The ruling junta has maintained a tight grip on Burma. Than Shwe became the leading General in the regime in April 1992. The SLORC was renamed the "State Peace and Development Council" in November 1997, but did not change the policies or tactics from the previous SLORC regime.

After being placed under house arrest again in 2001, Aung San Suu Kyi was allowed to leave her house in May 2002. She traveled extensively within Burma drawing huge supportive crowds. Om May 30, 2003, her convoy was attacked near the village of Depayin resulting in members of her following being killed, injured, or disappearing. Aung San Suu Kyi was once again placed under house arrest and remains under house arrest today.

On November 13, 2005, the military junta secretively relocated the capital from Rangoon (now, Yangon) to a mountain compound at Nay Pyi Taw, a sparsely populated area located about midway between Yangon and Mandalay. Although most government workers and ministries moved to Nay Pyi Taw, foreign diplomatic embassies are still located in Yangon.

Prompted by a sharp increase in fuel prices in August 2007, widespread protests occurred throughout the country. Although the protests were peaceful, the military, on September 26 cracked down violently on the participants. The number killed is debated and probably will never be known.

Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy delta region and Yangon on May 3, 2008. An estimated 200,000 Burmese were killed or missing with entire villages being destroyed by a 12-15 foot high tidal wave.