BANGKOK -- The people of Thandwe, a town on the coast of the Andaman Sea, knew Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing was coming in mid-January because of the heavy military presence and the town's sudden face-lift.
Locals were not allowed to walk on the freshly painted streets in the lead-up to the visit, while dilapidated kiosks and restaurants along the road from the airport were flattened and carted off. The drive to the Jasmine Ngapali Resort and its white sandy beaches was to be made free of eyesores for the motorcades of Myanmar's commander in chief and a visiting Thai military delegation.