(3 May 2023)
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yangon - 3 May 2023
1. Wide of bus leaving Insein Prison, with people waiting outside gate
2. Wide of people greeting each other through the window of a bus
3. Wide of bus going past onlookers
4. Wide of onlookers
5. Wide of bus emerging
6. Wide of someone leaning out of window smiling and waving
7. Various of people and relatives being emotional
8. Wide of newly-released prisoner with relatives
9. Gate of prison
10. Various of bus leaving prison
STORYLINE:
Myanmar’s ruling military council on Wednesday began releasing over 2,100 political prisoners as a humanitarian gesture.
State-run television reported that the head of the military council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, had pardoned 2,153 prisoners on the most important Buddhist holy day of the year, marking the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha.
There were emotional scenes oOutside the infamous Insein Prison in Yangon, as families and friends greeted their released loved ones.
The identities of those released were not immediately available, but would not include Aung San Suu Kyi, who is serving a prison term of 33 years on more than a dozen charges her supporters say were trumped up by the military.
Thousands more remain imprisoned on charges generally involving nonviolent protests or criticism of military rule, which began when the army seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Suu Kyi.
The releases began Wednesday, but may take a few days to be completed.
According to an official announcement, all of the prisoners released on Wednesday had been convicted under a section of Myanmar’s penal code that makes it a crime to spread comments that create public unrest or fear, or spread false news, and carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.
The terms of the pardon warn that if the freed detainees violate the law again, they will have to serve the remainder of their original sentences in addition to whatever term they are given for their new offense.
Mass prisoner releases are common on major holidays in Myanmar.
Prisoner releases appear to be efforts by the hard-line military government to soften its image as a major human rights abuser.
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