Myanmar’s military government granted amnesty to over 3,000 prisoners on Monday to mark the traditional lunar New Year holiday, but it was unclear whether those released included the thousands of political detainees imprisoned for opposing army rule. State-run The State Administration Council, the ruling body established by the military after it seized power in 2021, pardoned 3,113 prisoners, including 98 foreigners who will be deported, according to MRTV television. On major holidays, mass prisoner releases are common. An official from Yangon’s Insein Prison, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information, said the number and names of those set to be released from the country’s largest prison were not yet known. According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an independent organization that keeps detailed tallies of arrests and casualties linked to Myanmar’s political conflicts, there were 17,460 political detainees as of last Wednesday, including Myanmar’s former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Myanmar has been ruled by the military since February 1, 2021, when the army deposed Suu Kyi’s elected government. The takeover was met with widespread nonviolent resistance, which has since evolved into a widespread armed conflict.
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