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Myanmar officially has a new president—and unsurprisingly, it is former Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who has led the country’s military junta since it took power in a coup against the elected government in February 2021. Min Aung Hlaing’s transition to supposedly civilian leadership represents the culmination of an attempt to legitimize and rebrand the regime, which remains locked in a bloody civil war.

Myanmar held its first parliamentary election since the coup from Dec. 28 to Jan. 25, which outside observers widely considered a sham. Opposition groups and ethnic minorities were prevented from going to the polls. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party dominated, along with another large block of candidates supported by the junta.

Myanmar officially has a new president—and unsurprisingly, it is former Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, who has led the country’s military junta since it took power in a coup against the elected government in February 2021. Min Aung Hlaing’s transition to supposedly civilian leadership represents the culmination of an attempt to legitimize and rebrand the regime, which remains locked in a bloody civil war.

Myanmar held its first parliamentary election since the coup from Dec. 28 to Jan. 25, which outside observers widely considered a sham. Opposition groups and ethnic minorities were prevented from going to the polls. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party dominated, along with another large block of candidates supported by the junta.

With the new parliament under his thumb, the next step was for Min Aung Hlaing to shed his military uniform and become president. Last month, he did just this—handing over command of Myanmar’s armed forces to his top spy chief, Ye Win Oo. As a final imprimatur, this friendly parliament elected Min Aung Hlaing to the presidency on April 3.

Rather than signaling a genuine political opening, this tightly choreographed transition reflects a familiar authoritarian playbook: repackage military rule in civilian clothing to ease international pressure, reengage with regional partners, and project an image of stability that belies the conflict still raging across the........

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