Another photo taken in a crowd during Myanmar’s 2012 by-election rallies. Excitement and hope surrounded Aung San Suu Kyi and the NLD as they campaigned, with people seeing a chance to move beyond military rule. Yet even amid the chants and flags, tensions surfaced—limited seats contested, deep skepticism about military power, and fragile reforms. The rallies symbolized both popular aspirations and unresolved struggles. Years later, Suu Kyi’s image dimmed under crises and controversy, and the promise many celebrated at these gatherings gave way to disillusionment and her eventual fall.