Myanmar Junta Grants Amnesty, Releases 5,864 Prisoners Including 180 Foreigners for 77th Independence Anniversary

Jan 4, 2025, 07:07 AM

Myanmar's military government has announced the release of 5,864 prisoners, including 180 foreigners, as part of an amnesty to mark the country's 77th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule. The amnesty, which also includes a reduction of sentences for 144 prisoners from life imprisonment to 15 years, is a customary gesture on significant occasions in Myanmar. The junta did not specify the crimes for which the prisoners were convicted or the nationalities of the foreign detainees, who are set to be deported upon release. The release order was issued by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government, and the process of releasing prisoners began on the day of the announcement. Among those released are about 600 political prisoners prosecuted under Section 505(A) of Myanmar's penal code, which criminalizes spreading comments that create public unrest or fear. Khet Aung, a former chief minister of the southern Kachin state, was among those freed. The majority of the foreigners released are Thai and Indonesian nationals. Prisoners were bussed out of Insein Prison in Yangon, where friends and families had waited since morning. The military has been criticized for its actions since seizing power in February 2021, with ongoing conflicts and widespread arrests of political detainees.