Several Burmese government departments reportedly are preparing to move from Rangoon to a more secure location, as protection against what leaders of the military junta fear might be a possible U.S. invasion.

News reports from the Burmese capital quote diplomatic analysts as saying the Ministries of Agriculture, Defense, Energy and Information will relocate to Pyinmana, just over 150 kilometers north of Rangoon, within a few months. A series of major construction projects in the area already has begun, with office buildings, bunkers, hospitals, underground tunnels and military airstrips reportedly nearing completion.

Pyinmana, in central Burma, was the military headquarters of Burma's resistance movement against occupying Japanese forces during World War II, and the rugged area also served as a hideout for Communist insurgents.

Some analysts say the ruling generals fear an Iraq-style invasion by the United States and want a defensible fallback position.

Some information for this report provided by AFP.