Burma Campaign UK labels political prisoner amnesties as propaganda strategy

Mizzima

On 21 April, which is Myanmar’s New Year, Burma Campaign UK will participate in Blue Shirt Day to support over 14,000 political prisoners in Myanmar. The group criticized recent amnesties as military propaganda and calls for the immediate release of all detainees, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

The text of Burma Campaign UK’s statement regarding Blue Shirt Day is as follows.

More than 14,000 people are in jail for opposing military rule, criticising the regime, or exercising their basic rights, with many facing severe beatings, torture and medical neglect.

On Tuesday 21 April 2026 we are supporting a global day of action in solidarity with political prisoners in Burma: Blue Shirt Day. We are backing this initiative led by the Political Prisoner Network Myanmar (PPNM), an organisation dedicated to defending political prisoners in Burma. Their aim is to provide tailored support to victims of torture, defend the rights of all political prisoners, and secure the release of those still detained.

Blue Shirt Day is rooted in the legacy of U Win Tin, a journalist, democracy activist, and one of Burma’s most respected former political prisoners. He spent nearly two decades in jail and continued to wear his blue prison shirt long after his release, saying he would only stop wearing it “when all political prisoners in Burma are free.” This powerful symbol has been adopted by activists around the world to call attention to the human toll of arbitrary detention and military repression.

As Burma Campaign UK predicted, the Burmese military have begun releasing political prisoners as part of a propaganda strategy following sham elections held in 2025 and 2026. However, thousands remain in jail, new arrests are being made, all repressive laws remain in place, and the Burmese military have made no commitment to free all political prisoners.

“The Burmese military’s theatrical releases of political prisoners should fool nobody,” said Minn Tent Bo, Advocacy and Communications Officer at Burma Campaign UK. “Amnesties are designed to manipulate public opinion and buy international credibility, while the Burmese military continues to jail dissidents at will.”

The Burmese military’s definition of “terrorism” includes peaceful dissent, criticism of the army, contact with resistance groups, and even family relationships, meaning many people remain in prison despite amnesty announcements. Some activists released under amnesties have been re-arrested on new or similar charges almost immediately, sometimes in a few days or months. Political prisoners endure horrific conditions, including torture, sexual violence and denial of medical care.

Among those still unjustly detained are Aung San Suu Kyi, whose party, the National League for Democracy, won elections in 2020 and Wai Moe Naing, sentenced to 74 years in jail for organising protests against the 2021 military coup.

The ongoing imprisonment of thousands of political prisoners highlights the stark reality: these amnesties are not a sign of reform, but part of a concerted public relations effort by the Burmese military, who are fighting to preserve their power and wealth in the face of unprecedented resistance.