30 April 2026 By Ko Myo
YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s military junta has announced a mass amnesty for 1,508 prisoners to mark the religious holiday of Kason Full Moon Day, though monitoring groups remain skeptical about the number of political detainees included in the release.
The amnesty, ordered on Thursday by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, was granted under Section 401(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. This legal provision carries a strict condition: should any released individual be rearrested for a future crime, they must serve the remainder of their original sentence in addition to any new penalties.
In addition to the 1,508 domestic inmates, the junta announced a one-sixth sentence reduction for other prisoners and the release of 11 foreign nationals who are to be deported. However, seasoned observers and former political prisoners have expressed doubt regarding the sincerity of the move.
“There is very little to hope for,” a former political prisoner who was held in Mandalay Prison during the 1990s told MPA. “History suggests that only a handful of political detainees will be released. Experience from the recent New Year amnesty shows that even the official figures provided by the regime often fail to match the reality on the ground.”
The skepticism is rooted in recent history. During the Myanmar New Year amnesty on 17 April, the military administration claimed it would release 4,335 prisoners. However, the Political Prisoners Network Myanmar (PPNM) later revealed that only 1,686 inmates actually left prison gates across 40 facilities, with only 292 confirmed to be political detainees.
As of Thursday evening, it remains unclear how many individuals currently held for opposing the 2021 coup are among the 1,500 names listed in the latest decree.
Since seizing power five years ago, the military has frequently used mass amnesties on religious and national holidays as a diplomatic tool to ease international pressure. Human rights advocates argue these releases are often “revolving door” policies, where the junta releases petty criminals while keeping high-profile activists and democratic leaders behind bars.
For the thousands of families still waiting outside prison gates across Myanmar, the latest announcement brings a familiar mix of desperate hope and cautious dread, as the gap between the regime’s official proclamations and the physical release of their loved ones remains a chasm of uncertainty.
