Something that has only got a bit of attention is the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi’s neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Yangon, an area home to so many establishment figures, is experiencing its own period of transformation.

A full refurbishment of University Avenue is underway, and the final sections of the new bitumen were being layed in early February 2012. Aung San Suu Kyi’s house, at number 54, has a very sturdy security fence that goes right around the back. See what it used to look like in the old days. These pictures also give a good impression of its recent condition. To my eye, a John Yettaw style unauthorised arrival will be hard to repeat.

Notably, there seems to be little, if any, effort by Burmese government authorities to secure the compound. Nobody seems to pay it much attention nowadays. That could change quickly but, for the moment, University Avenue is returning to what could be called “normal”. It is yet another signs of the times.