Myanmar's military chief pardons prisoners to mark holiday

Myanmar has been under military rule since February last year, when the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi

Myanmar’s military government on Sunday began releasing more than 1,600 prisoners to mark the traditional new year holiday, but they didn't include any political detainees despite the country’s ruling general vowing to bring peace this year.

Myanmar has been under military rule since February last year, when the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover was met with massive resistance, which has since turned into what some U.N. experts have characterized as civil war.

This year's holiday celebrations, carried out over several days, were muted as opponents of military rule called for a boycott of government-supported activities.

State-run MRTV television reported that the head of Myanmar’s military council, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, had pardoned 1,619 prisoners, including 42 foreigners who will be deported.

Mass prisoner releases are common on major holidays. The spokesman of Myanmar’s Prison Department, Khin Shwe, told The Associated Press that those released were mostly drug offenders and common criminals, and that he was unaware if any political prisoners were among them.

An official from Yangon’s Insein Prison said 160 people have been released from the penitentiary but they didn’t include those convicted of political offenses.

Tun Kyi, a senior member of the Former Political Prisoners Society, said that political detainees are held as hostages by Gen. Min Aung Hlaing. He said it was not surprising if political prisoners were not released, because the general sees people who oppose his government as criminals and intends to crush them.