The Myanmar authorities have released 3,113 prisoners, including 98 foreigners, under an amnesty in honor of the country’s traditional New Year.
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Citing a government statement published on “military-related Telegram channels”, it is reported that “Myanmar’s junta released 3,113 prisoners, including 98 foreigners, to celebrate the traditional New Year in the country on Monday.”
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According to the report, Myanmar’s military authorities did not specify which prisoners were granted the amnesty.
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“The amnesty is ‘the celebration of the New Year in Myanmar to bring joy to the people and solve humanitarian problems,'” Lieutenant General Aung Lin Dwe, Secretary of the Military Council of the State Administration of Myanmar, said in a statement.
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In November 2022, the Myanmar authorities released more than 300 prisoners from prisons under an amnesty in honor of the country’s National Day, among those released were former economic adviser to the Myanmar government, Australian economist Dr. Sean Turnell and former British ambassador Vicki Bowman and her husband, Myanmar citizen Thein Lin.
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The Myanmar Armed Forces ousted the civilian government and took control of the country on February 1, 2021, arresting civilian leaders. The military attributed their actions to alleged massive fraud in the 2020 general election in favor of the then-ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) and the unwillingness of civilian authorities to investigate it. Having come to power through the constitutional mechanism of imposing a state of emergency, the leaders of the new military government promised to hold new elections in a year and transfer power to the party that wins them. In the spring, at a briefing in Naypyidaw, military spokesman General Zo Ming Tong called another proposed date for the elections: within two years.
