Junta to free 4,893 inmates in amnesty

NAY PYI TAW: Myanmar’s military government said yesterday it will release nearly 5,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the country’s new year festivities.

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Civil rights groups say the junta has arrested thousands of protesters and activists since its 2021 coup that ousted Myanmar’s experiment with democracy and plunged the nation into a multi-sided civil war.

Amnesties are regularly announced for commemorating national holidays, or Buddhist festivals, but most high-profile political prisoners including deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remain in detention.

A junta statement said 4,893 prisoners will be pardoned “to participate in the peace-building process, for peace of mind of people and on compassionate grounds”.