Ten years ago today, Myanmar had a brief taste of democracy. It was a heady experience: Prodemocracy activists decisively rejected the military junta that had ruled for 28 years. Stunned, the cabal then rejected that verdict, imprisoned its opponents and shut down the country. And so things stand today. The military holds the country in a vicelike grip, refusing to compromise, determined to stay in power no matter what the cost. And the cost grows higher with every passing day.

The military first seized power in 1962, ending the brief period of democratic rule that had begun when the country won its independence from Britain in 1948. Violent protest brought that junta down in 1988, but it was replaced by another generation of generals. Efforts to restore order failed, and in a bid to gain international legitimacy -- and confident that the military would win -- elections were held in 1990.

The results were unequivocal. Nearly three-quarters of the voters turned out to reject the junta. Instead, the prodemocracy National League for Democracy won 392 of the 485 parliamentary seats. The military-sponsored National United Party won just 10 places.