While Aung San Suu Kyi has been widely condemned for failing to stop the slaughter of Rohingya Muslims, Myanmar's military commander has been feted during official trips to Europe.
If anyone can stop what the United Nations calls "textbook ethnic cleansing" of Rohingya in strife-torn Rakhine State it is Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who has commanded the country's military since 2011, analysts say.
But as international outrage grows over the Rohingya crisis, the 61 year-old general, who wields more power than Ms Suu Kyi, insists that more than one million Rohingya have no roots in Rakhine, despite living there for generations.
In comments posted on Facebook, General Min Aung Hlaing reflected the widespread view among Myanmar's majority Buddhists that Rohingya are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and should be known as Bengalis.
"They have demanded recognition as Rohingya, which has never been an ethnic group in Myanmar," he wrote.
"The Bengali issue is a national cause, and we need to be united in establishing the truth."
The defiant stand comes as Bangladesh and international aid agencies face a humanitarian crisis in squalid border camps after an unprecedented influx of more than 400,000 Rohingya who have fled Rakhine in the past three weeks.
Survivors and human rights groups accuse Myanmar security forces of committing extra-judicial killings, rapes, murders of children, beheadings and the widespread torching of villages.
The UN's secretary-general Antonio Guterres said ahead of this week's UN General Assembly, where world leaders will discuss the crisis, that Ms Suu Kyi has a "last chance" to halt its offensive against Rohingya in Rakhine.
"If she does not reverse the situation now, then I think the tragedy will be absolutely horrible and unfortunately, then I don't see how this can be reversed in the future," Mr Guterres told the BBC.
But Mr Guterres also said it is clear that Myanmar's military, which is known as Tatmadaw "still have the upper hand" in the country.
Ms Suu Kyi has copped the brunt of international condemnation over the crisis after being swept into power at historic elections in 2015 that were hailed as ending half a century of brutal military rule.
She declared herself the country's leader even though under the country's Constitution she could not be named president because she had family members who were citizens of another country.
Ms Suu Kyi leads government but she was not directly consulted when General Min Aung Hlaing ordered the latest crackdown in Rakhine, in response to attacks on police posts in the state on August 25.
Ms Suu Kyi had already created a commission of experts, chaired by former UN chief Kofi Annan to investigate the Rakhine violence, and her government has promised to implement its findings.
But she has remained silent on the Rakhine atrocities, defended the military, blocked UN investigators going to Rakhine, and accused aid agencies of being linked to terrorism, curbing their ability to safely deliver aid to distressed Rohingya.
The reality in Myanmar is that Ms Suu Kyi, whose official title is State Counsellor, also has no control and little influence over the military, analysts say.
The Constitution allocates 25 per cent of seats in parliament to soldiers and the military retains control of its own budget and all ministries relating to security issues.
In April and November last year, as violence escalated in Rakhine, General Min Aung Hlaing embarked on goodwill visits to Europe, despite sanctions still imposed on Myanmar by the European Union.
He was given guards of honour, made speeches and toured factories making the armaments his military buys.
Ms Suu Kyi is scheduled to deliver a television speech on the crisis on Tuesday that will be closely watched for signs as to whether she is prepared to break ranks with General Min Aung Hlaing, or continue to publicly support him.
Myanmar author and commentator Thant Myint-U said it may be the most important speech she has ever given.
