Myanmar government releases more than 6100 prisoners
Myanmar’s military government granted amnesty to more than 6,100 prisoners and commuted the sentences of others to mark the 78th anniversary of the country’s independence from Britain.
It was not immediately clear whether those released included thousands of political prisoners imprisoned for opposing military rule.
The amnesty comes as the military government launches a month-long, three-phase election process that critics say is designed to add a semblance of legitimacy to the status quo.
State-run MRTV television reported that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military government, pardoned 6,134 prisoners.
In a separate statement, it was stated that 52 foreigners would be released and deported from Myanmar. A comprehensive list of those released is not available.
Other prisoners received reduced sentences, except for those convicted of serious charges such as murder and rape, or those incarcerated on charges under various other security laws.
The terms of release warn that if released detainees violate the law again, they will have to serve the remainder of their original sentences in addition to the new sentences.
The release of prisoners, which is common during holidays and other important occasions in Myanmar, began Sunday and is expected to take several days to complete.
Buses took the prisoners out of Insein Prison in Yangon, where friends and the detainees’ families were waiting for the release announcement.
According to pro-military news outlet Popular News Journal, among the first group to be released from Insein Prison was Ye Htut, a former high-profile military officer who previously served as information minister and presidential spokesman in a military-backed government.
He was arrested in October 2023 and sentenced to 10 years in prison the following month after being convicted of incitement and solicitation to write Facebook posts purporting to spread false or seditious news.
But there was no indication that the release of prisoners would also include former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in a military coup in 2021 and has been held incommunicado since then.
The takeover was met with mass non-violent resistance, which has since escalated into a widespread armed struggle.
More than 22,000 political prisoners, including Suu Kyi, were detained as of Tuesday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed records of arrests and deaths linked to the country’s political conflict.
Many political prisoners were held on charges of sedition, a catch-all crime commonly used to detain critics of the government or the military and punishable by up to three years in prison.
Suu Kyi, 80, is serving a 27-year prison sentence after being convicted in what her supporters called politically confused prosecutions.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on the military to end the violence, allow unimpeded humanitarian access, release those unjustly detained and engage in dialogue to bring a peaceful and long-term end to the crisis.
Myanmar became a British colony in the late 19th century and gained independence on January 4, 1948.
The anniversary was celebrated with a flag-raising ceremony at City Hall in the capital Naypyitaw on Sunday.
