Myanmar to free 6,186 prisoners in Independence Day amnesty during election

The regime in Naypyidaw announced that it will release 6,186 prisoners under an amnesty marking Myanmar’s Independence Day, regime media reported on Saturday, a week after an election deemed a “sham” by most in the international community began on Dec. 28.

The amnesty, which includes 52 foreigners, is a humanitarian gesture that takes into consideration the public’s peace of mind, regime media reported.

The regime also reduced sentences by one-sixth nationwide, excluding for those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, terrorism, corruption and arms- or drug-related offences.

It was not immediately clear whether any political prisoners jailed for opposing the military coup on Feb. 1, 2021 would be freed.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 coup, when the military toppled the elected civilian government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and violently suppressed pro-democracy protests, sparking a nationwide armed rebellion.

Suu Kyi is serving 27 years in prison after being detained in the coup, months after her National League for Democracy (NLD) won a landslide and was later dissolved.

More than 30,000 people have been detained on political charges since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a human rights group.