The military junta of Myanmar has announced an amnesty for almost 4,900 prisoners as part of the country’s traditional New Year celebrations, according to reports from state media. In a significant display, at least 19 buses filled with inmates departed from Yangon’s Insein prison, where they were met by family members and friends eagerly awaiting their release since early morning.
Details of the amnesty and political implications
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the ruling military council, pardoned a total of 4,893 prisoners, with the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar indicating that at least 22 political prisoners were among those released. In addition to local detainees, the amnesty includes 13 foreign nationals who will be released and deported from Myanmar, as stated in a separate announcement.
While many prisoners received reduced sentences, those convicted of serious crimes, such as murder and rape, as well as individuals incarcerated under various security laws, were not eligible for release. The terms of the amnesty stipulate that any former detainees who re-offend will have to serve their original sentences in full, alongside any new penalties imposed.
Context of the ongoing political crisis
Mass amnesties during this holiday season are a recurring event in Myanmar. The country has been under military rule since February 2021, when the army ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. This action sparked widespread nonviolent protests, evolving into an extensive armed conflict across the nation.
As of the latest reports, approximately 22,197 political prisoners are still in detention, including Aung San Suu Kyi herself, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent group that monitors political arrests and casualties. Many detainees face charges such as incitement, a vague legal term often employed to silence critics of the military regime, punishable by up to three years in prison.
“Hanthar Nyein, a news producer for Kamayut Media, was also released after spending years in prison for charges related to incitement and violating the Electronics Transactions Law, which critics argue infringes on free speech.”
Hanthar Nyein had been serving a total of seven years after his conviction in March 2022. His co-founder, US journalist Nathan Maung, was arrested during a raid in March 2021 and subsequently deported to the United States in June of that year.
Both men reported being subjected to torture and mistreatment during their time in custody, highlighting the ongoing risks faced by journalists in Myanmar. Since the military coup, over 220 journalists have been detained, and currently, at least 51 remain imprisoned, according to the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law.
Due to a national period of mourning following a devastating earthquake on March 28 that claimed approximately 3,725 lives, this year’s celebrations of Thingyan, the new year, were notably subdued. In his New Year’s address, Min Aung Hlaing pledged swift reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the earthquake-affected regions and reiterated the junta’s commitment to conducting general elections by the year’s end, urging opposition groups to seek political resolutions to the ongoing conflicts.