Sources in Naypyidaw told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday that civil servants in the regime’s new capital, located some 320 kilometers north of Burma’s largest city and former capital, Rangoon, have been denied permission to take leave until after a constitutional referendum scheduled to take place on May 10. However, many have already made their way back to Rangoon, which was directly in the path of Cyclone Nargis when it struck in the early hours of May 3.
One official said, “We left our children in Rangoon, and we should be there with them now,” adding that higher authorities have turned down all requests for leave until after the May 10 referendum.
Military personnel are also been returning to their homes without permission from their commanding officers.
