Myanmar military regime to release thousands of prisoners in amnesty

Photo: Reuters

Myanmar’s military rulers have announced that they will release 5,864 prisoners, including 180 foreigners, as part of an amnesty to mark the country’s 77th Independence Day. The announcement was made by state media. The military said the release was ordered on “humanitarian and compassionate grounds.” In addition to the general release, 144 people who were serving life sentences will have their sentences reduced to 15 years.

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The details of the prisoners’ convictions were not made public, and the nationalities of the foreign detainees were not disclosed. However, the foreign prisoners are expected to be deported once released. News reports suggest that some of the foreigners may include four Thai fishermen who were arrested by Myanmar’s navy in late November. The fishermen were taken into custody after patrol boats opened fire on their fishing vessels in the Andaman Sea, near Myanmar's maritime border. Thailand’s Prime Minister has stated that she expects the four Thai fishermen to be released on Independence Day.

Myanmar is known to grant amnesty to thousands of prisoners to celebrate holidays or Buddhist festivals. Last year, to mark Independence Day, the military government released more than 9,000 prisoners. A similar release took place in October 2021.

One of the most notable people still in prison is Myanmar’s former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The 79-year-old Nobel laureate is currently serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted on 14 criminal charges, including incitement, election fraud, and corruption. She denies all the charges against her.

This year’s Independence Day celebrations were held in Myanmar’s capital, Naypyidaw. The event was attended by 500 government and military representatives. During the ceremony, Myanmar’s military chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who was not present, had his speech delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Soe Win. In the speech, Soe Win urged armed ethnic groups, who have been fighting the military for the past four years, to stop fighting and resolve their political issues peacefully.

Myanmar has been in a state of turmoil since early 2021 when the military took control by overthrowing a democratically elected government. Since then, they have violently suppressed pro-democracy protests, leading to a nationwide armed rebellion. This rebellion has made significant progress in fighting the military, especially in recent months.

One of the most significant events in the ongoing conflict happened two weeks ago when a rebel group known as the Arakan Army took control of a major regional command in western Myanmar. This was the second regional command to fall to the rebels in just five months. Additionally, the group recently took control of a 271 km (168 miles) stretch of the border with Bangladesh after capturing the town of Maungdaw.