Myanmar’s junta government releases prisoners, cancels arrest warrants

In the wake of ASEAN recently announcing it would exclude Myanmar’s representatives from future summits, Myanmar’s junta government made the move to release prisoners. The government is also cancelling arrest warrants for thousands of its people after making the announcement yesterday. The statement said that 1,316 people in detention will be released and that 4,320 cases will be dropped. Citing the 505(a) clause, the government’s move is thought to be in response to ASEAN’s decision.

Many high-profile individuals that were involved in the anti-junta protests will now be released, including 24 people from the entertainment industry. At least 2 journalists have also been released with full pardons. Previously, the government issued pardons for various ethnic and armed forces, but made complaints in the process. General Min Aung Hlaing said that ASEAN is, essentially, singling-out his regime, and not the CRPH nor the NUG (parallel government), in regards to violent acts allegedly committed by those regimes.

However, some people who have been released, are now saying that ASEAN’s requests are somewhat impossible to meet. One such example is that of the detained, democratically-elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Criticisers of ASEAN, say its demands to have a dialogue with Suu Kyi were too high. And, netizens criticising the junta, says the recent move is just to appease such international bodies like ASEAN, with some released detainees continuing to be under surveillance.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World