Myanmar junta to release more than 3,000 prisoners

Myanmar’s junta plans to release 3,015 prisoners, according to a statement on pro-military Telegram channels seen by RFA Burmese.

It was not immediately clear how many political prisoners were among those who received amnesty.

Among those detained in the more than two years since the coup is Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, president of the National League for Democracy, who is serving a total of 33 years in prison. He NLD – dissolved by the junta last month – won a landslide victory in the 2020 general election and many high-ranking members were arrested on trumped-up charges in the days and months after the coup.

Other detainees for ‘political’ offenses include teachers, students, doctors and nurses from the civil disobedience movement, as well as members and supporters of the People’s Defense Forces.

The junta has arrested more than 21,300 political prisoners since it seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021, according to Thailand-based monitoring group The Association of Assistance to Political Prisoners. Of that number, he says 17,460 are still being held in prisons across the country.

Other junta statements on Monday said 98 foreigners, including five Sri Lankans held at Yangon’s Insein prison, were among those to be released as part of the New Year’s amnesty. RFA Burmese reporters said relatives of other prisoners were waiting outside the notorious prison on Monday morning.

The junta’s Secretary of State, Lt. Gen. Aung Lin Dwe, said the amnesty was aimed at “bringing joy to the people and addressing humanitarian concerns.” He probably won’t.

Last week, ASEAN joined humanitarian groups in condemning the junta for staging probably its most brutal massacre in the more than two years since the coup.

At least 165 people diedmany women and children among them, when junta planes bombed the opening ceremony of a village administration building in the Sagaing region, while helicopter gunships shot down those who tried to flee.

The Anti-junta People’s Defense Forces have warned people not to celebrate the Thingyan water festival and New Year by shelling the junta building. Thingyan Pavilions across the country, killing eight people in the Sagaing region and four in Shan state.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.