In the 1990s, Myanmar's military regime continued to exercise control despite the National League for Democracy (NLD) winning multiparty elections in 1990. NLD leaders Tin Oo and Aung San Suu Kyi were kept under house arrest, and the military faced increasing international pressure after Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. Replacing Saw Maung with General Than Shwe in 1992, the regime eased some restrictions but maintained its grip on power, including stalling attempts to draft a new constitution.

Throughout the decade, the regime had to address various ethnic insurgencies. Notable cease-fire agreements were negotiated with several tribal groups, although a lasting peace with the Karen ethnic group remained elusive. Additionally, U.S. pressure led to a deal with Khun Sa, an opium warlord, in 1995. Despite these challenges, there were attempts to modernize the military regime, including a name change to the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 1997 and moving the capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005.

The government announced a seven-step "roadmap to democracy" in 2003, but there was no timetable or verification process, leading to skepticism from international observers. The National Convention reconvened in 2005 to rewrite the Constitution but excluded major pro-democracy groups, leading to further criticism. Human rights violations, including forced labor, led the International Labour Organization to seek prosecution of junta members for crimes against humanity in 2006.^[90]