Yangon

Yangon

Yangon (Burmese: ရန်ကုန်; MLCTS: rankun mrui, pronounced: [jàɴɡòʊɴ mjo̰]; also known as Rangoon, literally: "End of Strife") is a former capital of Burma (Myanmar) and the capital of Yangon Region. Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006,[3] Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial centre. HP 506782-001 Laptop Keyboard

Although Yangon's infrastructure is undeveloped compared to those of other major cities in Southeast Asia, it has the largest number of colonial buildings in the region today.[4] While many high-rise residential and commercial buildings have been constructed or renovated throughout downtown and Greater Yangon in the past two decades, most satellite towns that ring the city continue to be deeply impoverished. GATEWAY M-1625 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon was founded as Dagon in the early 11th century (circa 1028–1043) by the Mon, who dominated Lower Burma at that time.[5] Dagon was a small fishing village centred about the Shwedagon Pagoda. In 1755, King Alaungpaya conquered Dagon, renamed it "Yangon", and added settlements around Dagon. DELL Latitude E5500 Laptop Keyboard

The British captured Yangon during the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–26), but returned it to Burmese administration after the war. The city was destroyed by a fire in 1841.[6]  Lenovo 3000 Y500 Laptop Keyboard

The British seized Yangon and all of Lower Burma in the Second Anglo-Burmese War of 1852, and subsequently transformed Yangon into the commercial and political hub of British Burma. Based on the design by army engineer Lt. Alexander Fraser, the British constructed a new city on a grid plan on delta land, bounded to the east by the Pazundaung Creek and to the south and west by the Yangon River. DELL Inspiron 6400 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon became the capital of all British Burma after the British had captured Upper Burma in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of 1885. By the 1890s Yangon's increasing population and commerce gave birth to prosperous residential suburbs to the north of Royal Lake (Kandawgyi) and Inya Lake.[7] The British also established hospitals including Rangoon General Hospital and colleges includingRangoon University. HP Mini 210-1170NR Laptop Keyboard

Colonial Yangon, with its spacious parks and lakes and mix of modern buildings and traditional wooden architecture, was known as "the garden city of the East."[7] By the early 20th century, Yangon had public services and infrastructure on par with London.[8] HP Pavilion DV7-3065dx Laptop Keyboard

Before World War II, about 55% of Yangon's population of 500,000 was Indian or South Asian, and only about a third was Bamar(Burman).[9] Karens, the Chinese, the Anglo-Burmese and others made up the rest. DELL PVDG3 Laptop Keyboard

After World War I, Yangon became the epicentre of Burmese independence movement, with leftist Rangoon University students leading the way. Three nationwide strikes against the British Empire in 1920, 1936 and 1938 all began in Yangon. Yangon was under Japanese occupation (1942–45), and incurred heavy damage during World War II. The city was retaken by the Allies in May 1945. ACER Aspire 7520 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon became the capital of Union of Burma on 4 January 1948 when the country regained independence from the British Empire. HP 640436-001 Laptop Keyboard

Contemporary Yangon

Soon after Burma's independence in 1948, many colonial names of streets and parks were changed to more nationalistic Burmese names. In 1989, the current military junta changed the city's English name to "Yangon", along with many other changes in English transliteration of Burmese names. (The changes have not been accepted by many Burmese who consider the junta unfit to make such changes, nor by many publications, news bureaux including, most notably, the BBC and foreign nations including the United Kingdom and United States.)[10][11] Lenovo 45N2106 Laptop Keyboard

Since independence, Yangon has expanded outwards. Successive governments have built satellite towns such as Thaketa, North Okkalapa and South Okkalapa in the 1950s to Hlaingthaya, Shwepyitha and South Dagon in the 1980s.[6] Today, Greater Yangon encompasses an area covering nearly 600 square kilometres (230 sq mi).[1] HP 502958-001 Laptop Keyboard

During Ne Win's isolationist rule (1962–88), Yangon's infrastructure deteriorated through poor maintenance and did not keep up with its increasing population. In the 1990s, the current military government's more open market policies attracted domestic and foreign investment, bringing a modicum of modernity to the city's infrastructure. Some inner city residents were forcibly relocated to new satellite towns. Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard

Many colonial-period buildings were demolished to make way for high-rise hotels, office buildings, and shopping malls,[12] leading the city government to place about 200 notable colonial-period buildings under the Yangon City Heritage List in 1996.[13] Major building programs have resulted in six new bridges and five new highways linking the city to its industrial back country.[14][15][16] SAMSUNG NP-N150-JP01 Laptop Keyboard

Still, much of Yangon remains without basic municipal services such as 24-hour electricity and regular garbage collection.

Yangon has become much more indigenous Burmese in its ethnic make-up since independence. After independence, many South Asians and Anglo-Burmese left. Many more South Asians were forced to leave during the 1960s by Ne Win's xenophobic government.[9] Nevertheless, sizable South Asian and Chinese communities still exist in Yangon. The Anglo-Burmese have effectively disappeared, having left the country or intermarried with other Burmese groups. HP Compaq G50-102NR Laptop Keyboard

Yangon was the centre of major anti-government protests in 1974, 1988 and 2007. The 1988 People Power Uprising resulted in the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of Burmese civilians, many in Yangoon where hundreds of thousands of people flooded into the streets of the then capital city. The Saffron Revolution saw mass shootings and the use of crematoria in Yangoon by the Burmese government to erase evidence of their crimes against monks, unarmed protesters, journalists and students.[17] HP 640436-001 Laptop Keyboard

The city's streets saw bloodshed each time as protesters were gunned down by the government.

In May 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Yangon. While the city had few human casualties, three quarters of Yangon's industrial infrastructure was destroyed or damaged, with losses estimated at US$800 million.[18] Lenovo Thinkpad T520 Laptop Keyboard

In November 2005, the military government designated Naypyidaw, 320 kilometres (199 mi) north of Yangon, as the new administrative capital, and subsequently moved much of the government to the newly developed city. At any rate, Yangon remains the largest city, and the most important commercial centre of Burma. HP 640436-001 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon has a tropical monsoon climate under the Köppen climate classification system.[19] The city features a lengthy rainy season from May through October where a substantial amount of rainfall is received; and a dry season from November through April, where little rainfall is seen. HP Mini 110-3504tu laptop keyboard

It's primarily due to the heavy precipitation received during the rainy season that Yangon falls under the tropical monsoon climate category. During the course of the year, average temperatures show little variance, with average highs ranging from 29 to 36 °C (84 to 97 °F) and average lows ranging from 18 to 25 °C (64 to 77 °F). HP Pavilion DV7-3164cl laptop keyboard

Until the mid-1990s, Yangon remained largely constrained to its traditional peninsula setting between the Bago, Yangon and Hlaing rivers. People moved in, but little of the city moved out. Maps from 1944 show little development north of Inya Lake and areas that are now layered in cement and stacked with houses were then virtual backwaters. GATEWAY MX3228 laptop keyboard

