One reason that the current government of Myanmar is still in power is that they have locked up nearly all of their political opponents. They have also doubled the size of their armed forces to more than 400,000, even though the country, with a population estimated at 50 million, faces no serious foreign threat and has made peace with most of its armed ethnic minorities. Large numbers of troops are stationed in or around major cities. The generals have also stopped allowing foreign journalists into the country, especially Americans. That is why the reporter who wrote this article had to visit as a tourist.
Citizens can go to prison for talking to foreign reporters.
Seeking support from the Buddhist majority in the country, the junta is sprucing up old pagodas and building new ones. As part of their urban renewal effort in Yangon, Mandalay and several other cities preparing for these visiting tourists, many urban cemeteries were closed, some graves were moved and others were paved over. Answers to the last question will vary. In several Western countries, including the United States, sanctions on investment, travel and arms sales have been imposed.