Stéphanie Buret

Reportage, 2016

Junta in Wonderland

A taxi driver hoping that Aung San Suu Kyi will be elected in 2015 and driving in front of the replica of the Yangon's pagoda in NayPyiTaw. — Aung San Suu Kyi Pagoda NayPyiTaw

NayPyiTaw's map in the National Landmark Garden — Landmark map NayPiyTaw

Soldiers from the Junta — Soldiers parade junta Union Day

In an empty hotel, the waitress is waiting for customers. — hotel NayPyiTaw empty

In the railway station and everywhere employees are cleaning the empty space. — railway station cleaners NayPyiTaw

Roundabouts are built everywhere in the capital city. — roundabout capital city lotus

Replica of the Yangon's pagoda — replica yangon Pagoda

During the 2017 Independence day at the City Hall — Independence Day NayPyiTaw city hall

In the luxury house of the roundabouts engineer of NayPyiTaw. — roundabout engineer NayPyiTaw

The roundabouts engineer of NayPYiTaw in his house singing karaoké. — karaoké engineer house

Trying to attract tourists in NayPyiTAw pagoda. — tourist Ballon Pagoda

Way marked for the ministers — ministers Independence Day marks

In front of the huge Parliament building built by the Junta and forbidden to the public. — parliament soldier junta

At 2017 Independence day, the ministers from the new government elected in 2015. The first step to democracy. — democracy minister city hall

Projektbeschrieb

In 2005, the Burmese junta started to build NayPyiTaw, her new capital city, in the middle of the country in the bush. Officials were forced to move from Rangoon. The huge city became actually the new army residence. Military parades and summits are organised in NayPyiTaw for the Ministers and the Head of State. The city is accessible since 2011.
Soldiers are controlling an empty city which include several very distant aeras : luxury hotels, ministeries, zoo, big pagoda, railway station, and government palace which is inaccessible. 20 lane-highways with no road signs (!) and lotus fountain roundabouts punctuate this inhuman space. Though environnment is dry and water/electricity ressources are lacking in the country, NayPyiTaw get 24h/24h connection. Moreover, cleaners employees are everywhere to polish the « Wonderland ». Nevertheless, developers continue to build new condominiums and huge hotels ! It’s indeed one of the growing fast city in the world !
Officially, the capital city was built in order to center the government and the astrologers made the choice. In reality, it could be a decision for the junta to avoid big events and crowd reunion that took place in Yangoon.
Aung San Suu Kyi is talking about the city saying it’s a « Disneyland fascist ». Last elections has come in November 2015. Aung San Suu Kyi’s party was elected. Like a marketing showcase, NayPyiTaw is after all pretending to embody the new Myanmar, more open and flexible.

Publikationsinformationen

Titel der Arbeit: Junta in Wonderland