Myanmar’s new president, Min Aung Hlaing, on Friday approved the release of 4,335 prisoners from the country’s jails, reportedly including about 179 foreign nationals. Such mass amnesties are often granted to mark the nation’s Independence Day in January and its New Year in April.
Hundreds gathered outside Yangon’s notorious Insein Prison hoping to greet freed relatives. There has been no confirmation that former leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is among those released. The 80-year-old, serving a 27-year sentence on charges widely seen as politically motivated, had her sentence reportedly reduced by one-sixth on Friday. It remains unclear whether she will be moved to house arrest or to another location.
Surprisingly, former President Win Myint—detained alongside Aung San Suu Kyi after the February 1, 2021, military coup—is reported to be among those released.
The amnesty was approved by Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup that ousted the civilian government and triggered a civil war that has killed thousands and displaced millions. Hlaing was formally elected president by Myanmar’s parliament on April 3 after a junta-organized election in which the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) faced little opposition. At his inauguration, he pledged stability and reconciliation.
Rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) says more than 30,000 people have been jailed on political charges since the coup. The releases come amid ongoing conflict and international concern over human rights and the political situation in Myanmar.
Edited by: Rana Taha