Myanmar's pro-democracy party on Friday called for dialogue with the ruling military junta after a string of rare protests led to a government crackdown and the arrest of dozens of its members.
The statement by the National League for Democracy, led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, comes after the junta on Sunday threatened action against democracy activists and accused the party of inciting national unrest.
"The expectations of the people, who hope for a change here, will survive if we cooperate by quickly building national reconciliation after holding dialogue," the NLD said in a statement. The party also denied it was the driving force behind recent protests, sparked by a surprise hike in fuel prices on August 15.
Amnesty International estimates that up to 150 people have been rounded up in the crackdown since the start of the rallies, the largest in Myanmar in nearly a decade.