Myanmar junta to free nearly 5,000 prisoners in amnesty
BANGKOK
Myanmar's military government said on Thursday it will release nearly 5,000 prisoners in an amnesty to mark the country's new year festivities.
Civil rights groups say the junta has arrested thousands of protesters and activists since its 2021 coup cut short Myanmar's experiment with democracy and plunged the nation into a multi-sided civil war.
Amnesties are regularly announced to commemorate national holidays or Buddhist festivals, but most high-profile political prisoners including deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi remain detained.
A junta statement said 4,893 prisoners will be pardoned "to participate in the state-building process, for peace of mind of people and on compassionate grounds."
To convey the "loving kindness of the state", the junta also said other prisoners would have their sentences reduced by one-sixth, except for those who had committed serious offences.
The offences include unlawful association and terrorism, as well as murder and rape.
The junta said 13 foreign nationals would also be pardoned and deported, without giving details of their identities or crimes.
Myanmar's ongoing "Thingyan" water festival typically marks the country's new year with water-splashing rituals representing cleansing and renewal.
But celebrations have been muted following the March 28 tremor in the country's central belt, which has killed 3,725 according to the latest official toll.
