In a significant development ahead of next month's election, Myanmar's military administration has begun a mass release of political prisoners from the notorious Insein Prison in Yangon.
Emotional Scenes at Prison Gates
Excited families gathered outside the prison gates from early morning, finally reuniting with relatives they had not seen for years. The emotional scenes unfolded on Thursday as at least eight buses carrying freed detainees departed the facility from around 11:30 a.m.
The military rulers granted amnesty to more than 3,000 individuals imprisoned for opposing army rule, while simultaneously dropping charges against over 5,500 others, according to state-run broadcaster MRTV.
Election Timing and Political Context
Officially, the amnesty aims to ensure eligible voters can participate in the December 28 elections. However, critics immediately questioned the timing and sincerity of the gesture.
An official from Insein Prison, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to release information, confirmed prisoners would be released starting Thursday but provided no specific numbers or names. Past amnesties have typically taken several days to complete.
Notably absent from the release is former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been held virtually incommunicado since the military takeover in 2021. The 80-year-old Nobel laureate is serving a 27-year sentence following what her supporters describe as politically motivated prosecutions.
Notable Releases and Ongoing Detentions
Among those freed were Kyi Toe, a member of the National League for Democracy's (NLD) central information committee, and freelance journalist Zaw Lin Htut (also known as Phoe Thar). Both were arrested in 2021 following the military coup.
"I am determined to work with Aunty until I am 90 years old," Kyi Toe told journalists upon his release, using the common expression of respect for Suu Kyi among senior NLD members. He added that numerous other senior NLD members remain imprisoned.
According to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, approximately 22,708 political detainees, including Suu Kyi, remained in detention as of Wednesday.
Legal Framework and International Scrutiny
The amnesty primarily covers prisoners convicted under the incitement law, part of the penal code that criminalises spreading comments that create public unrest or fear, or spread false news. This law has been widely used to arrest critics of the government or military and carries penalties of up to three years imprisonment.
MRTV detailed that the National Defense and Security Council, a constitutional administrative body controlled by the military, granted amnesties covering 3,085 prisoners convicted under this law.
Additionally, conditional release was granted to 724 prisoners, who would have to serve the remainder of their original sentence if they commit new offenses. Another 5,580 people either being prosecuted or in hiding will receive amnesty and have their incitement cases closed.
The prisoner release comes amid widespread international criticism that Myanmar's upcoming election will be neither free nor fair, particularly given the absence of free media and the imprisonment of most leaders from the dissolved NLD party.
The army's 2021 takeover initially prompted massive nonviolent resistance, which has since evolved into a widespread armed struggle across the country.