Since the late 1980s, however, the city began a rapid spread north to where Yangon International airport now stands. But the result is a stretching tail on the city, with the downtown area well removed from its geographic centre.[23] ASUS F3L laptop keyboard

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 The city's area has steadily increased from 72.52 square kilometres (28.00 sq mi) in 1901 to 86.2 square kilometres (33.3 sq mi) in 1940 to 208.51 square kilometres (80.51 sq mi) in 1974, to 346.13 square kilometres (133.64 sq mi) in 1985, and to 598.75 square kilometres (231.18 sq mi) in 2008.[1][24] HP Pavilion dv3-2155mx laptop keyboard

Downtown Yangon is known for its leafy avenues and fin-de-siècle architecture.[25] The former British colonial capital has the highest number of colonial period buildings in Southeast Asia.[4] Downtown Yangon is still mainly made up of decaying colonial buildings. The former High Court, the former Secretariat buildings, the former St. Paul's English High School and the Strand Hotel are excellent examples of the bygone era. SAMSUNG N140 Laptop Keyboard

Most downtown buildings from this era are four-story mix-use (residential and commercial) buildings with 14-foot (4.3 m) ceilings, allowing for the construction of mezzanines. Despite their less-than-perfect conditions, the buildings remain highly sought after and most expensive in the city's property market.[26] Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard

In 1996, the Yangon City Development Committee created a Yangon City Heritage List of old buildings and structures in the city that cannot be modified or torn down without approval.[27] In 2012, the city of Yangon imposed a 50 year moratorium on demolition of buildings older than 50 years.[28] TOSHIBA Satellite L300 Laptop Keyboard

The Yangon Heritage Trust, an NGO started by Thant Myint-U, aims to create heritage areas in Downtown, and attract investors to renovate buildings for commercial use.[28]  ACER Aspire 5315 Laptop Keyboard

A latter day hallmark of Yangon is the eight-story apartment building. (In Yangon parlance, a building with no elevators(lifts) is called an apartment building and one with elevators is called a condominium.[29] Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard

Condos which have to invest in a local power generator to ensure 24-hour electricity for the elevators are beyond the reach of most Yangonites.) Found throughout the city in various forms, eight-story apartment buildings provide relatively inexpensive housing for many Yangonites. HP G62-361TX Laptop Keyboard

The apartments are usually eight stories high (including the ground floor) mainly because city regulations, until February 2008, required that all buildings higher than 75 feet (23 m) or eight stories install elevators).[30]  ACER Aspire 5610Z Laptop Keyboard

The current code calls for elevators in buildings higher than 62 feet (19 m) or six stories, likely ushering in the era of the six-story apartment building. Although most apartment buildings were built only within the last 20 years, they look much older and rundown due to shoddy construction and lack of proper maintenance. DELL Vostro 3550 Laptop Keyboard

Unlike other major Asian cities, Yangon does not have any skyscrapers. Aside from a few high-rise hotels and office towers downtown, most high-rise buildings (usually 10 stories and up) are "condos" scattered across prosperous neighborhoods north of downtown such as Bahan, Dagon, Kamayut and Mayangon. The tallest building in Yangon, Pyay Gardens, is a 25-story condo in the city’s north.  ASUS X53S Laptop Keyboard

Older satellite towns such as Thaketa, North Okkalapa and South Okkalapa are lined mostly with one to two story detached houses with access to the city's electricity grid. Newer satellite towns such as North Dagon and South Dagon are still essentially slums in a grid layout. The satellite towns—old or new—receive little or no municipal services. SONY 147915321 Laptop Keyboard

The east-west grid of downtown Yangon was laid out by British military engineers Fraser and Montgomerie after the Second Anglo-Burmese War.[8] The city was later developed by the Public Works Department and Bengal Corps of Engineers. The pattern of south to north roads is as follows: TOSHIBA Satellite A305 Laptop Keyboard

one broad 100-foot (30 m) wide broad road, two narrow streets, one mid-size street, two more narrow streets, and then another 100-foot (30 m) wide broad road. This order is repeated from west to east. The narrow streets are numbered; the medium and broad roads are named. ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard

For example, the 100-foot (30 m) Lanmadaw Road is followed by 30-foot (9.1 m)-wide 17th and 18th streets then the medium 50-foot (15 m) Sint-Oh-Dan Road, the 30-foot 19th and 20th streets, followed by another 100-foot (30 m) wide Latha Road, followed again by the two numbered small roads 21st and 22nd streets, and so on. TOSHIBA Satellite M645-S4070 Laptop Keyboard

The roads running parallel west to east were the Strand Road, Merchant Road, Maha Bandula (née Dalhousie) Road, Anawrahta (Fraser) Road, and Bogyoke Aung San (Montgomerie) Road. SONY 147915321 Laptop Keyboard

The largest and best maintained parks in Yangon are located around Shwedagon Pagoda. To the southeast of the gilded stupa is the most popular recreational area in the city – Kandawgyi Lake. The 150-acre (61-ha) lake is surrounded by the 110-acre (45-ha) Kandawgyi Nature Park,[31] and the 69.25-acre (28-ha) Yangon Zoological Gardens, ASUS F3M Laptop Keyboard

which consists of a zoo, an aquarium and an amusement park.[32] West of the pagoda towards the former Hluttaw (Parliament) complex is the 130-acre (53-ha)People’s Square and People's Park, (the former parading ground on important national days when Yangon was the capital.)[33]A few miles north of the pagoda lies the 37-acre (15-ha) Inya Lake Park – a favorite hangout place of Yangon University students, and a well-known place of romance in Burmese popular culture. SONY VAIO VGN-FS742/W Laptop Keyboard

Hlawga National Park and Allied War Memorial at the outskirts of the city are popular day-trip destinations with the well-to-do and tourists.  HP Mini 110-1169TU Laptop Keyboard

Yangon is administered by the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC). YCDC also coordinates urban planning.[34] The city is divided into four districts. The districts combined have a total of 33 townships. DELL Vostro 1510 Laptop Keyboard

The current mayor of Yangon is Hla Myint. Each township is administered by a committee of township leaders, who make decisions regarding city beautification and infrastructure. Myo-thit (lit. "New Towns", or satellite towns) are not within such jurisdictions. HP Pavilion dv3-2011tx Laptop Keyboard

Yangon is the most populous city by far in Burma although estimates of the size of its population vary widely. (All population figures are estimates since no official census has been conducted in Burma since 1983.) A UN estimate puts the population as 4.35 million in 2010 but a 2009 U.S. State Department estimate puts it at 5.5 million.[2][47] TOSHIBA NB100-11G Laptop Keyboard

