The military junta of Myanmar released 3,113 prisoners – including 98 foreigners – from prison today to mark the country’s traditional new year, according to a statement released on a pro-junta Telegram channel.
Secretary-general of the junta Min Aung Hlaing said the amnesty is a “celebration of Myanmar’s New Year to bring joy for the people and address humanitarian concerns.”
The junta didn’t say if political prisoners jailed in its bloody crackdown on dissent were among the 3,000 freed from prison.
Anyone released who re-offends will have to serve the remainder of their sentence with an additional penalty, the statement said.
After the junta took power over Myanmar by a military coup in February 2021, ousting the democratically-elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, the junta released 23,000 prisoners from prison, prompting fears that the…
