Myanmar’s military government has released more than 6,100 prisoners as part of an amnesty to mark the country’s 78th independence anniversary on Sunday.
State television MRTV reported that the military ruler, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, approved the pardon of 6,134 inmates. In a separate announcement, the authorities said 52 foreign nationals would also be freed and deported. No full list of those released was made public.
It was not immediately clear if political detainees were among those granted freedom. Thousands of people have been jailed since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, including critics of the regime and supporters of the ousted civilian government.
The military authorities said some other prisoners had their sentences reduced, but those convicted of serious crimes such as murder, rape, or offences under security laws were excluded from the amnesty.
The statement warned that any released inmate who breaks the law again will be made to serve the remainder of their original sentence in addition to any new punishment.
Prisoner releases are common in Myanmar during major holidays and national events, and the process is expected to take several days.
At Yangon’s Insein Prison, known for holding many political detainees, families gathered early on Sunday in hope of seeing their relatives freed.
There was no indication that the amnesty covered former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained since the military takeover and is serving a 27-year sentence. She has been largely cut off from the public.
“There is no sign that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is included in this release,” a source familiar with the situation said.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, more than 22,000 political detainees were still in custody as of last week.
Myanmar gained independence from British colonial rule on January 4, 1948. The anniversary was marked on Sunday with a flag-raising ceremony in the capital, Naypyitaw.