The U.S. State Department's estimate is probably closer to the real number since the UN number is a straight-line projection, and does not appear to take the expansion of city limits in the past two decades into account. The city's population grew sharply after 1948 as many people (mainly, the indigenous Burmese) from other parts of the country moved into the newly built satellite towns of North Okkalapa, South Okkalapa, TOSHIBA Satellite L550-ST2743 laptop keyboard

and Thaketa in the 1950s and East Dagon, North Dagon and South Dagon in the 1990s. Immigrants have founded their regional associations (such as Mandalay Association, Mawlamyaing Association, etc.) in Yangon for networking purposes. The government's decision to move the nation's administrative capital to Naypyidaw has drained an unknown number of civil servants away from Yangon. HP Pavilion DV7-3110tx laptop keyboard

Yangon is the most ethnically diverse city in the country. While Indians formed the slight majority prior to World War II,[9] today, the majority of the population is of Bamar (Burman) descent. Large communities of Indians/South Asians and the Chinese still exist especially in the traditional downtown neighborhoods. HP G61-465SL laptop keyboard

Intermarriage between ethnic groups—especially between the Bamar and the Chinese, and the Bamar and other indigenous Burmese—is common. A large number of Rakhine and Karen live in the city. Packard Bell NEW90 laptop keyboard

Burmese is the principal language of the city. English is by far the preferred second language of the educated class. In recent years, however, the prospect of overseas job opportunities has enticed some to study other languages: Mandarin Chinese is most popular, followed by Japanese, French, and Korean.[48] SONY Vaio PCG-K315M laptop keyboard

Yangon is the country's hub for the movie, music, advertising, newspaper and book publishing industries. All media is heavily regulated by the military government. Television broadcasting is off limits to the private sector. All media content must first be approved by the government's media censor board, Press Scrutiny and Registration Division.[49] TOSHIBA Satellite M105-SP3027 laptop keyboard

Most television channels in the country are broadcast from Yangon. TV Myanmar and Myawaddy TV are the two main channels, providing Burmese-language programming in news and entertainment. Other special interest channels are MWD-1 and MWD-2, MRTV-3, HP Mini 110-1115CA laptop keyboard

the English-language channel that targets overseas audiences via satellite and via Internet, MRTV-4 and Channel 7 are with a focus on non-formal education programs and movies, and Movie 5, a pay-TV channel specializing in broadcasting foreign movies.[50] HP Pavilion DV7-2209tx laptop keyboard

Yangon has three radio stations. Myanmar Radio National Service is the national radio service and broadcasts mostly in Burmese (and in English during specific times.) Pop culture oriented Yangon City FM and Mandalay City FM radio stations specialize in Burmese and English pop music, entertainment programs, live celebrity interviews, etc. New radio channels such as Shwe FM and Pyinsawaddy FM can also be tuned with the city area. HP G72-262NR laptop keyboard

Nearly all print media and industries are based out of Yangon. All three national newspapers – two Burmese language dailies Myanma Alin (မြန်မာ့အလင်း) andKyemon (ကြေးမုံ), and the English language The New Light of Myanmar — are published by the government. Semi-governmental The Myanmar Times weekly, HP Mini 110-1134CL laptop keyboard

published in Burmese and in English, is mainly geared for Yangon's expatriate community. Over twenty special interest journals and magazines covering sports, fashion, finance, crime, literature (but never politics) vie for the readership of the general populace. TOSHIBA Satellite C650-182 Laptop Keyboard

Access to foreign media is extremely difficult. Satellite television in Yangon (and in Burma) is highly expensive as the government imposes an annual registration fee of one million kyats.[49] Certain foreign newspapers and periodicals such as the International Herald Tribune and the Straits Times can be found only in a few (mostly downtown) bookstores. DELL Precision M4500 Laptop Keyboard

Internet access in Yangon, which has the best telecommunication infrastructure in the country, is slow and erratic at best, and the Burmese government implements one of the world's most restrictive regimes of Internet control.[51] International text messaging and voice messaging was permitted only in August 2008.[52]  DELL NSK-DG101 Laptop Keyboard

Communication

Common facilities taken for granted elsewhere are luxury prized items in Yangon (and Burma). The price of a GSM mobile phone was about K1.1 million in August 2008.[52] In 2007, the country of 55 million had only 775,000 phone lines (including 275,000 mobile phones),[53][54] DELL NSK-DG101 Laptop Keyboard

and 400,000 computers.[53] Even in Yangon, which has the best infrastructure, the estimated telephone penetration rate was only 6% at the end of 2004, and the official waiting time for a telephone line was 3.6 years.[55] Most people cannot afford a computer and have to use the city’s numerous Internet cafes to access a heavily restricted Internet, and a heavily censored local intranet.[51] ACER Aspire 5810T-8929 Laptop Keyboard

 According to official statistics, in July 2010, the country had over 400,000 Internet users, with the vast majority hailing from just two cities, Yangon and Mandalay. Although Internet access was available in 42 cities across the country, the number of users outside the two main cities was just over 10,000.[56] Lenovo 45N2240 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon’s property market is the most expensive in the country and beyond the reach of most Yangonites. Most rent outside downtown and few can afford to rent downtown area apartments. (In 2008, rents for a typical 650-to-750-square-foot (60 to 70 m2) apartments in downtown and vicinity range between K70,000 and K150,000 and those for high end condos between K200,000 and K500,000.)[57]  Lenovo 3000 Y500 Laptop Keyboard

Most men of all ages (and some women) spend their time at ubiquitous tea-shops, found in any corner or street of the city. Watching European football (mostly English Premier League with occasional La Liga, FUJITSU Lifebook P1610 Laptop Keyboard

Serie A, Bundesliga) matches while sipping tea is a popular pastime among many Yangonites, rich and poor alike. The average person stays close to his or her neighbourhood haunts. The well-to-do tend to visit shopping malls and parks on weekends. Some leave the city on weekends forChaungtha and Ngwesaung beach resorts in Ayeyarwady Division. TOSHIBA NB100-11G Laptop Keyboard

Yangon is also home to many paya pwes (pagoda festivals), held during dry-season months (November – March). The most famous of all, the Shwedagon Pagoda Festival in March, attracts thousands of pilgrims from around the country. HP 518965-001 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon's museums are the domain of tourists and rarely visited by the locals.

