Everything Must Go

After decades of military rule, Myanmar’s gradual opening to the world was once hailed as a rare international success story. Since 1962, the country had been under military control, but Aung San Suu Kyi emerged as an enduring symbol of hope, leading the push for democracy from years of house arrest. Her party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), became a beacon for democratic aspirations, earning Suu Kyi the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2008, the military initiated tentative steps toward democratic reform by introducing a new constitution and setting an election timetable.