The NLD will have to make far-reaching concessions to its prospective ethnic allies to bring them into the government. That means true federalism, increased resource-sharing and bottom-up constitution-building.

A coordinated show of force of mass street protests, mobilization of powerful ethnic political and military actors, international pressure, and targeted sanctions by a fledgling coalition of nations including Japan, India, the U.S., the U.K., the EU  and Australia  joined by some members of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations such as Singapore  may yet push the junta toward a peaceful exit,  or convince other military officers to toss them out.

The window for international intervention is widening. But the negotiations will not be easy as the positions on the ground are hardening.

" We cannot negotiate with those people who commit crimes against humanity. This is not only us, NLD. Most of the citizens of Burma would not accept negotiations with the junta," Phyo Zeya Thaw, member of the NLD Central Committee, explained.

Maybe the military leadership can indeed be convinced to toss out the junta. Failing some sort of negotiated exit, Myanmar will likely slip into a long, arduous and violent struggle for democracy.