BANGKOK/TOKYO -- The Heart of Rangoon is crowded and rowdy in the evenings, with beer flowing and music blaring. Stylish new bars and restaurants have opened around Myanmar's commercial capital Yangon in recent months, driven by the military regime's efforts to make city life look "normal" despite authoritarian rule, a broad campaign to crush dissent and war engulfing much of the nation.
Shopping malls are drawing crowds, and several luxury hotels that closed after the Feb. 1, 2021, military takeover have reopened. Visitors to central Yangon may be surprised to see barely a soldier or police officer.
