YANGON: Myanmar’s military junta extended an unexpected invitation on Thursday to armed groups opposing its rule, urging them to stop fighting and hold talks to resolve the ongoing conflict that has plagued the country for over three years.
The unexpected offer comes after the junta suffered a series of major battlefield reverses to ethnic minority armed groups and pro-democracy “People’s Defence Forces” that rose up to oppose the military’s seizure of power in February 2021.
In a statement, the junta called on “ethnic armed groups, terrorist insurgent groups, and terrorist PDF groups” to abandon their violent tactics and communicate with the government to address political issues through peaceful means.
The military emphasized that the continuing conflict has severely hindered the nation’s development, infrastructure, and overall stability, leading to widespread suffering among the populace.
The junta’s offer comes at a time when it is grappling with not only military opposition but also the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Yagi, which has killed over 400 people and left hundreds of thousands in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
The junta, which justified its coup with unsubstantiated claims of fraud during the 2020 elections won by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD), reiterated its long-standing promise to hold new elections once conditions are favorable.
Preparations for a census, scheduled to begin in early October, are underway in anticipation of potential polls in 2025. However, the junta’s credibility remains low, especially in light of its brutal crackdown on dissent and the ongoing civil war that erupted in response to the coup.
The military has lost considerable ground in recent months, with ethnic armed groups, some of which have been in conflict with the junta for decades, launching successful offensives. Last month, rebels captured Lashio, a city of 150,000 people, marking one of the largest urban areas to fall to insurgents since 1962.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, over 5,700 civilians have been killed and more than 20,000 arrested due to the junta’s crackdown on opposition.
The United Nations recently condemned the dire human rights situation in Myanmar, reporting widespread torture and abuse inflicted by the military on detainees. Disturbing accounts detail victims being beaten with iron poles and threatened with snakes and insects.