Sun Sep 30, 2:49 PM ET

A look at the insular military leadership behind the recent crackdown in Myanmar:


HOW DID THEY COME TO POWER?

The State Peace and Development Council, as Myanmar's ruling junta is formally known, replaced another dictatorship in 1988 after suppressing a pro-democracy uprising.

WHO ARE THEY?

There are 12 members on the council, but first among equals is Senior Gen. Than Shwe, 74, an uncompromising hard-liner. No. 2 is Deputy Senior Gen. Maung Aye, 69, known for his ruthless suppression of Myanmar's ethnic rebels.

HOW DO THEY STAY IN POWER?

Myanmar has a 400,000-man military, one of the largest in Asia. Soldiers live in isolated barracks, secluded from civilian life; their families are provided with housing as well.

WHERE DO THEY GET REVENUES?

Than Shwe's government has opened up the country to foreign investment. Myanmar is rich in natural resources, including potentially vast oil and gas reserves.

WHO ARE THEIR ALLIES?

China is the regime's main ally as well as its main trading partner. Both China and India curry favor with the junta because of Myanmar's strategic location on the Indian Ocean and its oil and natural gas resources.

WHO ARE THEIR CRITICS?

The United States, the European Union and other Western nations have slapped economic sanctions on the regime and urged it to embrace a peaceful, democratic transition. Rights groups have sharply criticized its human rights record.