Myanmar Frees Nearly 4,900 in New Year Amnesty, Including Dissidents

The Irrawaddy

Myanmar’s military government has released nearly 4,900 prisoners as part of a traditional New Year amnesty, including at least 22 political detainees, in a move seen as both symbolic and strategic amid ongoing civil unrest.

State-run broadcaster MRTV confirmed on Thursday that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing had pardoned 4,893 individuals, with 13 foreign nationals among them set for deportation. The mass release came as Myanmar marked Thingyan, its New Year celebration, under the shadow of a devastating earthquake that killed over 3,700 people last month.

Buses carrying the newly freed prisoners departed Yangon’s infamous Insein Prison to emotional scenes—family members cheering and tearfully reuniting after often years apart. According to the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar, the release included political detainees jailed under sweeping laws used to silence dissent since the 2021 military coup.

Among them was film director Dwe Myittar, also known as Steel, and Hanthar Nyein, a journalist imprisoned after the 2021 crackdown on media. Nyein had faced multiple charges including incitement and violating Myanmar’s controversial cyber law, which rights groups say criminalises free speech.

Despite these high-profile releases, critics point out that more than 22,000 political detainees, including ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, remain behind bars. While reduced sentences and conditional releases are common during Thingyan, the gesture does little to change the broader reality of Myanmar’s deepening repression.

The country remains gripped by civil war, with fierce clashes continuing between the military and armed resistance groups. The regime has promised to hold elections by year’s end, but few see the offer as credible.

In a muted New Year address, Min Aung Hlaing pledged reconstruction in earthquake-hit areas and called for peace talks—but gave no hint of concessions. Meanwhile, human rights groups warn that this amnesty, like others before it, may be more about optics than real reform.

As buses pull away from Insein, the gesture of freedom for some offers a flicker of hope—but for many in Myanmar, the road ahead remains perilous and uncertain.

-2025-04-18