talks about Iran, but when its burma, nothing to say.

[KiwiChristian]

I'm praying for Burma

[MeesterCrumpet]

@locatebob hahaha, yeah everyone working in your three or four star hilton hotel you mean? ass.

[mitters87]

@esca8652 political freedom is important in the long run for a country to reach its max: social and economic development. but the ethnic villagers living in rural burma didn't even know who the president is until burmese soliders came and burned their houses down. so for them, political freedom is secondary compared to basic needs like food, clean water, shelter without fearing for their lives everyday.

[mitters87]

if you don't wanna help, DON'T HELP... stop acting like you are an all-knowing guru. you are insulting not only the bamars but also the ethnic people like shans, karens and ra khines living in the forest, running for their lives everyday, afraid that their daughters and mothers will get raped and burnt alive... you are insulting all freedom-love burmese who wish to see a better burma.

[mitters87]

@locatebob great sentiment. help YOURSELF...it's because of people like you that people in burma and north korea are suffering while you worry about trivial things like bills and junk in your house. . you must be one of those bleeding heart liberals who have forgot what liberty is all about.

[esca8652]

@pandora394 I find it funny that you said "political freedom is only the secondary cause" when everything you were referring to deals with the government fucking the people over. It's quite contradictive.