ANKARA 

Myanmar’s military junta granted amnesty to over 6,000 prisoners nationwide as the Southeast Asian nation marked its 78th Independence Day, local media reported on Sunday.

The National Defense and Security Council issued an order granting amnesty to 6,134 prisoners and detainees serving sentences in prisons, detention centers, and camps across the country, local media outlet Eleven reported.

The order said that the decision was taken in commemoration of Independence Day, and with the aim of “pacifying the hearts and minds of the people and respecting humanity.”

Myanmar’s acting president also pardoned and deported 52 foreign prisoners including Chinese citizens serving sentences in various prisons and detention centers.

This measure was taken to mark Independence Day and “to maintain friendly relations between countries and respect humanitarian considerations,” the order said.

In November, Myanmar’s military junta also granted a mass amnesty to over 3,000 political prisoners, released them ahead of the December elections, and dropped charges against 5,580 people, ordering their release.

The country’s 2021 military takeover ousted the elected government led by the National League for Democracy (NLD), but the coup was met with widespread civic unrest.

The junta repressed protests violently and thousands of people were imprisoned, including NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been jailed for a total of 33 years.