Myanmar's Military Regime Freed 6,000 Prisoners: There Are Australian Economists, British Diplomats And Japanese Directors

Insein Prison in Yangon, one of the places used by the Myanmar military regime to detain those arrested after the February 1, 2021 coup. (Wikimedia Commons/Phyo WP)

The Myanmar military regime has released about 6,000 prisoners from prisons under amnesty, Myanmar media said Thursday.

Among those released by the military regime is Australian economist Sean Turnell, who is also a former adviser to Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Irrawaddy News and BBC Burma reported Vicky mired, a former British envoy and Toru Kubota, a Japanese filmmaker, were also among those released by the junta.

Turnell has been charged with violating state secrets laws. Meanwhile, Kubota with incitement and violation of communication laws.

waiver has been charged with immigration offenses. She is known to be jailed with her husband, Burma's leading artist Ko Htein Lin.

Myanmar has been in political turmoil since the military staged a coup last year, arresting civilian leaders including Aung San Suu Kyi in an early morning raid on February 1, 2021.

Myanmar Now, an independent news outlet, quoted a military council as saying forgiveness was granted because it was Myanmar's National Day.

"On National Day, the military council announced that nearly 6,000 prisoners were released. Among them were four foreigners and 11 celebrities," Reuters reported from Myanmar Now on November 17.

Myanmar's military regime has arrested more than 16,000 people since seizing power, citing the BBC. Meanwhile, according to Reporters Without Borders, at least 68 journalists were detained in Myanmar before today's amnesty.

The military in Myanmar has been accused of widespread human rights abuses since seizing power. According to a monitoring group of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), more than 2,400 people have been killed by the military since the coup.

Regarding this release, the junta spokesman did not answer Reuters' phone calls for comment. Meanwhile, the Australian and Japanese Foreign Ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment.