At a political rally in the Mingartaungnyut township right outside of Rangoon, thousands thronged the streets to support the National League for Democracy (NLD), the country's main opposition party that will contest in today's by-elections for the first time since 1990.

Caravan after caravan of trucks filled with supporters decked in red and white and waving NLD flags filled the roads, as supporters danced spontaneously with joy and abandon.

Families flocked to the sidelines and watched in support, bringing their children to witness this historic moment. The lady beside me, a woman in her 50s, started to cry in what she called tears of happiness...