The leader of Myanmar's military-backed government has extended an invitation to the country's armed resistance groups for fresh peace negotiations, according to state-run media reports published on Tuesday. This marks the first such overture from President Min Aung Hlaing since he assumed office earlier this month, following an election widely criticized as neither free nor fair.
Call for Dialogue Amid Ongoing Conflict
Min Aung Hlaing's call for talks is framed as a component of a self-styled 100-day program, which he announced at a cabinet meeting in the capital Naypyitaw on Monday. The program prioritizes peace, stability, and development, as reported by the state newspaper Myanma Alinn. The president, who took office on April 10, previously served as military chief and led the 2021 takeover that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government.
Escalation of Armed Resistance
The army's seizure of power intensified longstanding armed resistance in Myanmar, with pro-democracy activists aligning with ethnic armed groups that have battled for decades for greater autonomy. This has resulted in a civil war affecting most of the country. The military government initiated a series of in-person peace talks with ethnic minority leaders starting in 2022, aiming to weaken anti-military alliances, but these efforts yielded minimal results.
Myanma Alinn reported that Min Aung Hlaing is inviting ethnic armed groups to hold new talks by July 31. However, Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the National Unity Government—the main group coordinating opposition to military rule—stated on Tuesday that they and the People's Defense Force units under their command would continue fighting alongside other resistance forces until their goals are achieved.
"We all already understood that the military's fake invitations are aimed at prolonging people's subjugation under military rule," Nay Phone Latt said.Historical Context and Current Challenges
Myanmar has 21 established ethnic armed organizations with a history of armed struggle. Ten of these groups signed multilateral ceasefire agreements known as Nationwide Ceasefire Agreements (NCA) in 2015 and 2018 under previous governments. However, four signatories spurned the agreement and resumed fighting after the 2021 army takeover.
Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying, "Both NCA signatories and non-signatories are invited to participate in the peace process." He also invited the armed guerrilla groups, collectively called the People's Defense Force—formed to fight for democracy restoration after the army takeover—to participate and enter the legal fold within the 100-day period.
Broader Program and Regional Dynamics
Other aspects of the 100-day program cover social and economic measures and infrastructure development. For several decades, Myanmar has experienced cycles of ceasefires bringing intermittent periods of relative peace, but none has led to a comprehensive political settlement granting ethnic groups the autonomy they seek in frontier regions where they are dominant.
The new initiative follows the army regaining the upper hand in the nationwide conflict in mid-2025, after a series of China-brokered ceasefires with major rebel groups and a boost in army numbers due to the activation of a conscription law in early 2024. The army has retaken territory from ethnic militias, including the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which had launched powerful offensives with pro-democracy resistance forces in northeastern and western Myanmar.
In a sign of potential openness, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army, a member of the alliance, congratulated Min Aung Hlaing on his presidency and expressed anticipation for peace talks in a statement last Wednesday. Despite this, skepticism remains high among opposition forces regarding the sincerity of the military's latest peace overtures.
