Myanmar's military junta releases 2,200 prisoners

KOLKATA: Myanmar's military junta has released more than 2,000 prisoners in the last two days in a possible effort to deflect growing global criticism.

Most of those released had been charged with incitement for joining anti-regime protests, according to the regime's spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun.

"A total of 2,296 people have been released. They took part in protests, but not in leading roles. They didn't participate in violent acts," he told the Burmese media on Thursday. But prominent activists and National League for Democracy MPs were not among those released.

The regime had detained 6,421 people will Tuesday, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a human rights group. AAPP functionaries said that more than 4,000 political prisoners still remain in detention.

Yangon's notorious Insein Prison has released 721 detainees, including Myanmar Now reporter Ma Kay Zon Nway, who was in detention for more than four months.

She was arrested in late February while covering a protest in Yangon and charged with incitement. "I didn't have to sign any pledge for the release," she told IANS over FB Messenger.

The other five journalists released from Insein in the last two days were Ko Aung Ye Ko from 7 Day News, Kay Zon Nway of Myanmar Now, freelance editor Ko Banyar Oo, freelance reporter Soe Yarzar Tun, Ye Myo Khant of the Myanmar Pressphoto Agency and Hein Pyae Zaw from Zeekwat Media. (IANS)

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