Published November 19, 2005

The fourth batch of Burmese civil servants were shipped out of Rangoon in a convoy of 1000 army trucks on 20 November, to the country’s new capital at Pyinmana in central Burma.

The civil servants are said to be from Defence, Border Trading, Hotel & Tourism, Trade and Commerce, Agriculture and Marine Departments. Tight security measures have been placed in towns and villages along the route of their journey and traffics to other vehicles were banned.

Although the constructions of office buildings are nearly complete at the new capital, the living quarters for civil servants are still being built and they are finding it hard to get regular water and electricity supplies, a civil servant told DVB. He added that some young civil servants have also fled due to the onslaughts of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Civil servants from all the ministries are to start their official duties on 1 January 2006, but they are all said to be feeling very dejected and confused, away from their families and loved ones.