April 17, 2025 | 03:04 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Myanmar junta government announced on Thursday, April 17, 2025, that it will release almost 5,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the country's new year celebration.
Civil rights groups have stated that the junta has arrested thousands of protesters and activists since the 2021 coup, which halted Myanmar's experiment with democracy and plunged the country into multi-party civil war.
Amnesties are regularly announced to commemorate national holidays or Buddhist festivals, but most prominent political prisoners, including ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, are still detained.
A junta statement, as reported by Arab News, stated that 4,893 prisoners would be pardoned "to participate in the nation's development process, for the peace of mind of the people, and on the basis of compassion."
To convey the "goodwill of the country," the Myanmar junta also stated that other prisoners would have their sentences reduced by up to one-sixth, except for those who have committed serious offenses. These offenses include drug trafficking, terrorism, as well as murder and rape.
The junta stated that 13 foreign nationals would also be pardoned and deported, without providing details of their identities or crimes.
On Thursday morning, crowds of families gathered outside Insein prison in Yangon, preparing to meet their released relatives.
The amnesty announcement comes as Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing is reported to make a rare overseas trip to Bangkok. He will meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the 10-member ASEAN bloc this year.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) previously barred Myanmar junta officials from attending its summits due to the lack of progress in the peace plan.
Nevertheless, Anwar stated that he will meet with Min Aung Hlaing on Thursday to discuss the safety of Malaysian humanitarian teams sent to Myanmar after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake last month. The Myanmar junta has not confirmed the meeting.
The ongoing water festival of "Thingyan" in Myanmar usually marks the country's new year. It is a ritual of water splashing, symbolizing cleansing and renewal.
However, the celebration is subdued after the earthquake on March 28 in central Myanmar, which killed 3,725 people according to the latest official casualty figures.
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