UNCOVERING HIDDEN BURMESE MILITARY COMMAND & CONTROL CENTER UNDERGROUND FACILITY NEAR NAYPYITAW A GEOSPATIAL VISUALIZATION ESSAY

Authored by:

Dr. U Win (Viz Center at San Diego State University, California, USA)
geoinvestigator@gmail.com

Released by:

Democratic Voice of Burma

(October 09, 2010)

About Naypyitaw and Burmese Military Regime

Location of Naypyitaw, new capital city of Burma, 300 km north of Yangon. Burma has been under brutal control of military government. The Burmese military government is considered to be one of the rogue regimes, and US officials have recently referred to it as an "outpost of tyranny". According to the Harvard report, "Crimes in Burma", the Burmese military regime has committed four types of crime - forced displacement of civilians, sexual violence, torture and murder. The international community, including the US, have backed the UN commission of inquiry, suggested by Quintana, to investigate whether Burmese junta chief Than Shwe should be tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Burma Militarys Secret intelligence Information

The huge amount of evidence collected by Democratic Voice of the Burma (DVB) over the last five years reveals that the ruling junta is trying to develop long-range missiles and digging themselves in with a series of military bunkers. The entire population resents that the national budget has been diverted for military purpose instead of healthcare and education for the people. That is why the people sent information about the Burma army to DVB. .
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by
Democratic Voice of Burma.

Burma Military Digging Underground Tunnels

In August 2009, three special reports on Digging the Tunnels were published by Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) after a five-year investigation into the Burmese regimes country-wide network of underground tunnel constructions.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWFCa3iuKLg

Burma Armys Nuclear Ambition

In June 2010, the DVB produced and released a documentary film, Burmas Nuclear Ambitions which uncovered evidence of North Korean involvement in the development of Burmese missiles, as well as Russias training of Burmese nuclear technicians. Evidence in DVBs report explains that Burma doesnt have a nuclear bomb yet, but theres no doubt about their intent on pursuing the development of a nuclear bomb.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

http://www.dvb.no/burmas-nuclear-ambitions/

Underground Tunnel Alignment

Hlwe-gyi Underground Tunnels Project of Burma Army

Among many AutoCAD engineering drawings of Burmese military intelligence information confiscated by DVB, a Hlwe-gyi drawing with ~15-mile long underground tunnel alignment mark-ups was discovered by DVB.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Yezin Dam

Command and Control Center

Profile of the Hlwe-gyi Tunnel Project (a sample segment)

The drawing included the profile of the tunnels. The tunnel floor started and ended at the level of 850 feet (260 meters) above sea level. The deepest floor was at 1,150 feet (350 meters) which was nearly 3,000 feet from the surface of the ground.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Underground Building Floor-plan (PP216) in AutoCAD Engineering Drawing

DVB found another AutoCAD drawing with a floor-plan (PP216) which has a network of tunnels for an underground building with eight tunnel exits. Specifications for various chambers in the tunnels included: (a) camouflage frames (nets), (b) anti-wave rooms, (c) a series of elevated explosion-proof rooms, (d) dispersion rooms, (e) a car washing place (in north tunnel only), (f) ammunition bunkers and (g) sealing doors. Two shorter tunnels are used for inclined blast. They are installed with shock-wave reduction door and sealing doors.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Satellite Imageries Acquisition DVB purchased a set of 2006 and 2008 Quick Bird satellite imageries, and processed these into color infrared (CIR) data. It was pan-sharpened with a resolution of 0.6 meter resolution. CIR produces a high contrast between non-living objects and natural foliage (red), but also can detect subtle changes.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Investigation of PP-216 Underground Structure

DVB determined to identify the PP-216 underground structure which was located in the Hlwegyi tunnels project drawing. Therefore, a piece of land area (Area of Interest) was extracted out of the CIR imageries and investigated to discover if it matched with what was described on the PP216 engineering drawing.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Extracted CIR image

Location of Area of Interest (Naypyitaw Military Command & Control Center)

