In a move ahead of New Year celebrations, Myanmar’s military government has granted amnesty to nearly 5,000 inmates, including 13 foreigners, in a bid to ease tensions and mark the traditional new year.
Myanmar’s military government announced releasing around 4,900 prisoners, with 13 foreigners among them, in a mass amnesty to mark its traditional new year. The move comes ahead of the junta chief’s meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The Myanmar regime, also known as the State Administration Council (SAC), has been in power since a February 2021 coup.
The SAC is led by General Min Aung Hlaing, who seized control from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
The regime has faced international condemnation for human rights abuses and suppression of dissent.
Myanmar's military has a long history of dominating politics, dating back to the country's independence in 1948.
The current regime has implemented strict censorship and surveillance measures, restricting freedom of speech and assembly.
The release of prisoners is part of a broader amnesty that includes reducing sentences for many others. However, those convicted of serious crimes like murder and rape or charged under various security laws are not eligible for this reduction.
At least 19 buses carrying prisoners departed from Yangon‘s Insein Prison, where family members and friends had gathered since early Thursday to welcome them. Another local watchdog confirmed that at least 22 political prisoners had been released, although the military government statement did not mention an exact figure.
The freed detainees would have to serve the rest of their initial sentences and a new sentence if they violate the law again. The terms of release also apply to those who were previously sentenced for criticizing the military government.
Context of Political Detention in Myanmar
Around 22,197 political detainees, including Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, have been in detention as of last week. However, it is not immediately clear how many political detainees were released as part of the mass amnesty. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent watchdog in Myanmar, reported on the situation.
Aung San Suu Kyi is a Burmese politician and Nobel laureate who played a crucial role in Myanmar's transition to democracy.
She was born on June 19, 1945, in Rangoon, British Burma.
She said 'The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.'
Suu Kyi spent several years in house arrest under the military junta but continued to advocate for democracy and human rights.
In 2015, she became the State Counsellor of Myanmar, a position equivalent to that of a prime minister.
She was stripped of her titles and suspended from politics after the Rohingya crisis in 2017.
The junta’s decision to release prisoners comes ahead of a meeting between Min Aung Hlaing and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia is this year’s ASEAN chair, and Anwar said he would meet the junta chief to discuss the safety of Malaysian aid teams sent after last month’s 7.7 magnitude quake.
Min Aung Hlaing is the current Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces.
He has been a key figure in the country's military since 2011, holding various positions including Commander of the Western Command and Chief of the General Staff.
Min Aung Hlaing was instrumental in the 2021 military coup that overthrew the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
He has been accused of human rights abuses and ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State.
Critique of Myanmar’s Human Rights Record
Myanmar’s human rights record has been widely criticized by international organizations and human rights groups. The country’s military government has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings.
