The voting for Parliament is almost sure to favor the ruling military junta, which is stage-managing the polls. Still, some see them as the most pragmatic way to try to improve conditions.

With her health failing and an information vacuum around Myanmar's detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, her son worries that he may not even know if she passed away. Kim Aris told Reuters he has not heard from his 80-year-old mother in years,

Myanmar's top general Min Aung Hlaing was months from retirement when he made a dictatorial about-face nearly five years ago, deposing the democratic government and promoting himself to leader. - Reinforced rule - In 2021 Min Aung Hlaing was about to turn 65 -- mandatory military retirement age at the time -- when he toppled Suu Kyi's democratically elected government and jailed her.