"...In the initial phase of liberalization, the military tended to follow Mr. Thein Sein?s reform initiatives. The generals rarely defied the political agenda of the president, himself a career army bureaucrat, except to defend their economic and tactical interests. But according to several senior aides to Mr. Thein Sein, relations between the president and the commander in chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, are increasingly out of sync. Several sources close to both men told me that General Min Aung Hlaing?s tougher tactics of late were reminiscent of the style of Senior Gen. Than Shwe, Myanmar?s military leader from 1992 to 2011, suggesting that General Than Shwe may still be pulling the strings behind the scenes. Lately, the military leadership has called for expanding the role of the National Defense and Security Council, a military-dominated 11-member body that holds wide-ranging powers, including the right to take over from the civilian government in a state of emergency. During the parliamentary debates last week, military representatives argued that the N.D.S.C. should be able to dissolve Parliament if one-third of the seats become vacant..."