In Burma’s business capital, Rangoon, a city rapidly acquiring a surprising veneer of affluence, the headquarters of the National League for Democracy remains dilapidated and frozen in time. Above the ramshackle two-storey building, three faded party flags flutter forlornly in the breeze. Taxi drivers are reluctant to stop just in front of the building, dropping passengers a safe distance away.

From a tea-shop across the street of the office, plainclothes military intelligence agents snap photos of those coming and going from the party office, especially foreigners, writing notations in a large log book. Burma’s state run media regularly publish articles noting how many foreigners visit the office.