Myanmar junta aims to resume ministry operations in Naypyitaw by end of month

Myanmar’s military junta plans to restore all administrative operations in Naypyitaw by the end of April, a month after the earthquake that caused extensive damage to much of the city on March 28, according to official announcements and staff reports. During a disaster coordination meeting held on April 8, Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung announced that efforts were underway to resume ministerial functions by the end of the month. Temporary offices would be used until then, he added. Nearly two weeks after the quake, however, hundreds of damaged staff housing units remain uncleared, even as civilians working for the regime have been forced to return to work, according to officials who spoke to Myanmar Now. Employees whose homes were not damaged by the earthquake were instructed to return to work on March 31, even though their workplaces had sustained significant damage, said one female officer from the State Administration Council Office. “Two days after the earthquake, staff from unaffected housing were called back to work. The so-called ‘offices’ are actually makeshift tents set up in parking lots and vacant areas,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity. She explained that instead of performing their usual duties, they are currently tasked with organising the department, documenting earthquake damage, and purchasing supplies. A female staff member from the General Administration Department (GAD) made a similar statement. “They told the staff to come back to the office following the earthquake, mainly to appease the higher-ups, and also to clear the debris,” she said. Currently, staff from the GAD, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Central Bank, Department of Rural Development, Ministry of Electricity and Energy, and Ministry of Transport and Communications are required to come to the office on alternate days, while employees from other departments are returning on a rotating schedule. “Staff working in the office must return on a rotating schedule, while those assigned to field duties may be required to work on the ground every day,” a male staff member from the Ministry of Electricity and Energy said. Likewise, the Ministry of Information continues to operate and publishes news daily. Earthquake displaces staff from multiple departments The junta has failed to establish any policies for staff affected by the earthquake, forcing them to use makeshift shelters near the damaged staff housing during the first week after the disaster. Several staff members and their families were inside the buildings when they collapsed, and some bodies are still trapped beneath the wreckage of the staff housing, according to residents in Naypyitaw. International rescue teams deployed to Myanmar were reportedly prioritised for Naypyitaw, where they conducted search and rescue operations. While some public employees returned to their hometowns after securing their belongings in departmental storage units, others with the means rented private housing in Naypyitaw. The majority, however, are staying in departmental buildings, tents set up on football fields, or in temporary shelters arranged by the ministries. Tents set up as temporary housing for public employees in Naypyitaw in the first week of April (Photo: Myanmar Now) A male government employee in his 30s survived the collapse of the staff housing. “I had to start over from scratch. I didn’t even get my gold jewellery back. Since I returned to my hometown, I haven’t received any support. I was offered some relief supplies, but with the transport costs, it’s not worth claiming them,” the man said. Some employees said they were told that those without accommodation would be provided with money for rent and relocation, but they have yet to receive the funds. A male staff member from the Central Bank said that the bank has been supplying workers affected by the earthquake with food, drinking water, and a daily allowance of between 70,000 and 700,000 kyat, depending on position. Some of the aid, he said, was coming from private banks. Some private companies have also reportedly been donating food and financial support to staff at the ministries they work with. Damage in Naypyitaw Several structures linked to the junta’s administrative system, including the parliament buildings and those housing several ministries, including defence, home affairs, foreign affairs, information, industry, energy, and labour, were damaged in the March 28 earthquake. Junta-issued reports also confirmed that buildings belonging to the military command, Myanma Railway, and the Central Bank were damaged. The National Cyber Security Center and the e-Government Integrated Data Center were also heavily damaged, and efforts are ongoing to restore them and resume operations as soon as possible, the Ministry of Transport and Communications reported. Staff housing complexes such as Kha Yae, Kant Kaw, Bu Kwe, Padauk, and Wunna Theikdi, as well as the 1,000-, 2,000-, and 3,000-acre housing areas, were also damaged. Junta administrative staff take shelter at a school in Naypyitaw a week after the March 28 earthquake (Photo: Myanmar Now) At least 20 high-rise staff housing buildings in the 2,000- and 3,000-acre areas collapsed completely, leaving only the upper floors visible, a Naypyitaw resident reported on March 31. As staff are living in temporary tents, the regime announced that measures will be taken to ensure access to water and sanitation. A female staff member from the Ministry of Education, who had gone back to her hometown because of the earthquake, has now returned to Naypyitaw. “I returned to my hometown, but now they’ve asked me to come back to the office. They told me they could provide a tent and asked if I wanted it. I agreed, and they asked me to come see it, so I have to return tomorrow. I don’t really have a choice because I’m not sure where I would stay if I didn’t take the tent,” she said. In Naypyitaw, the Arharya Thukha, Myoma, and Tha Pyay Kone markets have reopened, and earthquake survivors have access to adequate food and drink thanks to donations. However, finding accommodation remains the main challenge. The regime announced that 32 countries have offered assistance following requests for help for earthquake victims in Naypyitaw, Mandalay, and Sagaing. On April 5, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that around 17 million people in 60 of Myanmar's 330 townships were affected by the earthquake. As of April 15, the official death toll from the earthquake stands at 3,706, with another 5,017 injured and 130 missing across six regions and states, according to official figures.

Myanmar junta aims to resume ministry operations in Naypyitaw by end of month

The regime has already begun forcing employees to return to work, even as many still struggle to find shelter after last month’s earthquake

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