Myanmar Opposition Alliance Says Political Solutions Needed Alongside Armed Struggle

A new political opposition alliance inside Myanmar has issued nine demands, including the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, to coincide with the junta’s nomination of coup leader Min Aung Hlaing for the presidency on Monday.

The Political Coordination Body (PCB) also called for the abolition of the conscription law, freedom of association and expression, an end to military operations harming civilians, and a halt to attacks on religious buildings, hospitals and schools.

It urged the regime not to persecute civil servants who joined the Civil Disobedience Movement and to respect citizens’ freedom of movement and their right to earn a livelihood. Other demands include humanitarian access for conflict‑affected communities, cooperation with international organizations, creating conditions for exiled political actors to return with dignity, and efforts to convene inclusive political dialogue aimed at establishing a federal democratic union. The PCB also called for cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the UN and neighboring countries to support such talks.