Burmese junta’s backyard sees spate of vandalism

Thursday, 19 August 2010 23:56 Kyaw Kha

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Vandals have struck Naypyidaw, the Burmese ruling military junta’s capital, breaking signs and electric lighting in public areas, according to city police.

usdp-nayphidawFrom early this month, “saboteurs” had destroyed direction signboards, traffic-light bulbs and fluorescent strips on lamp posts, and were still at large, an officer from Naypyidaw Police Station No. 1 said.

“In the past few days, someone has broken light bulbs in the Naypyidaw Circle area and destroyed direction signboards at bus stops. We are monitoring the city”, the officer told Mizzima.

Furthermore, an officer from station No. 3 said he had also noticed an increase in vandalism, but that the police force was still waiting for reports on the matter from the Naypyidaw City Development Committee.

From May to July this year, Burma’s Road Transport Administration Department had also issued numerous fines to drivers and riders of cars, two- and three-wheeled motorcycles that had violated traffic regulations.

In apparent explanation for the increase in property damage the officer from No. 3 station told Mizzima: “In some cases, people who had drunk large amounts of alcohol destroyed public properties.”

In March, rooms 32, 33 and 34 at apartment building 748 in Bawgatheiddhi Ward, where employees from the handiwork and technical department of the Ministry of Co-operatives live, were broken in to, but the culprits remained at large.