Burma's ruling junta celebrates National Armed Forces Day on March 27. The parade began late in the afternoon in Naypyidaw, a new town created by the army.
The latest developments in the civil conflict have placed the junta in a weak position. The regime has been repeatedly accused by human rights groups and opponents of burning villages, carrying out summary executions or resorting to aerial bombardments and artillery strikes to punish communities refusing its power. Almost a third of the population, more than 18 million people, require humanitarian aid, according to the UN.