Myanmar’s military government pardons 10,000 prisoners before opening parliament

The head of Myanmar’s military government has pardoned more than 10,000 prisoners, mostly political prisoners, and commuted the sentences of other prisoners to mark the holiday.

bangkok — The head of Myanmar’s military government has pardoned more than 10,000 prisoners and commuted the sentences of others to mark the holiday, state media reported Monday.

There was no sign of releasing former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was deposed in a military takeover in 2021 and has been in virtual incognito ever since.

The amnesty comes two weeks before parliament sits for its first session in five years after the latest election, which critics said was neither free nor fair.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military government, pardoned 10,162 prisoners, including 7,337 convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Law, on Farmers’ Day, a national holiday honoring farmers, state-run MRTV television reported.

A separate statement said 12,487 people being prosecuted or absconding under that law would receive amnesty and their incitement cases would be closed.

The law carries the potential death penalty and has been widely used to arrest and imprison political opponents, journalists and others involved in dissent since the 2021 military takeover.

Ten foreigners will also be released and deported from Myanmar, it said in a separate statement.

Mass amnesties to mark holidays are not uncommon in Myanmar. The release of the prisoners started on Monday but may take a few days. The identity of those released was not immediately available.

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed counts of arrests and casualties related to the nation’s political conflicts, more than 22,800 political prisoners were in custody as of last Friday.

Among them is 80-year-old Suu Kyi, who is serving a 27-year sentence after being found guilty in what supporters call politically tinged prosecutions.