Location of the Area of Interest (AOI), the site of possible underground military command center, is located in the western Shan Yoma (Ranges), roughly nine miles east of Yezin Dam. It is fewer than six miles away from the residence of Burmese dictator, Senior General Than Shwe, which is built on the foothill of the western scarp of Shan Yoma. From Pyinmana, an administrative town, AOI is located 16 miles east along Pyinmana-Pin Laung Road. AOI site (PP216) is an underground complex connected to an underground structure. This site is also located at the southern end of a 15-mile-long tunnel.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Significant Features on the CIR image

Major entrances of long tunnels with explosion proof doors are labeled with A, B, C and D. Entrances of the three other smaller tunnels are marked with 1, 2 and 3. (Left) The entrances were found on the CIR in purple color on the CIR images. These are camouflaged nets in blue-green (cyan) colored nets on the natural color images.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Visualization of Roads and Terrain of the Area of Interest on Google EarthTM

Three paved roads were built around feeding access to the tunnel entrance. The winding paved roads were connected to a wider through-road which runs along an old creek bed. Both ends (of east and west) of this major throughway road meet Pyinmana-Pin Laung Road. There were trails and narrow roads built parallel to the feeder roads and connected with the tunnel entrances.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

An Overview of Visible Significant Features on the Color Infrared Images (CIR) The significant features that were seen on the CIR matched what was shown on the PP216 drawing indicated as surface entrances of the tunnels connected to the underground building. Each entrance on the CIR image was analyzed by using visualization tools. DVB consulted with ex-military intelligence personnel who confirmed this site as a military command and control center.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Location of Surface Entrance Gate

A fly-over animation video footage of locations of significant features was shown on the DVBs latest documentary film, Burmas Nuclear Ambitions. This is a shot indicating an open surface entrance gate of a tunnel.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

http://www.dvb.no/burmas-nuclear-ambitions

PP216 Location on Google EarthTM In August 2010, Google EarthTM posted GeoEye satellite imageries covering Naypyitaw and areas extending eastward to the location of these tunnel entrances. Taking advantage of the availability of the high resolution imageries, DVB conducted an analysis comparing March 2008 CIR information and April 2010 natural color images by DVB.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years Entrance Site (A): This site is the entrance for the main tunnel. This 2010 image confirms that the middle section of the front view is the main entrance gate. The width of the gate is ~40 feet (12 meters) and the height is about ~10 feet (3 meters). Compared to the 2008 image, the image in 2010 shows fewer vehicles and contemporary buildings in front of the gate, indicating that the construction phase is relatively completed.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Side View of Entrance (A): Both images show the layout of the structure of the entrance gate entering the hill. The 2010 image shows that the paved road ended in front of this site. It also shows the ground surrounding and in front of the gate has been cleaned up. It indicates that the construction phase of this entrance is completed. The enlarged view of the segment of the entrance structure shows that there is a side gate. The width of the gate is about ~8 feet (2.5 meters) and the height ~10 feet (3 meters).
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

driveway

cliff wall

cliff wall

N
2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years

Entrance Site (B): This site (B) is located east ~2,000 feet (600 meters) of Entrance Site (A). The 2008 image was sharper in defining the cliff wall where the tunnel entrance sits on top of it. The 2010 image shows the completed driveway that stopped on the left side of the entrance structure at the base of the hill. The bottom part of the camouflaged net was extended over the face of the cliff.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

N
buildings

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

cliff wall
driveway

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Entrance Site (B) and vicinity: The 2010 image shows an ongoing construction site of the Entrance (B). A large number of buildings with workforce were still in place. In 2010, an apparent new driveway as big as the main road has been constructed on the left side of the entrance complex. The driveway leads uphill to the back of the complex where it enters the gate of the tunnel in the hill.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

buildings buildings buildings

N
buildings

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

buildings buildings

buildings

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

gate

Entrance structure

gate

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Gate Building at Entrance Site (B): Tilting the image view sideway permitted the viewing of the possible site of the entrance building structure and its gates. (upper row - left and right) An enlarged portion on the CIR 2008 image (lower row left) made it possible to distinguish the shadow and an entrance gate of the side wall of a building. The path on white ground ended up at the entrance gate. The 2010 image clearly showed the driveway on the left side of the complex ended up at another entrance gate. (lower row right) The middle picture on the lower row shows a structural body of the entrance site which hosted the gate(s) of a tunnel.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Entrance Site (C): This site is located east, ~700 feet (213 meters) away from Entrance (D). The 2010 image showed the upper portion of the camouflaged net which appeared on 2008 image had been removed. That section of the entrance site looks as if imploded or collapsed. There was a row of camouflaged net spread along the road in 2010. The gate or a pill-box (bunker) appears on the edge of the front wall. The roof extends about ~20 feet (6 meters) and the height about ~7 feet to 8 feet (2.5 meters). (right)
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

