According to military sources in Naypyidaw, junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has been proudly boasting at every meeting about the earthquake resistance of the Maha Wizaya Pagoda he constructed, following the March 28 earthquake in Naypyidaw. Min Aung Hlaing visited the Maha Wizaya Pagoda on April 1, four days after the earthquake, and found only minor damage to the pagoda and its platform.
Engineering calculations confirmed that the entire Maha Wizaya Pagoda and its platform remained structurally sound and intact. At every junta meeting and earthquake recovery meeting, Min Aung Hlaing has been proudly claiming that he constructed the pagoda to withstand earthquakes above magnitude 8 and even cyclones. He has been using the Maha Wizaya Pagoda as an example, instructing that all future buildings and offices should be constructed to withstand at least magnitude 8 earthquakes.
However, he only visited the Uppatasanti Pagoda, which was built by former dictator Than Shwe, nearly a month after the earthquake on April 24. He inspected the damage to the platform and religious buildings of the Uppatasanti Pagoda and gave instructions for repairs. Min Aung Hlaing has indirectly blamed the earthquake damage to buildings in Naypyidaw on the negligence and poor quality work of previous builders. Military sources report that Min Aung Hlaing appears to have a special attachment to the Maha Wizaya Pagoda as ‘his pagoda’ and frequently visits it at night, even after closing hours, arriving with a motorcade to gaze at the structure.
