There are moments in a nation’s history that resonate around the world. The election of Aung San Suu Kyi, the democracy activist, to a seat in Myanmar’s parliament is one of them. After nearly 50 years of harsh military rule, last weekend’s by-election has brought a democratically elected opposition party to parliament. This should be the time when the country’s international rehabilitation starts in earnest.

A priority is to begin dismantling the sanctions that have crippled Myanmar’s economy. Yet this should not be done overnight. The transition to democracy in one of Asia’s poorest nations has only just begun, and incentives need to stay in place to ensure that reactionary forces are not tempted to force a U-turn before the general election in 2015.

Ms Suu Kyi and her 40-odd colleagues from The National League for Democracy will have little power to change the course chosen by the former generals who now run the country. The NLD will account for just 6 per cent of the 664 seats, the majority of which are occupied by representatives of the former military regime and its proxy civilian government. But the by-election was given credibility by Ms Suu Kyi, who believes that Myanmar president Thein Sein, a former general, is sincere in his desire for reform. The international community followed Ms Suu Kyi’s lead in judging this election a milestone. The same approach should be taken over any decisions on how and when to lift sanctions.