Most of Yangon's larger hotels offer some kind of nightlife entertainment, geared towards tourists and the well-to-do Burmese. Some hotels offer traditional Burmese performing arts shows complete with a traditional Burmese orchestra. The pub scene in larger hotels is more or less the same as elsewhere in Asia. Other options include karaoke bars and pub restaurants in Yangon Chinatown. HP G61-400SP Laptop Keyboard

Due to the problems of high inflation, the lack of high denomination notes, and the fact that many of the population do not have access to checks, or credit or debit cards, it is common to see citizens carrying a considerable amount of cash.[58](The highest denomination of Burmese currency kyat is 5000 (~US$5.)) Credit cards are only rarely used in the city, chiefly in the more lavish hotels. DELL 0PVDG3 Laptop Keyboard

Sports

As the city has the best sporting facilities in the country, most national-level annual sporting tournaments such as track and field, football, volleyball, tennis and swimming are held in Yangon. The 40,000-seat Aung San Stadium and the 32,000-seat Thuwunna Stadium are the main venues for the highly popular annual State and Division football tournament. Until April 2009, the now defunct Myanmar Premier League, consisted of 16 Yangon-based clubs,[59] Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard

played all its matches in Yangon stadiums, and attracted little interest from the general public or commercial success despite the enormous popularity of football in Burma. Most Yangonites prefer watching European football on satellite TV. It remains to be seen whether the Myanmar National League, the country's first professional football league, and its Yangon-based club Yangon United FC will attract a sufficient following in the country's most important media market. HP 550 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon is also home to annual the Myanmar Open golf tournament, and the Myanmar Open tennis tournament. The city hosted the 1961 and 1969 South East Asian Games. During colonial times, cricket was played mostly by British officials in the city. First-class cricket was played in the city in January 1927 when the touring Marylebone Cricket Club played Burma and the Rangoon Gymkhana. Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard

Two grounds were used to host these matches, the BAA Ground and the Gymkhana Ground.[60][61] These matches mark the only time Burma and Rangoon Gymkhana have appeared in first-class cricket, and the only time first-class cricket has been played in Burma. After independence cricket all but died out in the country. TOSHIBA Satellite L300 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon is the country’s main center for trade, industry, real estate, media, entertainment and tourism. The city alone represents about one fifth of the national economy. According to official statistics for FY 2010–2011, the size of the economy of Yangon Region was 8.93 trillion kyats, or 23% of the national GDP.[62]  HP AETT3U00010 Laptop Keyboard

The city is Lower Burma’s main trading hub for all kinds of merchandise – from basic food stuffs to used cars although commerce continues to be hampered by the city's severely underdeveloped banking industry and communication infrastructure.Bayinnaung Market is the largest wholesale centre in the country for rice, beans and pulses, and other agricultural commodities.[63] SONY 147915321 Laptop Keyboard

Much of the country’s legal imports and exports go through Thilawa Port, the largest and busiest port in Burma. There is also a great deal of informal trade, especially in street markets that exist alongside street platforms of Downtown Yangon's townships. However, on 17 June 2011, the YCDC announced that street vendors, ACER Aspire 7520 Laptop Keyboard

who had previously been allowed to legally open shop at 3 pm, would be prohibited from selling on the streets, and permitted to sell only in their townships of residence, presumably to clean up the city's image.[64] Since 1 December 2009, high-density polyethylene plastic bags have been banned by city authorities.[65] HP Mini 110-1051TU Laptop Keyboard

Manufacturing accounts for a sizable share of employment. At least 14 light industrial zones ring Yangon,[66] directly employing over 150,000 workers in 4,300 factories in early 2010.[67] The city is the centre of country's garment industry which exported US$292 million in 2008/9 fiscal year. More than 80 percent of factory workers in Yangon work on a day-to-day basis.  DELL PVDG3 Laptop Keyboard

Most are young women between 15 and 27 years of age who come from the countryside in search of a better life.[68] The manufacturing sector suffers from both structural problems (e.g. chronic power shortages) and political problems (e.g. economic sanctions). In 2008, Yangon's 2500 factories alone needed about 120 MW of power;[69] yet, the entire city received only about 250 MW of the 530 MW needed.[70] Chronic power shortages limit the factories' operating hours between 8 am and 6 pm.[71] HP G62x-400 CTO Laptop Keyboard

Construction is a major source of employment. The construction industry has been negatively affected by the move of state apparatus and civil servants to Naypyidaw,[72] new regulations introduced in August 2009 requiring builders to provide at least 12 parking spaces in every new high-rise building, and the general poor business climate. As of January 2010, the number of new high-rise building starts approved in 2009–2010 was only 334, compared to 582 in 2008–2009.[73] ACER Aspire 7520 Laptop Keyboard

Tourism represents a major source of foreign currency for the city although by Southeast Asian standards the actual number of foreign visitors to Yangon has always been quite low—about 250,000 before the Saffron Revolution in September 2007. The number of visitors dipped even further following the Saffron Revolution and Cyclone Nargis.[74] HP Pavilion DV6-1104au Laptop Keyboard

The recent improvement in the country's political climate has attracted an increasing number of businessmen and tourists. Between 300,000 to 400,000 visitors that went through Yangon International in 2011. However, after years of underinvestment, Yangon's modest hotel infrastructure—only 3000 of the total 8000 hotel rooms in Yangon are "suitable for tourists"—is already bursting at seams, and will need to be expanded to handle additional visitors.[75] SONY VAIO VGN-AR200 laptop keyboard

As part of an urban development strategy, a hotel zone has been planned in Yangon's outskirts, encompassing government- and military-owned land in Mingaladon, Hlegu and Htaukkyant Townships.[76] Compaq Presario CQ71-240EB laptop keyboard

Yangon has the best educational facilities and the highest number of qualified teachers in Burma where state spending on education is among the lowest in the world.[77] A 2007 estimate by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies puts the spending for education at 0.5 percent of the national budget.[78] HP Mini 210 laptop keyboard

The disparity in educational opportunities and achievement between rich and poor schools is quite stark even within the city. With little or no state support forthcoming, schools have to rely on forced "donations" and various fees from parents for nearly everything – school maintenance to teachers' salaries,[79] forcing many poor students to drop out. ACER TravelMate 2480 laptop keyboard

While many students in poor districts fail to reach high school, a handful of Yangon high schools in wealthier districts likeDagon 1, Sanchaung 2, Bahan 2, Latha 2, and TTC provide the majority of students admitted to the most selective universities in the country, highlighting the extreme shallowness of talent pool in the country.[80] HP Mini 210-1180NR Laptop Keyboard

The wealthy bypass the state education system altogether, sending their children to private English language instruction schools such as YIEC, or abroad (typically Singapore or Australia) for university education.[81] In 2008, international schools in Yangon cost at least US$8,000 a year.[82] Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard

Yangon is home to over 20 universities and colleges. While Yangon University remains the best known (its main campus is a part of popular Burmese culture e.g. literature, music, film, etc.), the nation's oldest university is now mostly a graduate school, deprived of undergraduate studies. HP Envy 15 Laptop Keyboard

Following the 1988 nationwide uprising, the military government has repeatedly shut down universities, and has dispersed most of undergraduate student population to new universities in the suburbs such as Dagon University, the University of East Yangon and the University of West Yangon. Nonetheless many of the country's most selective universities are still in Yangon. SONY VAIO VGN-NW15G/T Laptop Keyboard

Students from around the country still have to come to study in Yangon as some subjects are offered only at its universities. TheUniversity of Medicine 1, University of Medicine 2, Yangon Technological University, University of Computer Studies and Myanmar Maritime University are the most selective in the country.[83] HP G42-364LA Laptop Keyboard

