Myanmar's military government, led by new President Min Aung Hlaing, has granted amnesty or sentence reductions to 4,335 prisoners, marking one of his first official acts since being sworn in as president in Naypyidaw just a week ago. The move comes amid ongoing political turmoil following the 2021 coup, with the amnesty including the pardon of former President Win Myint and a reduction in the sentence of detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Suu Kyi's lawyer told Reuters that her 27-year sentence has been cut by one-sixth, but it remains unclear whether she will be allowed to serve the remainder under house arrest. Suu Kyi, who was arrested after the coup, has not been seen in public since her trials concluded, and her whereabouts are unknown. The amnesty also commutes all death sentences to life imprisonment, reduces life sentences to 40 years, and cuts term lengths by one-sixth for other prisoners, with 179 foreign nationals set to be released and deported.
Outside Yangon's Insein prison on Friday, families gathered hoping for the release of relatives, though many expressed skepticism. Aung Htet Naing, 38, told AFP that his brother is imprisoned on political charges but was not included in previous pardons, reflecting a broader pattern: according to the Institute for Strategy and Policy Myanmar, fewer than 14% of those released in amnesties since the coup have been political prisoners. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners reports that over 30,000 people have been detained on political charges since 2021.
In his inauguration address, Min Aung Hlaing claimed that Myanmar has returned to the path of democracy and is heading towards a better future, while acknowledging numerous challenges. However, rights groups have criticized the amnesty as insufficient, calling for Suu Kyi's unconditional release and arguing that sentences based on politically motivated charges should be annulled entirely. The move highlights the persistent human rights issues and limited progress in addressing political repression in the country.
Source: www.aljazeera.com