ISTANBUL
The Myanmar military junta granted a mass amnesty to 3,085 political prisoners on Thursday, releasing them ahead of the December elections, and dropped charges against 5,580 people, ordering their release.
The released individuals had been convicted under Section 505(a) of the Penal Code for "making, publishing, or circulating" statements, rumors, or reports that could incite members of the military "to mutiny," according to state-run Myanmar International TV.
Their release was granted on the condition that they do not commit another offense; otherwise, they would have to serve any new sentence in addition to the remainder of their previous one.
The remission and pardon of 724 people were granted by the National Defense and Security Council of the junta-led nation on Wednesday as part of "key measures to ensure that the entire population can successfully move toward a multi-party democracy system desired by all the people."
Some 2,361 prisoners were granted remission and released.
Similarly, ongoing cases against 5,580 individuals who were arrested for evading capture after committing such offenses were ordered closed, and these individuals will also be released from their cases.
The report stated that the releases were carried out "to ensure that all eligible voters in the upcoming multi-party democracy general election do not lose their right to vote and are able to cast their votes freely and fairly."
Myanmar's military junta is preparing to hold general elections on Dec. 28.
The last general elections in the Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian country were held in November 2020 and won by the National League of Democracy (NLD), led by jailed Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. However, the government was overthrown in a military coup in February 2021.
The 2021 military takeover ousted the elected government led by the NLD and plunged the country into more than four years of emergency rule.