Myanmar’s junta granted amnesty to 2,153 political prisoners Wednesday, a statement by the military said, as China’s foreign minister continued a trip to the country.
They had all been sentenced under section 505 (a) of the Penal Code, which covers fake news and incitement against government employees. The section was amended following the 2021 military coup to expand its sphere beyond actions against military personnel.
The amnesty comes with several caveats. According to Section 401, Subsection 1 of the Penal Code, if the released prisoner commits another crime again they will have to serve the existing sentence as well as the new sentence, the junta statement said.
A source close to the Prison Department – who declined to be named for fear of reprisals – told RFA that most of those granted amnesty are already close to their release date.
“The release now is a specific release under Section 505, but [only] prisoners under that section who have less than a year [to serve] were released,” he said.
“I know that those who were recently sentenced under Section 505 are not among the released, and people who were sentenced with other articles besides Section 505 are not among the released.”
Myanmar’s military often announces prisoner pardons on Buddhist festivals and May 3 marks the full moon day of Kason (Kasong), which commemorates the birth of Buddha.
The junta statement said the release was made to calm the hearts and minds of the people and to emphasize humanitarianism.
The amnesty also comes on day two of a three-day visit to Myanmar by Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and follows comments by Qin about the need for the country to find its own solution to a political and humanitarian crisis that has deepened since the military staged a coup in February 2021.
Qin met with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyitaw Tuesday.
China’s foreign ministry said he told the senior general that Beijing “sincerely hopes the situation in Myanmar will be stable" and the country will develop “promoting political transformation and reconciliation.”
It quoted him as saying China supports Myanmar “in exploring a development path that suits its national conditions and has Myanmar characteristics.”
Qin called on the international community to respect Myanmar’s sovereignty and “play a constructive role in achieving peace and reconciliation.”
Qin’s visit to the country follows a Monday meeting in Beijing with Noeleen Heyzer, the United Nations’ special envoy on Myanmar, where the two discussed a possible resolution to the country’s internal conflict.
The junta has announced 11 amnesties ahead of Wednesday’s planned releases and freed nearly 70,000 prisoners but this is the first time only political prisoners have been granted amnesty.
Only 2,373 of those freed ahead of Wednesday were political prisoners, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners told RFA.
The junta has arrested almost 22,000 people for political crimes in the 27 months since it seized power, according to the association, which is run by exiled political prisoners.
Ahead of today’s amnesty, it said 17,897 people were still being held across the country, while 3,910 had been released.
Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
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