In pictures: Burma's capital move

Burma announced last November that it was moving its capital 400km north from Rangoon to a remote rural area near the town of Pyinmana.

Few outsiders have been allowed to visit the site itself. These images - supplied to the BBC by recent visitors - give a rare glimpse of the emerging capital.

The move has confused foreign observers, who say the new site lacks Rangoon's advantages.

Construction is well under way, though much remains to be done to make this a suitable administrative centre.

In the nearby town of Pyinmana, life goes on as normal, despite the upheaval down the road.

Local facilities look out of place, so near what is set to be the country's administrative hub.

Burma's secretive government says Pyinmana is more centrally located than Rangoon, and therefore better able to serve the nation.

But analysts say the real reason may be fear of foreign attack, or even the advice of fortune-tellers.

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