The general state of health care in Yangon is poor. According to a 2007 estimate, the military government spends 0.4% of the national budget on health care, and 40% to 60% on defense.[78] By the government's own figures, it spends 849 kyats (US$0.85) per person.[84] HP G71-441NR Laptop Keyboard

 Although health care is nominally free, in reality, patients have to pay for medicine and treatment, even in public clinics and hospitals. Public hospitals including the flagship Yangon General Hospital lack many of the basic facilities and equipment. DELL Latitude D830 Laptop Keyboard

Wealthier Yangonites still have access to country's best medical facilities and internationally qualified doctors. Only do Yangon and Mandalay have any sizable number of doctors left as many Burmese doctors have emigrated. The well-to-do go to private clinics or hospitals like Pun Hlaing International Hospital and Bahosi Medical Clinic. Still, medical malpractice is widespread even in private clinics and hospitals that serve the well-to-do. In 2009 and 2010, a spate of high profile deaths[84] ACER Aspire 5742 Laptop Keyboard

 brought out the severity of the problem, even for the relatively well off Yangonites. The wealthy do not rely on domestic hospitals and travel abroad (usually Bangkok or Singapore) for treatment.[85] HP Pavilion dm1-1010st Laptop Keyboard

The following is a survey of healthcare facilities in Yangon in 2010–2011.[37]

Construction began in 1895 and was completed 19 November 1899 under a land grant from the Government of India, whilstLower Burma was a province of British India. During the 1930 Rangoon earthquake, St. Mary's Cathedral suffered little damage and it withstood the Japanese invasion during World War II. However, the cathedral's stained glass windows were damaged during the Allied invasion of Rangoon. HP G61-409CA Laptop Keyboard

Purpose: To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of St. Mary's Cathedral in Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar).

For some time before his death (Vicar Apostolic of Burma, 1856–1894) had been giving serious thought to workship for the ever increasing number of his flock in Rangoon. The old cathedral had become too small. That the new structure should take the form of a metropolitan cathedral of considerable size and of the best architectural design was the opinion of both clergy and laity. HP Mini 210-2000 CTO Laptop Keyboard

A suitable piece of land measuring over fifteen acres east of St. Paul's High School was found and the Bishop submitted an application to the Government of Burma, asking permission to sell, as a freehold, the site of the old cathedral, with a view to the proceeds being entirely applied towards the expenditure of erecting the new cathedral. DELL NSK-DG101 Laptop Keyboard

The concession of the land applied for was, in the Chief Commissioner's opinion, excessive, but he was prepared to recommend that the government should sanction the grant of so much of the remaining portion "on either side of St. Paul's school as is at the disposal of the Government: viz, about five subsidiary buildings, provided that the site of the present Cathedral is relinquished to the Government."[attribution needed] HP Pavilion G6-1223TX Laptop Keyboard

The Bishop in his reply pointed out that his plea to sell the site of the old cathedral was based on similar concessions made by the government, only a few years previously, to other Christian communities. It was for the government to decide whether the Catholic community should be treated with equal liberality. In any case, the act would be one of grace, and not one which any community could claim as a right. DELL PVDG3 Laptop Keyboard

Two months later, on 23 January 1893, the Bishop was informed that the Government of India sanctioned the proposal to sell the site of the cathedral in Barr Street and to appropriate the proceeds for the erection of a new one. Just prior to the commencement of this project, Bishop Bigandet was called to his Heavenly Home.[clarification needed] SAMSUNG R522 Laptop Keyboard

Bishop Paul Bigandet was succeeded by Bishop Alex Cardot (Vicar Apostolic, 1893–1925). A deed of grant was executed and signed by the Secretary to the Commissioner of the Revenue Department and by Bishop Cardot. No time was lost in commencing the foundations of the future edifice. SONY KFRSBA019A Laptop Keyboard

Under the supervision of Mr. H. Hoyne-Fox, consulting architect to the Burmese Government, plans for a Cathedral of the Byzantine model was drawn up. These plans provided for the erection of a fine dome over the junction of the nave, choir and transepts. As the first efforts to sink the foundation resulted in the discovery of a marshy and yielding substratum - it was decided to drive down into the substratum a series of pyinkado piles, HP Probook 4510S Laptop Keyboard

eighteen feet long and three feet in girth as a basis upon which to build. This tedious work was started in June, 1895, and concluded on 1 January 1899. While these important changes were in progress, Bishop Cardot, at the urgent advice of his doctors, was compelled to go to France. Mr Hoyne-Fox was proceeding on long leave, and there was no one to replace him in carrying on the work of supervisor and consulting architect. The Bishop, therefore, was asked to search in Europe for an architect. HP Mini 210-1051VU Laptop Keyboard、

Among the students assembled for Ordination, one was noticeable for his pallid and worn aspect and emaciated figure. Bishop Cardot enquired as to his identity and learned that Rev. Father Janzen (30 September 1858 – 1 Aug. 1911) has been sent home on account of his suffering from tuberculosis two years previously. Toshiba Satellite A105-S271 Laptop CPU Cooling Fan

Father Janzen had studied in the "Ecole Polytehnique" under Dr. Cuypers, an eminent Dutch architect, who has designed the State Museum at Amsterdam as well as most of the churches built in Holland during the last century. Dr. Cuypers was the originator of a style of architecture since termed "Style Necessaire". Father Janzen had collaborated with Dr. Cuyper's son, himself an architect, in the erection of the Amsterdam Museum. HP G71-441NR laptop keyboard

Bishop Cardot prevailed upon the Superiors of the Society of French Foreign Missions at Paris to allow Father Janzen to accompany him back to Rangoon. Father Janzen went to his native Holland to consult his old classmate, Dr. Cuypers, Jr. who prepared a new plan for a French Catholic Cathedral in the "Syle Necessaire". In November, 1898, Bishop Cardot and Father Janzen arrived at Rangoon.  ACER Aspire One A110-BGb laptop keyboard

To adapt the existing foundation to the new plan, Father Janzen at once set abut to extend the first plan. The altered structure was to be thirty feet longer and capable of seating 1,500 people. Thus, the size of the cathedral was 291 feet (89 m) in length and 101 feet (31 m) in breath. HP G71-441NR laptop keyboard

As a basis, a layer of sand nine feet in depth was substituted for pyinkado piles while an additional hundred of the latter was driven down to strengthen and support the rest. The cornerstone of white marble was solemnly blessed and laid by Bishop Cardot on Sunday, November 19, 1899. ACER Aspire One A110-BGb laptop keyboard

Father Janzen found only bricks and cement, an army of untrained coolies and a few Chinese maistries. The secret of Father Janzen's excellent construction lay in his close and constant supervision and in his indomitable patience and perseverance. Never tired of training and directing his subordinates, he simplified their labor by providing them with wooden rules, frames, TOSHIBA V114302CS1 US laptop keyboard

and other devices to render their operations more mechanical and exact. By the aid of reinforced concrete and wooden moulds, he fabricated tiled and decorative blocks of every description. Many of them he bored through to make them lighter and to save material in such a way, however, DELL NSK-D8001 laptop keyboard

as to interfere in no way with their strength and solidity. Father Janzen sawed through the connection between the towers and the rest of the edifice from top to bottom so as not to damage the main structure. the sinking slowly continued, so much so, that Father Jazen abandoned the idea of adding spires. TOSHIBA Satellite L355-S7835 laptop keyboard

The sinking stopped for more than a year and Father Janzen began the work of constructing the spires, 86 feet above the towers.

