Only a small fraction of the more than 3,000 prisoners released from the country’s jam-packed prisons by the junta’s conditional amnesty on Wednesday were political prisoners, according to data from the Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar.
Just 101 of the 3,303 prisoners released to mark Myanmar’s New Year, or about 4 percent of the total, were political prisoners, the data released on Thursday showed.
Even if all of those released in the amnesty had been political prisoners, they would only have accounted for a fraction of the number locked up.
The number of political prisoners in Myanmar has surged to an historic high since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup. Prior to this date, the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners had about 3,500 verified political prisoners in its database. Now it has about 30,000.
The Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar said only 18 of the 900 prisoners released from Yangon’s infamous Insein Prison on Wednesday were political prisoners.
Of the about 480 prisoners released from five prisons and six labor camps in Mandalay Region, only about 10 were political prisoners, former political prisoners said.
A former political prisoner from Mandalay told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday: “I noticed that only a few political prisoners were released today. The majority of the over 3,000 people released were criminals. I am sure most of the political prisoners released were charged under Section 505 of the Penal Code and had nearly completed their terms.” Section 505 covers incitement.
Only seven political prisoners – five women and two men – were released from one of the biggest jails in Mandalay Region, Myingyan Prison.
The Irrawaddy has learned that only 13 political prisoners were released from prisons in Lashio, Meiktila, Myeik, Dawei, Myitkyina, Pathein, and Pyay towns. Most had been jailed under Section 505 of the Penal Code.
U Thant Zin Tun, a National League for Democracy lawmaker from Naypyitaw, was released on Wednesday from Obo Prison, the biggest prison in Mandalay Region, according to a source with knowledge about events inside the prison.
U Thant Zin Tun was arrested in March 2021, one month after the coup, and sentenced to six years in prison for two counts of incitement. Before his release, he spent three years behind bars in Naypyitaw, Yamethin and Obo prisons.
The Political Prisoners Network-Myanmar said not a single political prisoner was released from Katha, Paungte, Kalay, Loikaw, Taung Lay Lone and Bago prisons.
Those who are released are given conditional amnesties that can be reversed for any reason.
The junta said those who re-offend will serve the remainder of their suspended sentences as well as additional time behind bars.
For former Kachin Baptist Convention president Dr Hkalam Samson, freedom was brief. He was rearrested before dawn on Thursday, hours after being released from Myitkyina Prison on Wednesday. The reason for his rearrest has not been announced.
The junta said in Wednesday’s amnesty announcement that those not released from prison will have their sentences cut by one-sixth. This, however, excludes those convicted under weapons, natural disaster, terrorism, corruption and drug laws. These laws are commonly used to jail dissidents.
A legal expert said political prisoners will not see their sentences commuted, except those locked up under a subsection of Section 505.
“Political prisoners can expect nothing from the commutation. Those convicted under Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code, however, may be granted commutation. Political prisoners jailed under terrorism, unlawful association, explosive weapons and natural disaster laws can’t get commutation,” he explained.
Since the coup, the junta has jailed at least 26,524 people on political charges and more than 20,350 of them remain behind bars, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, which has a database of political prisoners whose status it has verified. The number does not include political prisoners whose status has yet to be verified by the association. Association members say its number of verified political prisoners is likely far lower than the true number.
