Than Shwe’s New Pagoda Hides More than a Buddha Relic

By THE IRRAWADDY

Burmese junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe, his wife Kyaing Kyaing and members of their family led ceremonies marking the consecration in Naypyidaw of a replica of Rangoon’s famous Shwedagon Pagoda.

The Naypyidaw pagoda, visible from every road leading into Burma’s new capital, is 99 m high, less than one meter lower than the original. Like the Rangoon pagoda, it is covered in gold foil, and its consecration was completed by hoisting its htidaw (sacred umbrella) and placing a huge seinbudaw, or diamond bud, at its apex.

Thousands of precious stones—diamonds, rubies, pearls and jade—were donated to adorn the pagoda, which has been given the name Uppatasanti, or "Peace Pagoda."
The regime daily The New Light of Myanmar reported that Than Shwe and his family donated a Buddha tooth relic to be placed inside the pagoda. The relic came from China, the newspaper said.

The construction of the new pagoda is seen by many Burmese as a continuation of the tradition of Burmese kings who built pagodas as acts of penance for the wars they conducted.

According to one scholar, Maung Aung Myo, Uppatasanti is the name of a sutra written by a monk in the early 16th century. It was intended to be “recited in time of crisis especially in the face of foreign invasion," wrote Maung Aung Myo in a paper entitled The Road to Naypyidaw: Making Sense of the Myanmar Government's Decision to Move its Capital, for the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore.

Work on the pagoda began in 2006, following the regime’s removal of its administrative capital from Rangoon to Naypyidaw, in November 2005.

Most observers and even some government officials say moving the capital from Rangoon to the remote Pyinmana area was the sole idea of Than Shwe. The astrologers on whom he and his family rely reportedly suggested relocating the capital after foreseeing bloodshed and natural disaster for Rangoon.

Although hundreds of monks attended the consecration, they were kept well away from its central ceremonies, which were performed by the Than Shwe family, military leaders and senior government officials, including Vice Snr-Gen Maung Aye, Gen Thura Shwe Mann and Gen Thein Sein.

Official newspapers reported that thousands attended the festivities surrounding the consecration. They made no mention, however, of a fairground disaster on the eve of the festivities, in which 20 people are reported to have died.