On August 11, 1907, Father Janzen slipped on a plank and fractured his thigh in three places. Father Janzen came out of the hospital permanently crippled. Thanks however, to the intelligent supervision of the Chinese maistry, Ah Yen, who for the preceding eight years had been his principal assistant, the work of construction continued. TOSHIBA Satellite l25-s1216 laptop keyboard

The Most Rev. Dr. Kelly, Archbishop of Sydney, had this to say in the Catholic Press of Sydney of the cathedral and Father Janzen:

"The Cathedral at Rangoon, now almost complete in the exterior outline, is a work of genius, it has twin spires rising from its facade, and so setting their surmounting crosses as a to draw the visitor's attention. ACER Aspire One D250-1Bb laptop keyboard

Father Janzen lives hidden away in his single room in the ground floor having but the plainest technical apparatus, restricted to very scant funds, and quite uncertain as to the future. For many months, he has been deprived of the consolation of celebrating Mass, on account of a fractured limb, which no longer serves for standing at the altar. Yet, the Cathedral works and keeps going; COMPAQ Presario CQ41-110AU laptop keyboard

designs are forthcoming as required by each detail of workmanship; expedients for overcoming difficulties and for accommodating disarrangement are invented; and many curses, which have nonplussed professional skill in Burma, have been successfully dealt with by the wonderful spirit that dwells in the dying and broken body of this devoted priest."  Packard Bell PEW91 laptop keyboard

The cathedral was dedicated as Our Lady of Immaculate Conception on 22 February 1911. The names of the chief donors were written on it, and it was signed by Rev. Father P. St. Guily.

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A plain inlaid marble slab indicated the spot whereafter "life's fitful fever, he sleeps well". What better spot could have been chosen to lay him to rest than within the walls of that magnificent edifice. And yet by an irony of fate, he lies there forgotten by the hundreds of Catholics who flock almost daily to the Cathedral, HP Mini 210-2090nr Laptop Keyboard

whilst the non-Catholic visitors, mindful that he is in a place of worship and desirous of seeing the architectural beauties of the interior, stands in husted and respectful silence at the foot of the grave and pays his genius at least the passing tribute of a sigh. HP Mini 110-3135dx Laptop Keyboard

A new Cathedral and sad disasters:

The earthquake of May 5, 1930 wrought havoc in the city. The cathedral behaved splendidly under the shock it received. Only two interior vaults came down and others showed a few cracks. Two arches next to the towers were badly cracked but in a few months repairs were completed. COMPAQ Presario C700 Laptop Keyboard

The cathedral well withstood the Japanese bombings of 1941–42 but the Allied bombing of 14 December 1944 blew all the stained glasses to smithereens. They were redone with the ordinary local made glasses. DELL M711P Laptop Keyboard

On 2 May 2008, again the cathedral glasses were strongly hit and damaged by the Nargis cyclone. This time, tarpaulin sheets were used to fix the broken glass, but that does not match the beauty and dignity of the Cathedral. It would cost a fortune to have them replaced. HP Mini 210-2020sp Laptop Keyboard

According to some historians and archaeologists, however, the pagoda was built by the Mon people between the 6th and 10th centuries CE.

The stupa fell into disrepair until the 14th century, when the Mon king Binnya U of Bago had the stupa rebuilt to a height of 18 m (59 ft). Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard

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She terraced the hill on which it stands, paved the top terrace with flagstones, and assigned land and hereditary slaves for its maintenance. She yielded up the throne to Dhammazedi in 1472, retiring to Dagon; during her last illness she had her bed placed so that she could rest her dying eyes upon the gilded dome of the sacred fane. ACER Aspire 5742 Laptop Keyboard

The Mon face of the Shwe Dagon inscription catalogues a list of repairs beginning in 1436 and finishing during Dhammazedi's reign. It mentions Queen Shinsawbu under a Pali name of sixty-six letters. By the beginning of the 16th century the pagoda had become the most famous place of pilgrimage in Burma.[3] TOSHIBA Satellite L300 Laptop Keyboard

A series of earthquakes during the next centuries caused damage. The worst damage came from a 1768 earthquake that brought down the top of the stupa, but afterward King Hsinbyushin (lit. Lord of the White Elephant) of Konbaung Dynasty raised it to its current height of 99 m (325 ft). A new crown umbrella called hti (ထီး) was donated by King Mindon Min in 1871 after the annexation of Lower Burma by the British. TOSHIBA Mini NB 505-SP0160 Laptop Keyboard

An earthquake of moderate intensity in October 1970 put the shaft of the hti visibly out of alignment. A scaffold was erected and extensive repairs to the hti were made.

The pagoda is listed on the Yangon City Heritage List.  HP Pavilion dv5-1138tx Laptop Keyboard

From 22 February 2012 to 7 March 2012, devotees celebrated the annual Shwedagon Pagoda Festival (ေရႊတိဂံုဘုရားပြဲ) for the first time since 1988, when it was banned by the governing State Law and Order Restoration Council.[4][5] Celebrations began at the Rahu corner of the pagoda's yinbyin platform, Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard

at the Maha Pahtan and Aung Myay central platforms (အာင်မြေဗဟိုမဏ္ဍပ်နှင့် မဟာပဋ္ဌာန်းမဏ္ဍပ်), at 9 am. on 22 February.[6] The Shwedagon Pagoda Festival, which is the largest pagoda festival in the country, begins during the new moon of the month of Tabaung in the traditional Burmese calendar and continues until the full moon.[5]  SONY 147915321 Laptop Keyboard

There are four entrances (မုခ္ mouk) to the Paya that lead up a flight of steps to the platform (ရင္ျပင္ yin byin) on Singuttara Hill. The eastern and southern approaches have vendors selling books, good luck charms, Buddha images, candles, gold leaf, incense sticks, prayer flags, streamers, miniature umbrellas and flowers. A pair of giant leogryphs called chinthe(ျခေသၤ့ mythical lions) guard the entrances and the image in the shrine at the top of the steps from the south is that of the second Buddha, TOSHIBA Satellite A135-S2286 laptop keyboard

Konagamana. The base or plinth of the stupa is made of bricks covered with gold plates. Above the base are terraces pyaw bu) and then the crown. The crown or umbrella (ထီး hti) is tipped with 5,448 diamonds and 2,317 rubies. Immediately before the diamond bud is a flag-shaped vane (ငွက္ျမတ္နား nga myat na). The very top, the diamond bud (စိန္ဖူး sein bu) is tipped with a 76 carat (15 g) diamond. ACER Aspire 7738G laptop keyboard

