Political prisoners released in Myanmar mass amnesty

Excited families have greeted relatives released from Myanmar's Insein Prison as part of a mass amnesty granted by the country's military rulers before an election. At least eight buses carrying prisoners were welcomed outside the gate of the Yangon prison on Thursday by relatives and friends who had been waiting since early morning. The military administration granted amnesty to more than 3000 people locked up for opposing army rule and dropped charges against more than 5500 others, state-run broadcaster MRTV reported on Wednesday. The amnesty was intended to ensure eligible voters could participate in the December 28 elections, it said. An official from Insein Prison confirmed prisoners would be released starting on Thursday but did not say how many or who they were. In past amnesties, releases have taken several days. There was no sign that the prisoner release would include former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the National League for Democracy government ousted in the military takeover in 2021 and who has been held virtually incommunicado since then. Among those freed were Kyi Toe, a member of NLD's central information committee, and freelance journalist Zaw Lin Htut, also known as Phoe Thar. Both were arrested in 2021. "I am determined to work with Aunty until I am 90 years old," Kyi Toe told journalists as he arrived outside the prison gate. Aunty is a common expression of respect for Suu Kyi among senior NLD members. He said other senior NLD members remained in prison. Critics have asserted Myanmar's election will be neither free nor fair because there is no free media and most of the leaders of the dissolved NLD have been arrested. MRTV said the National Defense and Security council, a constitutional administrative government body controlled by the military, granted amnesties covering 3085 prisoners convicted under the part of the penal code known as the incitement law, which makes it a crime to spread comments that create public unrest or fear, or spread false news. Conditional release was granted to 724 prisoners, who would have to serve the rest of their old sentence if they commit a new offence, and 5580 people who are either being prosecuted or are in hiding, will receive amnesty and have their incitement cases closed. Some 22,708 political detainees, including Suu Kyi, were in detention as of Wednesday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organisation that keeps detailed tallies of arrests. The 80-year-old Suu Kyi is serving a 27-year sentence after being convicted in what supporters have called politically tinged prosecutions. The army takeover in 2021 was met with massive non-violent resistance, which has since become a widespread armed struggle. Australian Associated Press