Ambitious but cornered, Myanmar army chief took full power

FILE PHOTO: Myanmar military commander-in-chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, attends a military exercise at Ayeyarwaddy delta region in Myanmar, February 3, 2018. REUTERS/Lynn Bo Bo/Pool/File Photo

(This Feb. 1 story corrects date of the Saffron Revolution to 2007 in paragraph 17)

(Reuters) - After an election last November, Myanmar's army chief had faced imminent retirement, as well as the sidelining of the army's favoured political party and foreign calls for him to be tried for war crimes against Rohingya Muslims.