Visitors must remove their shoes before the first step at any of the entrances. The southern and eastern approaches have traditional shops with wide gradual staircases. In addition these entrances have an elevator and the infrequently used western one is equipped with escalators. Burmese walk around the stupa clockwise (let ya yit). The day of the week a person is born will determine their planetary post, eight in all as Wednesday is split in two, a.m. and p.m. HP Mini 210-2090nr laptop keyboard

They are marked by animals that represent the day, galon (garuda) for Sunday (ta nin ganway), tiger for Monday (ta nin la), lion for Tuesday (in ga), tusked elephant for Wednesday a.m.(bouddahu), tuskless elephant for Wednesday p.m. (yahu), mouse for Thursday (kyatha baday), guinea pig for Friday (thaukkya) and naga (mythical dragon/serpent) for Saturday (sanay). Packard Bell Easynote TM98 laptop keyboard

Each planetary post has a Buddha image and devotees offer flowers and prayer flags and pour water on the image with a prayer and a wish. At the base of the post behind the image is a guardian angel, and underneath the image can be seen the animal representing the day. The base of the stupa is octagonal and also surrounded by small shrines, eight in number for each day of the week. TOSHIBA Satellite L755-S5151 laptop keyboard

Most Myanmar people are Buddhist, at the same time believing astrology which originated from Hindu Brahmanism. It is very important for every Myanmar Buddhist people to recognize the day of their birth, such as Sunday, Monday, Tuesday etc. Otherwise, he or she may not know which part of pagoda platform to go and make special devotional acts either his or her desire or by the advice of Astrologer. SONY VAIO VGN-FS640 laptop keyboard

Myanmar astrology recognizes the[neutrality is disputed] seven planets, namely Sun, Mon, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn. In addition, it recognizes two other planets, Rahu and Ketu. All the Myanmar names of the planets are borrowed from Hindu astrology, but the Myanmar Rahu and Ketu are different from the Hindu Rahu and Ketu. COMPAQ Presario CQ50-115NR laptop keyboard

The Myanmar considers them to be distinct and separate planets, whereas Hindu astrology considers them to be either the Dragon's Head and Tails, or Ascending and Descending Nodes. To the Myanmar people, Ketu is the king of all planets. As with other Nations the Myanmar name the seven days of their week after the seven planets,  IBM 42T3671 Laptop Keyboard

but Myanmar astrology recognizes an eight days week, Wednesday being divided into two days; until 6 p.m. it is Wednesday, but after 6.pm. to the midnight it is Rahu's day.

The basic belief of Myanmar astrology is that the planets, except Ketu, mould a man's fate. SAMSUNG N140 Laptop Keyboard

For example, at one period of his life he will be under the influence of Saturn and ill-fortune will befall him, but at another period he will be under the influence of Venus and good fortune will result. Thus the ebb and flow of a man's fortune depends on the paths in the sky of the planets. HP Pavilion dv5-1104tu Laptop Keyboard

Most Myanmar Buddhist approach an astrologer for something or another, whether to go ahead with a move to a new house or get married or pass exams or doing new business. The astrologer would do some calculations according to the magic formulas he alone knows and arrive at a certain conclusion. DELL Inspiron 1750 Laptop Keyboard

The astrologer would sometime say that he or she is under the bad influence of a certain planet and to counter this the clients should go to his or her birthday planetary post and pour a certain number of cups of water or place papier mache umbrellas or flowers etc. as "yadaya" or to put it in English, a symbolic counter to avert the bad influences the subject is under currently or looming in the future by using the inherent powers in his or her offering plus some personal wishes. ACER Aspire 5610Z Laptop Keyboard

Or, the symbol of water in conjunction with the symbol of a planetary post will mean that he may send a Wednesday born to pour water at the Saturday corner, and so on. He alone knows the symbols connected to each and he alone can calculate on what day or time to do it, and where. And whoever do not want to avoid misfortune and bad luck just by pouring water at one’s planetary post and ensure one’s peace of mind and end of anxieties. HP G56-129WM Laptop Keyboard

When Myanmar Buddhists go to the pagoda, they know in their hearts that they are treading the noble path to that state where the best of human nature will have a fair chance to manifest itself in deeds of generosity, loving kindness and compassion for one's fellow beings. SONY VGN-FE11H Laptop Keyboard

Visits to pagodas are important to Myanmar Buddhists. The guiding force is faith in the efficacy of one's own karmic deeds. For example, contemplation of the infinite compassion of Buddha, as one makes one's way to Shwedagon's great stupa, is a good karmic deed. HP Mini 210-2012eo Laptop Keyboard

The pilgrim, on his way up the steps of the pagoda, buys flowers, candles, coloured flags and streamers. They are to be offered in honour of the great stupa wherein are enshrined the relics of Buddha. This act is the act of dana, or giving, an important aspect of Buddhist teaching. The donation boxes around the pagoda receive offerings large and small, given to the pagoda for general purposes. Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard

All donations are voluntary, from the smallest coin put into the box to the priceless jewels hung on the top of the pagoda. No fees are ever requested at pagoda for use of the lifts or for the minding of footwear. The pilgrim can make whatever donation he chooses and may even make none if he wishes. HP 636376-001 Laptop Keyboard

In 1608 the Portuguese adventurer Philip de Brito e Nicote, known as Nga Zinka to the Burmese, plundered the Shwedagon Pagoda. His men took the 300-ton Great Bell of Dhammazedi, donated in 1485 by King Dhammazedi. De Brito's intention was to melt the bell down to make cannons, but it fell into the Bago River when he was carrying it across. To this date, it has not been recovered. HP Pavilion DV7-4053 Laptop Keyboard

Two centuries later, the British landed on May 11, 1824 during the First Anglo-Burmese War. They immediately seized and occupied the Shwedagon Pagoda and used it as a fortress until they left two years later. There was pillaging and vandalism, and one officer's excuse for digging a tunnel into the depths of the stupa was to find out if it could be used as a gunpowder magazine. Compaq Presario CQ57-311 Laptop Keyboard

The Maha Gandha (lit. great sweet sound) Bell, a 23-ton bronze bell cast in 1779 and donated by King Singu and popularly known as the Singu Min Bell, was carried off with the intention to ship it to Calcutta. It met the same fate as the Dhammazedi Bell and fell into the river. When the British failed in their attempts to recover it, the people offered to help provided it could be restored to the stupa. Compaq Presario CQ42-408LA laptop keyboard

