Urban development in Burma by the military regime often comes at the expense of the rural areas. This has seriously hampered growth in rural areas.

Extension of city train services as part of development projects in urban areas has resulted in stoppage of services in the rural sector.

“The regime shifted the express train from Mon State to the new capital Pyinmana at the end of May” according to sources close to railway officers in Mon State.

The train was moved to the new capital on the orders of Senior General Than Shwe, sourced added.

The Dawei train has stopped running since the end of May, said residents in Ye Township. Mon State had three trains including express and ordinary trains. One was running between Moulmein and Dawei while two trains operated between Moulmein and Ye.

Residents said they had no idea why the train between Moulmein and Dawei was not running.

Reduction of train services by the regime have left passengers complaining and grumblingly because of the problems they have been facing while travelling.

The postmen on the rail route are also facing problems because the trains never stop or reduce speeds at the small stations to help deliver the letters, said sources.

“The Dawei railway road is a temporary affair and sometimes the train slips and we miss a heartbeat out of fear,” a passenger who has travelled on the train said.

According to the Myanmar Television MRTV, passengers can now travel smoothly to the new capital Pyinmana.

The regime declared that they built the 101.36 mile long Dawei-Ye railway with their Tatmadawmen between 1994 and 1998.

But human rights groups in exile said, that the railway was built with forced labour and has been named the second death railway of Burma because many people had died after they were forced to work in the railway construction site.

A monk from Chaungtaung in Ye Township said that the military had forced villagers from around Ye Township and Thanbyuzayat Township to build the railway.

He added that the villagers were forced to work for many years in the construction of the railway. Some of them died during construction and some were raped.