Myanmar military calls for dialogue amid ongoing resistance from anti-coup forces

Myanmar military coup leaders have urged anti-coup forces to lay down their arms and engage in political dialogue. This overture from the State Administration Council (SAC), which has governed since the military seized power in February 2021, was swiftly rebuffed by opposition groups who remain resolute in their resistance.

The SAC’s statement, published in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, urged ethnic armed groups and the People’s Defence Forces (PDF) to abandon what it termed the “terrorist way” and to seek political solutions. “Ethnic armed organizations and PDF terrorists fighting against the State are invited to contact the State to resolve the political issues through party politics or electoral processes,” the military’s statement declared, emphasizing a desire for “durable peace and development.”

However, the National Unity Government (NUG)—formed by lawmakers ousted in the coup—dismissed the SAC’s offer as insincere. NUG spokesperson Nay Phone Latt stated that the proposition was “not worth considering,” highlighting the deep mistrust between the military and the opposition.

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Since the coup, the PDF has emerged as a key resistance force, launching a significant offensive in October 2022 and gaining control of large areas of the country. This surge in armed opposition has placed considerable pressure on the military regime. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the military has killed at least 5,706 people and detained nearly 21,000 since the coup. United Nations investigators have reported an alarming escalation in crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the military.

The junta has claimed that fraud plagued the November 2020 elections, which resulted in a landslide victory for Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD). In a bid to legitimize its rule, the military has promised new elections, framing its call for talks as part of this process. A census is scheduled to commence on October 1, purportedly to ensure the accuracy of voter lists, though no election date has been announced.

Critics have labeled the planned elections a façade. Civil society groups have warned that the SAC’s electoral process is a “sham” designed to mask the regime’s inability to address the crisis stemming from the coup. “Let’s be clear: The junta is teetering on the brink of collapse,” asserted Progressive Voice, a rights advocacy group. They characterized the election initiative as “a desperate ploy for false legitimacy and hoax democracy—a ticket being sold to the international community.”

Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, pointed out the historical context of the military’s maneuvers, suggesting that the regime is employing a well-worn strategy to present a façade of democracy. “The military was probably hoping that the current generation of diplomats didn’t know that this is from their decades-old playbook and doesn’t represent any kind of genuine change in approach,” he remarked on social media platform X.

As Myanmar stands at a crossroads, the military’s call for dialogue may reflect its dwindling legitimacy and the mounting pressure from both domestic and international observers, but the resolve of the anti-coup forces remains steadfast.