Myanmar’s former president Thein Sein has entered a monastery to become a monk for a five-day retreat.
His ordination took place shortly after he presided over the historic change to a quasi-civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Ministry of Information said on its Facebook page on Monday saying that Thein Sein, 70, entered the Dhamma Dipati Monastery outside Pyin Oo Lwin, a hill town near Mandalay.
Pictures widely shared on social media showed a shaven-headed Thein Sein wearing his trademark spectacles and draped in the deep maroon robes of the Buddhist clergy. In largely Buddhist countries, it is common for young boys and adults to spend a brief retreat at a monastery.
Thein Sein, a former general, was the country’s first president in the newly formed Parliament, following decades of rule by military regimes.
While not in parliament he is expected to continue to lead his army-backed party, now in opposition after Suu Kyi's party won landmark November polls in a landslide.
(Additional reporting AFP)