WORLD NEWS | Burmese army ruler frees 3,000 prisoners in festive gesture

BANGKOK, April 17 (AP) — Myanmar’s military junta pardoned more than 3,000 prisoners Monday to mark the traditional Lunar New Year holiday, but it was unclear if those released included thousands of political prisoners held for opposing military rule .

State-run MRTV television reported that the National Executive Council, the ruling body set up after the military seized power in 2021, had pardoned 3,113 prisoners, including 98 foreigners who were due to be deported. Mass releases of prisoners are common during major festivals.

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An official at Insein Prison in Yangon, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information, said the number and names of those released from the country’s largest prison were not yet known. Releases are expected to begin Monday.

Some 17,460 political prisoners were detained as of last Wednesday, including former Myanmar civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, according to the Political Prisoners Aid Association.

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Myanmar has been under military rule since the Myanmar military overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government on February 1, 2021. The takeover was met with massive civil resistance, which later turned into a widespread armed struggle.

Urban guerrillas were active in large cities, and the loosely organized People’s Defense Forces and their allies, ethnic guerrillas, frequently attacked military columns and outposts.

Civilians have borne the brunt of a brutal military offensive in rural areas, including the use of artillery and airstrikes, which has displaced more than a million people and sparked a humanitarian crisis.

At least 3,240 civilians have been killed by security forces since the military took over, according to the Political Prisoners Aid Association. Its tally excludes all casualties from fighting.

Dunki, a senior member of the Association of Former Political Prisoners, said it was unclear how many, if any, of the political prisoners were released, but any such action was aimed at boosting the junta’s image.

He said his team viewed the release as an attempt to score political points, ease international pressure and try to demonstrate the military’s legitimacy.

Celebrations at Thingyan, the new year’s holiday, drew smaller crowds this year than before the coronavirus pandemic and 2021 took over. In large cities, fun events including splashes are held in designated high-security pavilions.

Celebrations in most rural areas were skipped, with many heeding calls from opponents of military rule not to attend events planned by the military.

The holiday was officially extended by nine days, but the state-sponsored rally was only four people, and violence between the army and pro-democracy forces continued during the holiday. There were armed clashes in the countryside and small bombings at official military-sponsored pavilions in several towns. The number of casualties is not yet known.

The country’s military leader, Senior Min Aung Hlaing, made no mention of the country’s long-running political crisis in his New Year’s speech aired on Monday.

The economy, which faces difficulties in 2021, rebounded from contraction to growth of nearly 3% last year, he said.

Manufacturing improved and border trade reopened in 2022, allowing businesses to resume operations, he said.

“I fully believe that if the people work hard and export more products, the economic growth this year will be better than previous years,” he said. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)