By Than Lyann / MPA
The State Administration Council has announced a mass prisoner amnesty to mark Myanmar’s 78th Independence Day today, January 4. According to official statements, inmates from various prisons across the country are being released under Section 401 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Family members gathered outside the gates of Insein Prison and other regional facilities to welcome home their loved ones. However, uncertainty remains regarding the composition of those being freed.
While the total number of political prisoners included in this amnesty has not yet been confirmed, observers and family members have raised concerns that the majority of those released appear to be serving sentences for criminal, rather than political, offences.
Among those confirmed to have been released from Insein Prison today are high-profile figures, including the former Information Minister U Ye Htut and model Nang Mwe San.
