As part of an annual amnesty to commemorate the nation’s independence day, Myanmar’s beleaguered junta government said on Saturday that it will free over 6,000 prisoners. Since its February 2021 coup that put an end to Myanmar’s brief democratic experiment and sparked chaos in the country, the military has detained thousands of demonstrators and dissidents.
As the nation commemorates 77 years of independence from British colonial rule, the junta said on Saturday that more than 5,800 convicts, including 180 foreigners, will be released. In an audio statement to the media, junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun stated that around 600 of the individuals covered by the amnesty had received sentences under Section 505(a) of the penal code.
Most” of the foreigners who were pardoned, he continued, were Thai nationals who had been detained in bordering casinos. According to the military, the pardons were granted “on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.”
Additionally, the junta declared that the sentences of 144 individuals given life sentences would be reduced to 15 years. Thousands of convicts are regularly granted amnesty by Myanmar in observance of Buddhist festivals or holidays. In honor of Independence Day last year, the junta said that over 9,000 convicts would be released.
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