Is astrology to blame?

2005-11-08 13:35

Taipei - Taiwan's Myanmar expatriate community has reacted with shock to their government's announcement on Monday that it was moving the capital from Yangon to Pyinmana, with speculation rife here that the military regime is acting on astrologers' advice.

"This is crazy. Pyinmana has nothing to boast of. To move the capital to Pyinmana is unthinkable. Imagine the difficulty in rebuilding a capital, let alone the cost!" said U King, 65, a former Yangon lawyer.

U King rejected speculation that the relocation of the capital is to avoid a United States seaborne attack similar to that of Iraq. Like many of his 100 000-strong compatriots in Taipei, U King has a more mystical explanation.

"Myanmar leaders might have sought astrologers' advice and believe the move can improve Myanmar's feng shui (the Chinese belief in energy flows depending on wind and water) of Myanmar. Myanmar leaders are strong believers in feng shui. When Ne Win ruled Myanmar (from 1960s to 1980s), he considered relocating the capital for the sake of feng shui," U King said.

Shared views

U King's views are shared by many other Myanmar expatriates in Taiwan - many of them of Chinese descent - who have emigrated to Taiwan to seek a better life.

Agga Wan Tha, 58, a Myanmar Buddhist monk in charge of the Therevada Dharma Vihara temple in Chungli, a satellite city of Taipei, said the decision to move the capital could be the idea of only a handful of Myanmar leaders.

"I believe they sought astrologers' advice. Astrology plays an important role in Myanmar politics. The government has appointed a committee of astrologers who help draft policies and decide on what date a festival is held," he said.

However, U Soe Hla, 67, a former teacher of zoology at the Mandalay University, supports moving the capital to central Myanmar because it is easier for the government to rule the country and develop the economy. U Soe Hla is the honorary secretary-general of the Myanmar expatriates' association in Taiwan.

Myanmar on Monday made the surprise announcement that it will move the capital from Yangon, capital since Myanmar's independence from Britain in 1948, to Pyinmana.

Information minister Kyaw Hsan said the move was prompted by a changed situation and that "Pyinmana has become the most appropriate place for the seat of a new city" due to improved communications and transportation systems. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA