Myanmar Junta Seeks Election Legitimacy; UN Decries Violence

Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw in March.

Photographer: STR/AFP

In August 2024, Myanmar’s ruling military junta was losing ground fast.

A rebel offensive had swept down from the Chinese border and was threatening Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. For the first time in decades, it looked like the military might collapse.