After an election last November, Myanmar’s army chief had faced imminent retirement, as well as the sidelining of the army’s favoured political party and foreign calls for him to be tried for war crimes against Rohingya Muslims.

On Monday, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was in full charge of Myanmar after a coup toppled elected leader Aug San Suu Kyi, whose popularity for standing against decades of junta rule had won her another landslide.