Myanmar Announces Prisoner Amnesty, Frees Political Detainees

The leader of Myanmar’s military government has granted amnesty to approximately 4,900 inmates in celebration of the country’s traditional new year, as reported by state-run media on Thursday. An independent monitoring organization indicated that this group includes at least 22 political prisoners.

At least 19 buses transporting inmates departed from Insein prison in Yangon, where they were greeted by enthusiastic family members and friends who had been waiting since early morning.

The Political Prisoners Network Myanmar, an independent organization that documents human rights abuses in the nation’s prisons, stated that its preliminary assessment confirmed the release of 22 political detainees.

According to MRTV, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the ruling military council, pardoned a total of 4,893 prisoners. Additionally, thirteen foreign nationals are set to be released and deported from Myanmar, as noted in a separate announcement. 

Other inmates received sentence reductions, with the exception of those convicted of serious offenses such as murder and rape, or those imprisoned under various security laws. Should any of the released detainees reoffend, they will be required to complete their original sentences alongside any new penalties imposed, as stipulated in the terms of their release. Mass amnesties during this holiday period are a common occurrence in Myanmar.

Since February 1, 2021, Myanmar has been under military rule following the army’s ousting of the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. This takeover sparked significant nonviolent resistance, which has since escalated into a widespread armed conflict, resulting in the country being embroiled in civil war.

As of last Friday, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that meticulously tracks arrests and casualties related to the country’s political turmoil, reported that there were approximately 22,197 political detainees, including Aung San Suu Kyi.

Many of these detainees faced charges of incitement, a broadly defined offense frequently employed to detain government or military critics, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to three years.

Among those released on Thursday was a film director known as Steel, also recognized as Dwe Myittar, who had been arrested in March 2023 and was incarcerated in Insein Prison for incitement.

This year’s Thingyan celebrations, marking the new year, were notably subdued due to a nationwide mourning period following a catastrophic earthquake on March 28 that resulted in approximately 3,725 fatalities and caused extensive damage to various structures, from modern condominiums to historic pagodas.

In his new year’s address, Min Aung Hlaing stated that his government would expedite reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the areas affected by the earthquake. He also reiterated the intention to conduct a general election by the year’s end and urged opposition groups engaged in conflict with the military to seek political resolutions.

Throughout the holiday, the violent confrontation between the military and pro-democracy factions persisted, with reports of skirmishes in rural areas, although the exact number of casualties remained unclear.