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Myanmar Frees 4,335 in New Year Amnesty and Commutes All Death Sentences

The move signals a limited concession critics call an image play by the newly installed president.

Overview

  • Min Aung Hlaing approved a Thingyan New Year amnesty on Friday that pardoned 4,335 prisoners, including 179 foreigners slated for deportation, state media said.
  • The order commuted every death sentence to life in prison, cut life terms to 40 years, and reduced other sentences by one-sixth.
  • Former president Win Myint was pardoned and, according to state outlets and his party, released from Taungoo prison in Bago region.
  • Aung San Suu Kyi’s 27-year sentence was reduced by about four and a half years, her lawyer said, though she remains held incommunicado and her location is unclear.
  • Rights groups report more than 30,000 political arrests since the 2021 coup, and analysts say holiday clemency typically frees few political detainees as the new presidency seeks broader legitimacy.