The British, thinking it would be in vain, agreed, upon which divers went in to tie hundreds of bamboo poles underneath the bell and floated it to the surface. There has been much confusion over this bell and the 42-ton Maha Tissada (three-toned) Gandha Bell donated in 1841 by King Tharrawaddy along with 20 kg of gold plating; HP Pavilion zd8215 laptop keyboard

this massive ornate bell hangs in its pavilion in the northeast corner of the stupa. A different but less plausible version of the account of the Singu Min Bell was given by Lt. J.E. Alexander in 1827 [1]. This bell can be seen hung in another pavilion in the northwest of the pagoda platform. SONY VAIO VGN-FS970P laptop keyboard

The Second Anglo-Burmese War saw the British re-occupation of the Shwedagon in April 1852, only this time the stupa was to remain under their military control for 77 years, until 1929, although the people were given access to the Paya. SONY VGN-FE865E/H laptop keyboard

During the British occupation and fortification of the Pagoda, Lord Maung Htaw Lay, the most prominent Mon-Burmese in British Burma, successfully prevented the British Army form looting of the treasures; he eventually restored the Pagoda its former glory and status with the financial help from the British rulers. This extract is from the book “A Twentieth Century Burmese Matriarch” written by his great-great-great grand daughter Khin Thida. ACER Aspire 4720G laptop keyboard

 “After retirement he moved back to Rangoon area still in Burmese hands but very soon destined for the next annexation. He was again caught up in war but this time he had a great fortune of supporting religious ventures and gaining tremendous merit. His good karma and leadership abilities led him to the task of saving the great Shwedagon Pagoda from imminent destruction and sacking of its treasures by British troops in the second Anglo-Burmese War. SAMSUNG R20 laptop keyboard

The great Buddhist shrine had been fortified by the British troops in the 1824 war and was again used as a fort in 1852. When he heard of the fortification and sacking of the shrine, he sent a letter of appeal directly to the British India Office in London stopping the desecration. He then obtained compensation from the British Commissioner of Burma Mr. Phayre and began the renovations of the Pagoda in 1855 with public support and donations. TOSHIBA V-0522BIAS1-US laptop keyboard

He became the founding trustee of the Shwedagon Pagoda Trust and he was awarded the title of KSM by the British Raj for his public service. He died at the age of 95, bequeathing his prestige and high repute to his large family and descendants.” SONY VAIO VGN-FS830 laptop keyboard

In 1920, students from Burma's only university met at a pavilion on the southwest corner of the Shwedagon pagoda and planned a protest strike against the new University Act which they believed would only benefit the elite and perpetuate colonial rule. This place is now commemorated by a memorial. ACER Aspire 3003LMi laptop keyboard

The result of the ensuing University Boycott was the establishment of "national schools" financed and run by the Burmese people; this day has been commemorated as the BurmeseNational Day since. During the second university students strike in history of 1936, the terraces of the Shwedagon were again where the student strikers camped out.  HP Mini 210-1110EZ laptop keyboard

 In 1938, oilfield workers on strike hiked all the way from the oilfields of Chauk and Yenangyaung in central Burma to Rangoon to establish a strike camp at the Shwedagon Pagoda. This strike, supported by the public as well as students and came to be known as the '1300 Revolution' after the Burmese calendar year, was broken up by the police who, in their boots whereas Burmese would remove their shoes in pagoda precincts, raided the strike camps on the pagoda. Packard Bell Easynote TK85 laptop keyboard

The "shoe question" on the pagoda has always been a sensitive issue to the Burmese people since colonial times. The Burmese people had always removed shoes at all Buddhist pagodas. Hiram Cox, the British envoy to the Burmese Court, in 1796, observed the tradition by not visiting the pagoda rather than take off his shoes. TOSHIBA Satellite L655-S5153 laptop keyboard

However, after the annexation of lower Burma, European visitors as well as troops posted at the pagoda openly flouted the tradition. U Dhammalokapublicly confronted a police officer over wearing shoes at the pagoda in 1902. It was not until 1919 that the British authorities finally issued a regulation prohibiting footwear in the precincts of the pagoda.  COMPAQ Presario C700 Laptop Keyboard

However, they put in an exception that employees of the government on official business were allowed footwear. The regulation and its exception clause moved to stir up the people and played a role in the beginnings of the nationalist movement. Today, no footwear or socks are allowed on the pagoda. DELL NSK-D5A01 Laptop Keyboard

In January 1946, General Aung San addressed a mass meeting at the stupa, demanding "independence now" from the British with a thinly veiled threat of a general strike and uprising. Forty-two years later, on August 26, 1988, his daughter, Aung San Suu Kyi addressed another mass meeting of 500,000 people at the stupa, demanding democracy from the military regime and calling the 8888 Uprising the second struggle for independence. HP G71-343US Laptop Keyboard

In September 2007, during nationwide demonstrations against the military regime and its recently enacted price increases, protesting monks were denied access to the pagoda for several days before the government finally relented and permitted them in. COMPAQ 367777-001 Laptop Keyboard

On September 24, 2007, 20,000 monks and nuns (the largest protest in 20 years) marched at the golden Shwedagon Pagoda,Yangon. On Monday, 30,000 people led by 15,000 monks marched from Shwedagon Pagoda and past the offices of Aung San Suu Kyi's opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Comedian Zarganar and star Kyaw Thu brought food and water to the monks. DELL Vostro 3450 Laptop Keyboard

On Saturday, monks marched to greet Aung San Suu Kyi, who is under house arrest. On Sunday, about 150 nuns joined the marchers.[7][8] On September 25, 2007, 2,000 monks and supporters defied threats from Burma's junta. They marched to Yangon streets at Shwedagon Pagoda amid army trucks and the warning of Brigadier-General Thura Myint Maung not to violate Buddhist "rules and regulations."[9] TOSHIBA Satellite L300 Laptop Keyboard

On September 26, 2007, clashes between security forces and thousands of protesters led by Buddhist monks in Burma have left at least five protesters dead by Burma security forces, according to opposition reports,[citation needed] in an anticipated crackdown. Lenovo 45N2106 Laptop Keyboard

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The web site reports that protesting "monks were beaten and bundled into waiting army trucks," adding about 50 monks were arrested and taken to undisclosed locations. In addition, the opposition said "soldiers with assault rifles have sealed off sacred Buddhist monasteries ... as well as other flashpoints of anti-government protests." TOSHIBA Mini NB 505-SP0160 Laptop Keyboard

It reports that the violent crackdown came as about 100 monks defied a ban by venturing into a cordoned-off area around the Shwedagon Pagoda, Burma's holiest Buddhist shrine.

It says that authorities ordered the crowd to disperse, but witnesses said the monks sat down and began praying, defying the military government's ban on public assembly. Security forces at the pagoda "struck out at demonstrators" and attacked HP 519265-001 Laptop Keyboard

several hundred other monks and supporters," the opposition web site detailed. Monks were ushered away by authorities and loaded into waiting trucks while several hundred onlookers watched, witnesses said.[citation needed] Some managed to escape and headed towards the Sule Pagoda, a Buddhist monument and landmark located in Yangon's city centre. SONY VAIO VPCF126FM Laptop Keyboard

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