Myanmar’s military-led government will release more than 6,000 prisoners as part of an annual amnesty marking the country’s Independence Day, according to state media and an official statement issued on Sunday.
The National Defence and Security Council said junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has granted amnesty to 6,134 Myanmar nationals. The move also includes 52 foreign nationals who will be released and deported from the country.
In addition to the releases, the junta has ordered a one-sixth reduction in sentences for prisoners nationwide. The sentence commutation does not apply to those convicted of serious crimes, including murder, rape, terrorism, corruption, and offenses related to drugs or weapons.
Authorities said prisoners released under the amnesty will be subject to conditions requiring them to serve the remainder of their original sentences if they are convicted of new crimes in the future, in addition to any new penalties imposed.
The announcement comes as Myanmar marks 78 years of independence from British colonial rule. The amnesty also coincides with a month-long, three-stage election process that began recently, the first such vote organized by the military authorities since the 2021 coup.
The fate of political detainees remains unclear. Since the military takeover in 2021, thousands of people have been arrested in connection with protests and opposition to junta rule. Rights groups say more than 22,000 political detainees, including ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, remain in custody.
Large-scale prisoner releases are a regular feature of national holidays and special occasions in Myanmar and are typically carried out over several days. The National Defence and Security Council said the annual amnesty was granted on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