Entrance Site - D
2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Entrance Site (D): Interestingly, the 2010 image showed the camouflaged net extended for ~100 feet
over the road, and covered the rock wall on the base of the tunnel entrance. It appears to be that the main entrance gate was on the base of the wall at the ground level where a road was still under construction. The entrance gate is about ~20 feet (6 meters) high and ~20 feet (6 meters) wide. (right) It looks like a person standing just inside the gate.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

N N
April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

Camouflaged net covered in 2008 Open gate entrance

cliff wall

cliff wall

Gate entrance visible in 2008

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Open Surface Gate at Entrance Site (1): The 2008 image was a major victory for the discovery of a gate at this tunnel entrance site (1), openly visible on the surface. The pictures shows a person standing at the entrance of the gate. There was a camouflaged net covered on the ground next to the gate. (above, left) Two years later, the 2010 image has no artificial camouflage. The open surface gate was almost not visible anymore. (above, right) It is notable that the 2010 imageries (or the title) for this particular area is fuzzy. (right)
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

N
2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Inclined Tunnel Entrance Site (2): As described on the AutoCAD drawing on the underground command and control center building, this must be the exit-entrance site of a short tunnel. This place was recognized as a significant site because of the camouflaged net feature picked up on 2008 CIR mage. The site was totally covered under shadow so that nothing really was identifiable underneath the net. The 2010 natural color image showed the camouflaged net had been removed. That means this entrance is not a large sized structure, and not intended for a busy use. The site didnt have a paved road running from the main road. This 2010 image now shows a packed ground used for car parking in front a small entrance site. Besides, there also is a trail from this site running straight north for ~20 feet (6 meters) to a place which is unidentifiable except a faint mark at the base of the hill.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

Entrance gate?

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Possible Short Access Entrance Site (3): It appears to be the exit site of a short underground tunnel which has a shortwave reduced door installed at this end. Activities can be seen on the ground on two places. The western activity site was located at the bottom of the hill slope, and the eastern activity site was at the south end of a small ridge. They were 150 feet (45 meters) apart. A major road runs and has given access directly to both activity sites. The western site tends to be the exit-entrance connected to the main tunnel, and the other activity site looks more like an underground bunker.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma.

April 2008 Digital Globe CIR image

April 2010 GeoEye Natural color

2008 CIR Images vs. 2010 Natural Color Images: After Two Years
Camouflaged Site: This entrance must be a smaller ancillary tunnel from a main tunnel. It is located ~500 feet (150 meters) straight above Entrance D on the same face of the hill slope. (right) Within two years between 2008 and 2010, the guard house and a temporary building (or bunkers) in front of the entrance site have been located in the same place. This site doesnt appear to be as busy as the main entrance sites.
Uncovering Hidden Burmese Military Secret Underground Installations near Naypyitaw by Dr. U Win. Released by Democratic Voice of Burma .

helicopter

END NOTE
O This report confirms that the features on the satellite images matched the underground tunnel entrances of an engineering drawing obtained by DVB. O This report doesnt attempt to identify the details of the underground tunnel entrances. O This report confirms that there is an underground structure Burmas army has installed under the hill. O This report confirms that this underground building is a military command and control center directly control by Naypyitaw Army which is located six miles west from here. O This report demonstrates that this grand scale military secret underground project to evade destruction by their enemies was identified by a small group of civilian professionals using geospatial technologies available for private industries. Today, there are more advanced technologies available through private sources as well as militaries in the world. These technologies are able to locate and blast reinforced concrete shells of the tunnels. O It is appalling that Burmese junta has diverted 40% to 60% of the national budget to the military, but less than 3% to 5% has been allocated for healthcare and education of its people. For the construction of underground structures, billions of dollars have been used, villages have been destroyed to secure the lands, and forced people for labor.