Thousands of prisoners to be released in Myanmar
Print Edition
MYANMAR yesterday pledged to release thousands of prisoners, a month before a Southeast Asian summit which US President Barack Obama and other leaders from outside the region are expected to attend.
President Thein Sein pardoned 3,073 prisoners for the sake of “peace and stability” and “the rule of law,” the government said on the Information Ministry website.
It did not name the prisoners but virtually all were believed to have been jailed for ordinary crimes, not political activity.
The non-governmental group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said the amnesty did not include any political prisoners.
“I heard there were six or seven former senior military intelligence officials, but they’re not considered political prisoners,” said Bo Kyi of the AAPP.
Some military intelligence agency officers were imprisoned a decade ago.
Former intelligence officials pardoned seem to include Brigadier General Thein Swe, who was jailed at that time.
“Having a top day with great news. I’m heading to Myingyan to pick up my dad,” said his son Myat Swe on his Facebook page, referring to a prison near the central city of Mandalay.
The government said there were 58 foreigners among those granted amnesty.
The amnesty is one of at least a dozen by the reformist, quasi-civilian government that took over in 2011 from the military.
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